The Bungalow in Blue stands in a quiet residential colony in Ankleshwar, a small hamlet close to the city of Bharuch in Gujarat. “The client gave us a free hand with this project,” says Devang Patel, one of the chief designers at P&D Associates. While the clients were non-interfering, they had come with a clear picture of the home in their mind and it was up to P&D to recreate that mental image into a tangible, physical form.
“They wanted a minimalist appearance and were keen on a pastel colour scheme.” The P&D design team gave them a few options for the colour scheme of the interiors. “Blue was the colour they most identified with,” says Devang. “And that was great from the design point of view as blue expresses a formal calm in gathering spaces and in private areas it infuses a relaxed charm.”
The bungalow’s slate gray, pinstriped exteriors stand out in this residential colony where the external appearances of the houses are mostly matter-of-fact and functional. For the interiors, the team came up with a concept that would celebrate the versatility of the colour blue but in a subtle manner. Different tints and hues of blue can be seen in play across the various spaces of the house which are cleverly set off with the use of wood and neutral shades like beige, grey and white.
The standout feature of the house is the water body in the balcony on the upper level. By incorporating water in their layout, the designer team has managed to bring into the bungalow, the colour blue in its most natural shade. Add to that the slabs of granite that make up the parapet; these are so arranged that they allow glimpses of the blue skies for the folks living in the Bungalow in Blue.
