The Play•ball House by NSAD Studio unveils a harmonious equilibrium of functionality and materiality

What makes a house, a home? A home is a place where one finds serenity and expresses their culture, lifestyle, and personality. The Play•ball house showcases how each space in this Ahmedabad home is meant to bring out the individuality of its residents. Designed by Ahmedabad based design firm, NSAD Studio, this 1200 sq ft home for a young couple in an emerging neighbourhood of the city draws inspiration from the client’s affinity for living life playfully.

This humble home that unfolds in phases not only reflects the aspirations of the young couple, by infusing their home with modern elements but also retains their profound cultural belief. Renowned for the convivial nature of congregations of this Gujarati household, led the architects to split the apartment into two zones: the Living Room, clubbed with the Open Kitchen, and the Bedrooms as private dens.

Materiality was crucial to the design process hence a muted colour scheme of greys and whites with the timelessness of wood and interplay of light spans the entire apartment to create an expansive contemporary family home. As one enters the living room, they are welcomed by a soft diffused north light casting its magic on the grey striped sectional sofa and the oak brown wooden texture.

One can also not fail to gaze at the TV console which is bizarrely perched on a large wooden ball that immediately grabs attention as a statement piece alongside the stained black solid wood coffee table, unifying the space in an instant. A bright crimson entrance console, seemingly stretched out from the immaculate patterns that constitute the wall’s backdrop, also adds an unexpected moment of beauty to the public area.

Beautifully framing the space between the living room and the open kitchen is a metal divider made with two distinctive freestanding wooden balls. The open kitchen, decked out in wood, neutral hues and mud peach tiles, reveals itself at the home’s heart, opposite to the temple console beautifully crafted in the warmth of wood and abstract lotus petals, tying the space together like a well-orchestrated symphony.

As you move further, the master bedroom is the most expected haven of sophistication in the house, and for good reason: it is an oasis of clean lines enveloped in rich oak wood, bathed in abundant natural light coming in through the sheers. The bed is upholstered in quilted leather, and the nightstands are dark hues with wooden balls for legs, adding a touch of luxury without overwhelming  the room’s otherwise minimal aesthetic. The wardrobe’s slim embroidered leather panels in muted tones contribute to the room’s tranquil atmosphere.

In contrast, the parental bedroom is swathed in soothing white with understated gold highlights. The goal was to make a calm and comfortable space where the beauty of natural light could be amplified, therefore an underlying hint of neo-classical detail is paired with a contemporary upholstered headboard.

The biggest challenge was to use colour judiciously in the apartment’s homogenous palette to produce a faint whisper of cohesion. A mint green wardrobe with organically placed wooden handles in the kids bedroom was the outcome, complemented by a wood-cladded bed beside the study table that features two ochre coloured rotating cushions that adds a whim of playfulness.

A layer of comfort and simplicity is clearly reflected in the Play•ball house achieved through a harmonious equilibrium of functionality and materiality, making the residence unique and cosy.

FACT FILE

Project Name: The Play•ball House

Project Area: 1,200 sq ft carpet area

Project Location: Hill Town Residency, Opp. Marriott Sky Nikol, Ahmedabad

Project Designer: Nachiket Shelat & Nishita Kedia, Partner  NSAD Studio

Instagram Handle: @nsad.in

Project Styling: NSAD Studio

Content Writer: Nishita Kedia, Partner, NSAD Studio

Project Photographer: Murtaza Gandhi

Furnishings: Ador by Asian Paints

Bedding: Pluchi

Coffee Table & Art Light: Orange Tree Homes

Decor: Ellementry, Westside Homes, Coastal Habitat

Sofa: Reflection Lifestyle, Ahmedabad