A dream of owning a house is stubbed out at times when even a two-bedroom flat in a nice neighborhood needs an interior designer for our own satisfaction or to even think of building a sumptuous structure on an empty land with the help of the best architect in town. Many of us are turning to middle income houses to hedge the downside from a possible fall in demand for luxury homes. According to reports, interest rates, which are at a five-year high and stock markets that have seen a rapid decline in values, have sucked some of the loose cash out of the system & on top of that, hiring an interior designer or an architect will surely empty your pockets.
The demand for lavishness for middle-men outweighs hiring the top architects in the country because not everyone can afford to do so; however when those same top architects come on board & tell you some tips, it turns into a great insight for those middle-class people! Many developers are building affordable houses in smaller cities where land prices are reasonable & then the proprietor thinks of building it well.
Putting together a fabulous and coordinated design isn’t a joke. Many homeowners actually want to be the one who makes the design decisions and incorporates their own style! With the help of some of the top rated architects of India, let’s take a closer look at how to design your home in the best way possible without spending a lot. Whether you want your interiors to look like a luxury hotel or just to jazz them up a little, these insights from the well-liked architects will definitely help
An international award-winning interior designer Shalini Mishra shows us the new facet of architecture delving into sustainability for better purposes! “Sustainability has been a focus of ours as an architectural interior design practice, so it is encouraging to see society’s focus on longevity, impact and the environment pace too. Sustainability should definitely be one of the first things to look at during the planning stage of any house project and should link into our approach to wellness, which is integral to the conceptual design and spatial planning.
On the other hand, Bijoy Ramachandran, the principal architect of ‘Hundred Hands’ feels, “Architects in India aren’t really imagining alternate ways to live, work and play. We are a step behind the market, which in these extenuating circumstances is forcing developers and other private agencies to think carefully about the types of housing units and agglomerations. At the heart of these new models is a search to share and thus economize particularly on amenities – co-living, co-working and so on. The pandemic has forced us to collapse these distinctions between living, working and entertainment. The notion of what a community is and how we interact with each other is going through fundamental changes.”
Ritu Nanda, known for her boutique architecture actually tried focusing on the domestic consumption of architecture when it comes to a middle-class person & she had an interesting insight to give to us on the same. She said, “There is a dichotomy in my mind about the idea of progress and growth. While I see the benefits of the growing middle class in India, I also think that we need to pause and ask ourselves some very important questions before we decide to widen all our roads and highways, cut down old trees, build multi-storey buildings & change villages into small towns. And now, small towns into unwieldy cities! Unsustainable development occurs when present progress is at the expense of future generations. For example, irresponsible planning and environmental degradation through exploitation of resources generates waste and pollution that damages ecosystems & it is not worth it.”
The architect Meetu Akali emphasized more on the usage of apt interior themes for both a plentiful & middle class home, & she mentioned, “At ‘Studio Momo’, we worked a lot with upcycled and recycled wood. ‘Chevron’ and diagonally laid checked stone & wood are my most favorite patterns as they are geometric and pleasing on the eyes, these never go out of fashion. Indian white and green marble is beautiful and is reasonably priced. For a low budget house, I would suggest using locally available stones such as Indian marble, ‘Kota’, ‘Kadappa’ and other locally available stones. Using a softer color palette, textures, prints, patterned flooring; mood lighting can immediately transform your space! There are many beautiful prints such as ‘Ikkat’, ‘Tie and Dye’, ‘Bandhani’,’ Ajark’, that can be used to reupholster your furniture to give it a completely unique look.
