Home tour: A luxurious multigenerational home near New Delhi showcasing homegrown materials

While preserving the existing façade and structural elements, the homeowners envisioned an interior that embraces simplicity, foregoing elaborate accessories and extravagant materials in favour of a clean palette accented by minimal art.

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“It’s not often we get clients who are ready to embrace minimalism in its truest sense, where the design speaks louder than the materials themselves,” notes Joya Nandurdikar and Amrita Guha, founding partners of New Delhi-based Untitled Design Consultants.

“This has been one of our favourite projects; it not just challenged us to embrace true minimalism, but with a tight budget, we had to be thoughtful about every penny, ensuring everything was optimised,” they elaborate further. “This opportunity to rethink space planning, sourcing, and design while creating a harmonious and cost-effective home convinced us to undertake the project.”

With a built-up of 7,760 sq ft, the design for the villa draws inspiration from Japanese minimalism and yin-yang principles, creating a clutter-free, serene environment suffused with natural light.

The reimagined layout enhances connectivity throughout the home, beginning with the entrance lobby—illuminated by twin skylights—and flowing seamlessly into various living spaces.

Here, a reconfigured staircase ascends to the first floor as a cantilevered structure, where one of its treads extends playfully to form a distinctive console table.

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“It’s our favourite part of the home that we thoroughly enjoyed designing,” the partners share. “By embracing a minimalist approach, we realised how we could eliminate multiple furniture pieces by creating something homogenous that truly works with the space.”

The cantilevered staircase leads to the first-floor lobby, where a custom-designed library featuring a floating reading nook creates a tranquil retreat for relaxation and contemplation.

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Meanwhile, a sculptural spiral staircase in bold teal—the sole vibrant element amid a muted palette of whites, greys, and wood tones—descends to the basement’s home theatre and lounge area.

The project also redefines luxury through the thoughtful use of high-quality yet simple materials, showcasing traditional Indian craftsmanship and local sourcing to demonstrate that true opulence need not come at an excessive cost.

With a bold departure from conventional luxury projects, the design maintains a careful budget with materials not exceeding ₹220 per square foot, while celebrating indigenous elements like kota stone, a fine-grained limestone celebrated for its distinctive greenish-blue hues, durability, and slip-resistant properties.

Quarried in Rajasthan’s Kota district, the stone material creates a striking feature wall in the formal living room, where brass accents interweave to create an artistic composition that captures and reflects natural light.

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Besides that, the home showcases a rich palette of indigenous materials: hand-cut and chiselled stone, terrazzo, pigmented cement, various Indian stones, exposed concrete, wood, and Araish plaster—an ancient technique yielding a smooth, glossy finish with minimal maintenance requirements.

Furthermore, the exclusive use of local materials, aligned with the homeowners’ vision, not only reduces the project’s ecological footprint but also ensures longevity through traditional craftsmanship.

“In line with our core values, the design process extended to educating the homeowners on the benefits of local materials–their durability, low maintenance requirements, and long-term cost savings,” Nandurdikar and Guha add.

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A tone-on-tone neutral palette strengthens the home’s subtle sophistication, creating a serene ambience while providing an elegant backdrop for the homeowners’ impressive collection of artworks by acclaimed artists including Akash Parkande, Abdul Salam, and Anupam Bera.

Complementing these art pieces are ceramic creations by Shweta Mansingka, Anubha Jaiswal, and Manju Tomar, alongside Vijay Kumar Verma’s Sanjhi craft—all coming together in a harmonious fusion of visual and tactile artistry throughout the home.

Some of the more difficult challenges for Nandurdikar and Guha’s team were in the master bathroom, previously a pantry and balcony, which also houses the wardrobe with shutters showcasing the intricate weaving of the chatai design.

Designed to mimic an outdoor bathing experience, the bathroom features a striking granite counter that anchors the space with understated opulence, whereas a glass wall, partially obscured by a hanging metal structure adorned with granite, offers a private view of the garden.

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Additionally, a separate shower area prevents moisture and heat from permeating the rest of the bathroom, enhancing the overall serene, spa-like atmosphere.

“The process required meticulous planning and attention to detail, especially in balancing privacy and functionality, while bringing a natural, open-air feel indoors,” they conclude.

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