Capacious spaces, an open floor plan, and a pared-down material palette are all our champions in concocting the essence at Lush. Seamlessness was key, it needed to be seen, felt, and touched in the spatial flow and the visual persona of each space.

The careful nomenclature of this home is not merely to hint at the obvious omnipresence of indoor and outdoor greenery. ‘Lush’ in this space is an extrapolation of the term. It affirms the balance between the interiors and the world outside. It comes through in its unabashed love affair for hues, one that is restrained yet ever-present. It instills a sense of escapism, wherein each door unlocks a gateway into a serene yet bold space. Bespoke modern undertones entwine fingers with the needs of its users, creating a residence that takes the mundane and garbs it as art that can be inhabited.

While the concept of ‘greenery in homes’ has been around for the longest time, at Lush we had to devise a plan of action that reveled in the ‘Jungalow’ bliss while staying real! Plants do not assume an ornamental or aesthetic landscaping role here. They are living, breathing and tangible parts of the design scheme. We’ve allowed greenery to become the pulse of the space, making it an intrinsic part of the home that the homeowners can easily nurture and coexist with.

Right off the bat, the spaces at Lush are prepared to greet an individual with a ‘gentle punch’ to the senses (the best kind)! It is a rendezvous with the unexpected, a sensorial play that aims to effortlessly surprise an observer from the moment of entry. All the theatrics are in play, it goes against the grain of generic vestibule spaces in residences and could not be further removed from the stereotypical. The foyer coats the palette, almost gearing the eyes for all the sorcery they are about to witness.

A blue-soused buffer space accessed via the apartment’s private lift, the foyer sheds its pivotally utilitarian purpose and has been opened up in its blueprint to host vignettes of art, leaving an individual transported. Think of it as one’s teleportation into a fantastical, enchanted deep forest.

The lift’s doors open to a wall that has become Artist Sachin Samson’s limitless canvas. Using charcoal, doses of maroon, deep green, and gold leafing he freezes a fleeting moment in time — a silhouette of deer against the glorious setting sun in the trenches of a forest, replete with the unruly landscape devouring the day. The artwork spills across the colossal statement brass and glass industrial door that leads into the communal spaces. A wood and micro-concrete bench against an antique blue textured customised wall mural serves as a spot to pause and acquaint oneself with the shift in the design narrative. The mural interlaces lines and labyrinthine motifs, to create a proscenium straight out of a distant yet palpable era that finds its home in these walls.

A dry landscape patch under the bench creates a microcosm of the whimsical forest from which earthy backlit disks sprout mimicking the wild mushrooms, balancing the vivid colours the nook is immersed in.

The brass and glass door allows light to seep through it, drawing you into the passageway that acts as a node to various spaces. The germinating gardens spill over into the passage area. Spilling vines claim the nook in planters. A large grey distressed mirror with brass inlay visually amplifies the space, doubling the reflections of the custom Mother Gone Mad cane and fabric pendant lights that pack in accents of ochre and an oxidised red. The stunning eponymous Varsha speckled terrazzo bench by Kunal Merchant grounds the space and was the first of its kind and hence gets its name from the client. The passage leads to the powder bathroom and guest bedroom.

An interplay between traditional tessellated Turkish blue tiles and a dainty chinoiserie-inspired wallpaper, and an aqua under-counter storage creates a powder bathroom that is interwoven with the ubiquitous conceptual impetus, allowing the floral motifs to assume centre stage.

Bifurcated into informal and formal segments sans any physical demarcation, the layout hosts the sections of the living area by employing a two-pronged design aesthetic. The micro-concrete grey floor swathes the volume of the space in its entirety. The walls have been finished in a matched lime plaster which unfurls onto the ceiling, homogeneously uniting the structural encasing of the space. This crude subdued hue creates a muted backdrop for the greens, art, colours, and furniture silhouettes to come to life in an edified manner.

The projector screen wall has been sheathed in a mildly textured wallpaper that echoes the overruling greys. The TV console below has been reimagined to incorporate succulent patches in its make, almost bringing it to life, shedding its generic boxy forms. Another unmissable structural element kudos to its scale are the two circular columns that flank the width of the living area. Beauty though, can be found in the most unlikely places; you just have to look hard enough and imagine uninhibitedly. We’ve treated these columns as green pillars that bookend the living space. Tones of blue, brass, and grey dot the structures, with built-in micro-concrete peripheral casings that hold FRP planters. Potted with the survivalist money plant, these vines shall soon take over the pillars, cloaking them in verdure as they are watered using an automated system that needs little or no maintenance.

What makes the jungle experience paramount is the living and breathing art that inhabits it. The spectrum of greens that compose the lush landscape is varied and evolving with every inch. No two leaves, or no two vines exude the same brilliant hue. Similarly, the choice of materials in the living space has been instinctive, not adhering to a confined palette of shades and tones. The living area anchors soft yet punchy colours, a deliberate contrast of woods and bric-a-brac that narrates a unique visual story.

In the formal lounge, curved organic forms rule the roost. Pops of mustard and botanical prints occupy the space. The meandering form of the sofa stretches its entirety for colour and pattern to claim is at a playground of its own. The intricate floral and foliage bathes the backrest, while the zestful yellow whispers life into the piece.

The Josmo Studio Pai coffee table creates a sinuous collage at the nucleus of the seating zone. The Magari half-moon accent table pays homage to the client’s wellness-based lifestyle that constitutes meditation practices and astrological studies. A neutral white and taupe rug grounds the area, urging the colours and textures to become the leitmotifs in the space.

The informal seating area witnesses a collage of disparate wood tones in the classical sofa with etched detailing embracing its silhouette with wood-turned legs, spindled armchairs, and accent tables. The powder blue hue comes through in the Magari armchairs which combine velvets and linens to create a hybrid of luxe touches with comfort.

Humour even in design is a desirable element; the white monkey focal light looms over the formal seating space, imbuing a sense of playfulness having its own Cirque du Soleil moment against the cascading Pothos vines. This zone overlooks the alfresco garden deck that is earmarked by a water feature, making it a quintessential spot for the client’s yoga sessions. This deck turns around the corner, hugging the perimeter of the apartment to lead into the balcony which is peppered with blue and green-themed outdoor furniture and jute lights that are a call-back on the presiding narrative of the abode.

The open-plan dining and kitchen mesh in with the living spaces to create the beating heart of the home’s activity. The beaten antique-finish cast iron legs of the table with its solid African walnut top in a dark finish are not conventionally paired with candy-pastel suede chairs with sleek white legs now, are they? Here again, we return to the beautiful (and sometimes illogical) cacophony seen in the unpredictable wilderness. This juxtaposition of hues and materials was a conscious move. A larger-than-life Vietnamese-themed printed mural graces the wall; it nods to the fresh-produce approach the clients follow in their daily lives as it illustrates an indigenous farmer fetching sumptuous harvested goods in bamboo baskets.

“Make it inconspicuous, adept in its utility, and let it not look like a kitchen,” this was the central brief that we received for this kitchen! Light, minimalist, and laden with handsome detailing, the kitchen is a concoction of warm veneer and the omnipresent micro-concrete. The choice of veneers is a discreet yet staunchly perceivable composite of warm and cool tones. The silver-grey veneer for the upper cabinetry and the light-terracotta veneer for the bottom tier, create a unique contrast that is unconventional yet stimulating in its stance.

The subtle grey seems to mould itself in an amorphous form, lending its surfaces to the starkly linear countertops, backsplash, and finally diving in as a sink. The kitchen harnesses a handcrafted sensuality, the tactile textures of the materials intertwine with the hardware-less vastness of surfaces.

The crisp linearity of the kitchen is interjected by a soft curve that bleeds into the Bondi blue bar cabinetry that is complete with mirrored infills. A customised mural has been printed over white-washed wood panels, allowing the delicate motifs to double in their foliage through the bar’s mirrored reflections.

A modest door embellished with the depiction of the lunar cycle in five phases demarcates the shift between public and wholly private zones of the home. The five glass spherical panes artistically display the waxing and waning of the mystic moon, lending the surfaces a diaphanous treatment.

Swept up in a heady obsession with pristine whites and moody greys, the open yoga studio has been fashioned into what was meant to be the family room in the builder plan. The flooring proliferates into a built-in micro-concrete seater at the end of the room by the floor-length fenestrations, leaving the floor space to be utilised flexibly. A distressed white-washed wall holds provisions for ropes to practice Yoga Kurunta postures for the end-user and her students. The arched gridded mirror doubles the sense of space and natural light in this tranquil studio.

The colour-blocked curtains that segregate the studio from the hallway were an artistic endeavour, no less! We partnered with a fashion designer and her stellar team of kaarigars to create these layered natural-fabric (wool, linen, cotton) curtains that pose as engaging backdrops for the end-user to conduct her virtual sessions against. They spun magic with their intricate embroidery to project a silhouette of a feminine figure as she arches against botanical elements, creating a sense of animated dynamism.

Across the hallway, the meditation room instils a peaceful vibe with its uninterrupted grey walls bejewelled with white and gold leaf lotuses and lily pads hand painted by the Artist Sachin Samson. The motifs bloom into brilliance, effusing quietude into the nook.

The study of healing practices by the mistress of the house seeps into the weave of the master suite. Upon their directive, the colour lavender associated with healing and vitality becomes the binding hue in the space. A bold colour in its personality, it has been reinterpreted as a washed-down lime plaster finish that embraces the walls; evocative of twilight dusk skies.

Grey micro-concrete takes over the floors and ascends the walls, culminating as a taupe lime plaster band that connects it to the lavender canvas. The white-washed distressed wooden beams crown the room’s volume, and with the specks of colour and warm wood tones, this home could easily belong in the dreamy town of Tulum. The platform bed, a typology of furniture the clients are personally acclimatised to, has been upped in its opulence with a fine brass beading that lines the profile, running into the cantilevered nightstands. Simple and rustic wood and brass pendants complete the bedside vignette.

An unconventional art installation by Sachin Samson accents the resting spaces. A bold spherical black canvas depicts a silhouette of a woman ensconced by botanical and avian figures; she stares into an ebony portal of zen, looking far beyond what meets the eye.

A monolithic micro-concrete bench occupies the length of the wall and morphs into a study nook towards the balcony, and is sandwiched by greenery on both ends; an indoor green patch on one end, and a planter on the other. A snug spot for the couple to read, rest and unwind, the ledge is peppered with artisanal upholstered cushions and a rug that tethers to the overall colour palette. The customised grooved marble wall sconces add that elevated touch of design to the seating ledge, casting ecliptic shadows.

White distressed French doors lead into the walk-in closet which has overruling French-Victorian influences written all over it; it teases at the transforming design identity it houses on the other end of those doors. A large brass-framed mirror rests between two symmetrical halves of a massive vanity console. The design of the colossal vanity was created to allow the lady of the home (a true-blue connoisseur of handbags) the experience of viewing her extensive collection and storing her pieces with ease. The botanical theme here dons the cape of an illustrated dusty pink maximalist wallpaper; it is like viewing that exotic jungle through literal rose-tinted lenses. The ensuite bathroom carries the baton forward with distressed taupe tiles and a cool blue shade in the doors.

The sit-out nook is a pared-down and comfortable spot complete with a swing, an ornamental mirror, and a few plants clasped in suspended planters. The master bedroom carouses the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic, celebrating the intended imperfections.

The two focal walls in the bedroom straddle two complementary yet contrasting design languages. One, a wildlife imagery-inspired wall in tints of green to tie in with the rest of the home, and the other a wall saturated in a modish houndstooth pattern-play.

The bed is the objet d’art, its almost Art Deco persona comes through in the form of its plush blue-toned velvets, brass detailing, and globe sconces that levitate over the bedside. We created a few wild creature props by upcycling surplus site material, the Moth is the cohabitant of this space, as seen against the white shiplap-finish wardrobes.

A bevel-edged marble top desk, paired with a suave chair creates a workstation in the confines of the room for the unending work-from-home schedules! An industrial theme subtly makes its foray into the bedroom; a framework of mild steel pipes creates a connective framework around the desk. A full-length brass mirror adds visual volume to the room. The bathroom is dominated by a matrix of green square wall tiles and a mirror that spills over with foliage.

The client’s daughter’s oasis on her fleeting weekend visits, and a guest bedroom at other times, this space takes a page from the book of a picturesque French townhouse and alloys it with neoteric design tones. Overruled by the requested palette of pinks and black, the play of monochromes is seen in the flooring. The rhombi forms dot the space and create a dynamic visual melange. Classic wainscoting poses as a backdrop for the traditional wrought iron bed, and antique globes create an elegant visual. A white-washed wooden mirror sits atop the bed, composed of hemispherical halves of a mirror and fluted wood.

Don’t miss the unassuming crow prop that perches languidly by the bedside!

The study nook wall is encased in a paintable wallpaper that summons forth a fluted texture. The stacked cantilevered micro-concrete ledges double up as a work desk, accentuated by the brass beading which envelopes the edges. The vanity has been fashioned as a wooden dresser with drawer faces that are adorned by a French-inspired botanical mural, and a massive brass-finish leaning mirror completes the space. The bathroom is also a montage of stacked rectilinear warm grey tiles over a grid of pink square tiles, separated by a brass beading. The elliptical black mirror packs in a crisp punch!

Curated with a keen eye for the industrial, modern-grunge aesthetic, this home office cum study draws the spotlight upon the timelessness of patina and warm materiality. A medley of metallic nuances, solid black, wood, and distressed leather make cameos in various segments of the room.

The wardrobe storage has been given a facelift, with a central chest of drawers’ element, and the inclusion of round-profile industrial pipes to frame the same and bespoke brass hardware detailing seen along the storage provisions.

The desk is the pièce de résistance, a crossover amidst crude industrial strains and luxury, the bespoke desk hints at the rife use of curves across the home’s expanse. Its artisanal legs culminate as a distressed leather table-top, reiterating the utility-driven yet elevated experience of inhabiting the study.

The powder blue from the living area percolates into the room with the sofa. A black metal and wood antique console hold the client’s repository of pre-owned plants that energize the space with their presence. The bathroom is an extension of the parent space; its monochrome patterned tile, wood-tone vanity, industrial mirror, and exposed globe sconce echo the same sentiment.

At Lush, we’ve broken moulds of designing the ‘perfect’ family dwelling with abandon, yet we’ve done it while keeping the client’s ways of living highest on the totem pole. This space is now a residence to them after years spent in another continent; it had to open its arms for them to build a newfound definition of what a home is to them today. Lush as a term is interpreted in a new light, it enters the arena of hue and texture while maintaining a sense of utmost rootedness and becoming an evolving mishmash and syzygy of the homeowner’s personalities. It’s a circus of nature, greenery, and animals (even us).

This home harbours pandemonium you want to be a part of because in the jungle change is the only constant.