Words like modular, prefab, and turnkey have their rightful place in the world of design. This weekend home in Ahmedabad, however, is not one of them. Here, every cushion is bespoke, tailored from fabric which would perfectly complement the home’s palette. The indoor courtyard’s flooring is handmade with six types of locally sourced stones. The bathrooms feature cut tiles in multiple layers, chandeliers, vintage sconces, and antique mirrors, with vanities fabricated from beautifully moulded marble. In designing the home, attention to detail wasn’t just important; it was almost sacrosanct. After all, Vibha Hooda’s (aka @begumpoivre) clients, Puja and Kunal Shah of Aurus Jewels in Ahmedabad could hardly settle for anything less.
“After looking at their jewellery and observing their lifestyle, I visualised this house. A stately home, becoming of their brand. A home where they can flop on comfortable sofas in the living room, work on their designs and meetings in the enclosed courtyard, or have a formal dinner; where all the living spaces on the ground floor open into each other, creating an airy, high-ceilinged space for guests to float around and engage,” Hooda tells us. The result is a home that is a striking personification of quiet luxury across 3,500 square feet.
The interior architecture of the house is designed to be adaptable, embodying the concept of an airy open plan while allowing for privacy when needed. Wooden folding doors and French glass panels demarcate the spaces, enabling the homeowners to tailor the home’s layout to their needs. The seamless flow from one area to another, from the hallway to the bedrooms, kitchen, living spaces, and the verdant verandah to the enclosed courtyard, underscores the home’s design ethos. Towering ceilings, soaring over 12 feet, lend a regal and expansive feel to the interiors.
What makes this home even more luxurious is how truly one-of-a-kind each element in it is. Every piece of furniture has been painstakingly customised by local artisans using reclaimed wood, or has been sourced – not from furniture stories – but from old Gujarati homes. The lighting throughout has been scoured from vintage shops, from vendors on the fringes of the city, alongside bespoke creations based on Hooda’s sketches. Every textile is carefully considered, from the hand-quilted bedspreads that took weeks to create, to the meticulously tailored cushions. Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of the home’s design, eschewing modern construction materials in favour of local craftsmanship and materials sourced from within the region.
Art plays an important role in the home’s narrative, with the Shahs’ rich collection of travel-acquired pieces that include old Japanese prints and iconic works like Saumya Bandyopadhyay’s bull, adding layers of cultural depth. “I believe people who want to promote the arts must support creative students,” says Hooda. “I went to CEPT University and commissioned 2 pieces from an artist and architecture student that are now in the enclosed courtyard of the house.”