Inside An Ahmedabad Home That Reimagines The Mandir Through Sculptural Precision

A question is echoing through the design world: Is it minimalism again? This recent wave of minimalism, often noncontextual, is gently stirring a moment of cultural reckoning. In response to this moment, R+R Architects quietly brew a revolution with a 4,000 sq. ft. home in Ahmedabad’s labyrinthine bylanes. Dubbed the ‘Bespoke Apartment,’ this abode exudes a sense of warmth akin to the comfort of coffee warming your hands on a cold day while offsetting “the visual and acoustic noise of city life”. Crafted for a nuclear family, “This contemporary apartment is a masterclass in Organic Minimalism with Sculptural Elegance,” remarks Ramesh Lohar, principal designer of R+R Architects.

With a deliberate regard for the bygone era, this home—adorned with wooden accents, stone figurines, and an air steeped in quiet luxury—is a nod to India’s rich troves of natural materials and artisanal legacy. In the hyper-visuals of contemporary times, “This home was to serve as a respite for a close-knit nuclear family of four, with a strong emphasis on timeless aesthetics, material richness, and functional elegance,” explains Lohar. Open layouts foster a sense of warmth through continuous sightlines, shared spaces, and natural light; however, “The greatest design challenge was to craft a tactile and immersive interior experience within a rigid, high-rise shell,” the designer reveals. With a considered choreography of materials, gossamer partitions, and gilded accents that catch the light, the design transcended its structural confines, unfurling into a composition of seamless continuity.

A Balance Of Form And Function

The clients coveted a home that whispered of opulence, eschewing overt grandeur, so “It (the home) serves both as a sanctuary and a statement, balancing serenity with sculptural expression,” the designer states. Anchored by an L-shaped layout, the home ingeniously balances the public and private realms—discreetly delineating spaces, through the thoughtful placement of rooms along its two axes. “In this L-shaped layout, the design carefully balances visual openness with zonal intimacy—achieving both flow and function without relying on solid partitions,” states Lohar. In an age defined by a deep yearning for belonging, spatial configuration becomes quintessential, shaping not just how a home is inhabited but how it nurtures well-being and a sense of self.

In a city like Ahmedabad, etched with the legacies of great visionaries, where design inspiration lingers in its rustic brickwork, intricate lattices, and contemporary spaces, Bespoke Apartment endures the city’s artisanal legacy and warm character. “The design journey began with a clear vision: to create a tranquil yet expressive home where art, architecture, and furniture blend seamlessly,” muses Lohar. Subsequently, borrowing influences from the intricately carved wooden façade of the ‘Pols’ (traditional housing clusters), a colossal wooden door exudes a sense of warmth.

A Fresh Take On Minimalism

The door opens to a gilded partition punctuated by fenestrations, striking an equilibrium between concealment and openness,  allowing light to orchestrate an interplay of shadow, imbuing a sense of movement. The fluted wooden panels further lead into the living area, spilling onto the whimsical alfresco balcony that looks at the rustic brick-clad skyline. Anchored by a bespoke marble bench and enveloped by voluptuous bouclé sofas, the living area emerges as a sculptural focal point—effortlessly tying together every publicly accessible space with a sense of curated cohesion.

The Warmth Of A Bond

Some gatherings call for shared moments over a glass of wine or an open book. For such occasions, the living area unfurls into an intimate hosting alcove, where a veined fluted marble wall and a marble-clad column tell tales of the bequeathed artisanal legacy. Flanking, a lounge area with a Chesterfield couch offsetting the archetypal marble wall, reminiscent of a vintage parlour, crafts the perfect setting for those movie nights.

While apartment units often wrestle with limited natural light, the colossal French windows here flood the living spaces with golden light by day and a soft, amber light by evening. This warmth spills effortlessly into the affixed dining area—with a marble table and wooden chairs— where shared meals and lingering conversations find their cadence beneath a canopy of shifting light. “Through a combination of material rhythm, spatial punctuation, and furniture choreography, the layout preserves a seamless open plan while offering moments of quiet retreat and tactile intimacy,” the designer notes.

In the dining space, a sculptural artwork gently traces the arc where the wall curves, creating an illusion of seamless extension—its fluid form guiding the gaze toward an alcove that holds the mandir in quiet reverence. “This sculptural Ganesh mandir (temple) nook is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and spiritually resonant elements of the home — a perfect fusion of devotion, design, and craftsmanship,” Lohar tells us.

A Sculptural Sleeping Sanctuary

A narrow alleyway unfolds like a transition, heading into the home’s private quarters—artfully demarcating the boundary between convivial gathering spaces and the personal retreat. The master bedroom sprawls with gilded and wooden accents, and its centrepiece—a stately four-poster bed set against the feature wall—pays homage to classical grandeur. This fluted marble wall seamlessly conceals cabinets, blending function with finesse, all while ensuring that storage remains discreetly tucked away. Next door, a sculptural ensemble quietly shapes the sleeping sanctuary, where each artisanal detail coalesces into a space that blurs the line between art and repose. Within the confines of this pristine white haven, a bed extends into a daybed—with colossal windows drenched in natural light and verdant views, it becomes a tranquil perch for reading, journaling, or simply watching the world soften into stillness.

The bedroom plays host to a monolithic phenomenon, with an artful block of marble that serves as both a sleek TV unit and a dressing nook on its reverse, with a mirror catching reflections. “The challenge was to let each sculptural piece speak without shouting—to ensure it lived gracefully within the architecture, like a sentence within a well-composed paragraph,” Lohar shares. He adds, “The furniture in this space was conceived not just as functional objects, but as sculptural interventions that contribute to the spatial language and emotional tone of the home.”

A Symphony Of Surfaces

In this sanctuary, texture orchestrates mood and movement, which complement the organic minimalism palette. With bouclé upholstery softening the edges of the living area courtesy of its cloud-like softness, to the bespoke marble bench adding a sense of ruggedness to the space, the material palette sits in perfect contrast. While the archetypal fluted marble serves to soften monolithic surfaces and discreetly veil functional elements like cabinetry and partitions, it simultaneously stands as a testament to refined craftsmanship. Natural wood, left bare to display its grain, imbues warmth and rhythm across spaces, while brushed brass punctuates with quiet opulence. “Navigating the balance between natural restraint and expressive texture was at the heart of this project’s design ethos,” Lohar explains.

A warm palette, a mirage of interconnectedness, and a deep reverence for India’s rich natural resources form the soul of this Ahmedabad sanctuary. The Bespoke Apartment by R+R Architects is a spatial dialogue between restraint and abundance, structure and softness, past and present. In a world increasingly saturated with fleeting trends, this home serves as a compelling reminder that luxury lies in the enduring.