A LARGER-THAN-LIFE LIVING WITH ARCHITECT DHRUVA SAMAL

And just like that, the  spell is cast. And before you know, you are bathed in the unfiltered sunlight which cocoons you in its warm folds. The space, compact from what the architect has been telling us, suddenly opens to a whole new paradigm. A seamless language comes into being. "Home to me is a sanctuary. No matter what the size, it is a haven where unparalleled stories are created," says Dhruva. 
As a design language that the space embodies, contemporary plays the trump card, but the essence that surrounds the home is warmth and comfort. Moving away from any form of distraction, the designer harnesses form and function to create a space which shies away from being forceful. The colours and textures fall in sync with the play of light and shadow. He says, “I have known the home owners and we brought the same design ideologies to the table. I have enjoyed the challenges a compact space throws – simply because it makes you think out of the box. There is no fixed grid." On the drawing board, the concept did go through some degree of layout restructuring simply because the flow needed to go through a narration of fluidity.

Photograph: Dhruva Samal

Dhruva says, "I do particularly relish the process of planting seeds of ideas and watching a space evolve organically and this project followed the same growth pattern. There is a great deal of satisfaction and benefit attached to this freedom of letting go and yet keeping a watchful eye, as it encourages us to continue to explore new design elements without limiting these at the very beginning. " Adhering to the philosophy of 'Less is More', the designer uses the intangible element of lighting, as the grassroot without which, he says, "the other elements would not be able to be experienced in their entirety."

Photogaph: Dhruva Samal

Walking us through the space, Dhurva says, "When I entered the space for the first time, I was instantly taken aback at the suffocating nature in which every habitable space had been so rigidly defined by large masses of walls. The first words that I screamed out in my mind were, "I want to break free." On the drawing board, the restricting elements which unknowingly have a way to constrict a space were knocked down. Tuned to free movement, he envisaged a larger flowing space which would create a sense of space. 

Photograph: Dhruva Samal

The eyes rest on the splashes of yellow which are bold and lilting - two sides to the coin. Purely for the innate ability to fill the canvas with a breath of freshness, he adds, "The intention was to invigorate the mind and soothe the senses and the dots on the canvas in hues of yellow played the dominant."

An intelligent play of applying a dash of color at specific locations via a selection of materials ensured the space wove effortless around what the home-owners wanted of their home. 

Colour to him is a feeling. He says, "Colours have the inherent ability to invoke different feelings and emotions within us." And beyond doubt, the yellow rug in the living room walks away as the showstopper. He adds, "I would like to think of it as the hearth of the house."
Photograph: Dhruva Samal

Ask an architect, and every corner is a Pandora's box of stories around how the space came alive. Dhruva, with a twinkle in his eye, has some too. His design narrative weaves itself around the entrance door. He says," When presenting the initial design concepts and mood boards to the clients, I push the envelope to bring in an element which weaves itself yet stands out. In this case, I was proposing an unusual combination of a grey slatted door and bright yellow handles. And then, just like that, this design was met with enthusiasm. But the story continues. Just when I thought this was done and dusted, towards the end of the project, I started receiving complaints from the immediate neighbours of the society, stating that this door doesn’t match with their sentiments and “spoils” the look of their lobby. To my surprise (and amusement) this carried on for a prolonged time with them eventually accepting this “intervention” in the name of design.

Photograph: Dhruva Samal

Creating divisions and niches based on the specific needs of the home-owners, it is interesting to see every square foot of the home playing a vital role towards the functioning of the whole - a tenet that is inspired by the narratives unleashed by nature.

To an oft asked question, on what makes a house a home, pat comes the reply, " The difference between a house and a home is that while a house provides the basic shelter need, a home comes with an additional layer of being well crafted to suit the specific needs of the individual/ individuals inhabiting it."

Photograph: Dhruva Samal

When it comes to small spaces and what makes the space larger than life, Dhruva recommends :
A simple trick of puncturing straight walls and providing niches. These create a home to treasured artifacts and also double in function by breaking the imposing feeling of the wall. 

The selection of furniture plays an important role in the overall feel of a space. Furniture which is lifted off the ground and propped on legs, in lieu of a solid base  don’t occupy much of a footprint on the floor and allows the lines and look of the flooring to flow below, hence making the furniture look buoyant and the spaces airy.  

Photograph: Dhruva Samal

There are spaces...and then something as effortless like this comes along which challenges the designer to go beyond the lines. Creating a pause without being overwhelming is what Dhruva's pencil to the paper  brings to the table