Excerpt: Home Set in Stone by Studio Motley is an interior design project that uses flooring as an element that ties the spaces together but to also differentiate it through colour and texture to create unique identities. The designers used natural materials in handmade and craft-intensive ways to create a unique and sophisticated design response that was traditional but yet contemporary and relevant.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] When the clients approached the firm to design the interiors of a typical suburban apartment, the designers’ primary objective (derived from extensive conversations with the clients) was to create a sense of place, an alternative to the ubiquitous, modern, and modular design one usually encounters. Their strategy was to use natural materials in handmade and craft-intensive ways to create a unique and sophisticated design response that was traditional but yet contemporary and relevant.
The designers were presented with an apartment that was basically an empty shell, i.e., without fenestration, fixtures, or flooring, and they realised this opened up the possibility of creating an interior experience from scratch. It was an opportunity for them to control and modulate the design response in a more holistic sense.
At the outset, they decided to create a differentiation in materiality between the common areas and the more private areas, like bedrooms and study spaces. The idea was to use flooring as an element that ties the spaces together but to also differentiate it using colour and texture so that unique identities are created.
The living/dining/foyer is anchored by beautiful laid-in-situ terrazzo flooring that extends onto the walls and is terminated by a delicate strip of marble. Conceived as a tribute to Carlo Scarpa, the flooring is detailed with brass accents, which respond to both function and furniture. The private spaces are detailed with solid wood flooring, with fabric introduced for the wardrobes and headboard to create an additional layer of warmth and texture.
The layout of the common areas is hinged on a puja room (an important component for the family) and is centrally located at the intersection of the living, dining, and foyer. Made with teak wood verticals with fluted glass and rattan infill, these partitions extend to create a study or library enclosure. The partitions here are movable to create an opportunity to extend the living space when desired.
The language of the handmade continues to the kitchen (with teak wood cabinets) and even in the bathrooms, where they minimised the use of tiles and instead created pigmented oxide finishes and cast in-situ terrazzo bathtubs and wash basins. The son’s bedroom, though modest in size, has spaces for play, study, and rest. This was achieved by lifting the bed up to create a well-defined play area below. Staggered steps, clad in teak wood, lead up to the bed and have additional storage tucked beneath.
The designers had designed the spaces and furniture with a high level of detail and precision, so their biggest challenge was that each member of the execution team was aware of the project as a whole and ensured that everyone’s interests, skills, and ambitions aligned. They were fortunate to have some truly wonderful craftsmen on board, and discussing design and detail with them was an enriching experience.
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