Studio an-v-thot Architects pvt. ltd.

The House of Yellow Shadows Fact file: Project Name: The House of Yellow Shadows Location: Panipat, Haryana Client: Jyoti & Sunil Sharma Design Team: Studio An-V-Thot Architects Pvt. Ltd. Photo Credits: Saptorshi Majumdar Completion Date: March 2014 Built-up Area: 3200 sq ft. The site sat within a plotted development in the heart of Panipat. Facing west and adjacent to built structures on both sides, there was a dire need of natural light within. Our client Mr. Sharma was very keen on the house to portray a fashionable contemporary outlook. The double storey house has 4 bedrooms for the clients, their daughter, parents & a guest room. The planning is such that the first quarter of the ground floor has a guest room, drawing room & a powder. The central half caters to the lobby & dining adjacent to the kitchen. The Puja here sits in a corner aloof from high circulation areas. The rear portion has two private rooms overlooking the landscaped backyard. The first floor has the daughters room with an extended study cum library, a pantry, a store room and a family lounge overlooking lobby at the ground floor. The brief required us to provide a separate staircase connecting to the terrace straight from the front lawn, which in case of an event can take guests to the open rooftop. To add life to the connection between floors, a small courtyard with a library has been placed through the creation of extended landing, where one is greeted with ever-changing play of sunlight and shadows. This was achieved through the insertion of vertical wooden louvers at equal intervals forming the outer skin of the stair facade. A double height wall finished with yellow textured paint acts as a backdrop to the internal staircase which is made using MS structural work & framework where steps are clad with solid wood & finished using PU polish & the railing shows a play of running MS tubular sections. The exposed MS here is finished in off-white high gloss paint. This corner has a skylight at the double height with horizontal MS bands supporting the glass on top. The orientation of the cut-out is such that the play of sunlight and shadows reaches 25 feet down on to the ground floor & accentuates the Yellow. A custom made wall mounted artifact finished in high gloss blue color negates the monotony. Evenings can also be cherished with moonlight charming the whole area. The lobby overlooks the raised drawing room where the division is created through a full height jali on both sides which sits at the foot of two planter beds hosting palm. The jali here is made of wooden battens placed at equal distances in a wooden frame. Wooden laminate flooring has been used in the drawing room where shades of brown & white have been used in fabrics & furnishings. To moderate the contemporary and bring Desi feel, there was a need to bring in custom made furniture in the lobby which has an old school character to it with maroon in fabric to add vibrancy. The custom made dining table adds to the character and acts as a bridge between lobby & the internal staircase. The house hosts a semi open kitchen where storages have been made using commercial boards finished with German based high gloss PU pigment paint of light beige shade where a range of accessories from Kaff & Hettich are used. The backsplash of maroon lacquered glass adds reflectivity & glamour to the whole area. The ceiling here has an embossed floral pattern which turns to become the railing of the first floor lobby. The master bedroom has a separate seating space where the couple can sit & chit-chat along with their friends. The furniture, bed, cupboards & seating have been kept minimalistic in its form as well as in choosing colors for finish. More of white have been used for the finishes on the furniture with white leather upholstered bed back. The parents bedroom has a lot of storages as desired by the client including an additional store room attached to it. It also has a study and tall book shelf. The bed back is paneled with cushioned leather of dark brown shade which turns on to ceiling creating an illusion of inverted bed. The maroon, brown & off-white shades have been repeated here as well. The walls throughout the house have been finished with a combination of wallpapers, textured paint as well as wooden paneling. The flooring has a mix of Indian white marble and wooden laminate flooring. A lot of custom made lights using laser cut MDF board finished with high gloss paint & backed by translucent acrylic sheet have been used in the drawing room, lobby as well as bedroom. As a whole the house has a character of traditional India in a contemporary outfit.