Home tour: a multigenerational family home in Hyderabad, India

Moving onto the structure itself, the home is grounded by three stone walls built with Khammam brown sandstone. This local material is sourced from the Telugu states, rough-textured and porous enough for vines to take hold and climb. The greenery softens the imposing enclosure, leading to a floating pathway that directs guests towards the main verandah and screens the pool on the other side. The second wall separates the communal spaces from the private areas, while the third wall runs along the southern periphery and screens service areas from the main house.

What sets this innovative Hyderabad, India home apart is its appearance of floating above the landscape. A cantilevered plinth sits above a water body that runs around the perimeter of the house, populated with fish and water plants to balance aesthetic concerns with its discouragement of snakes and other creatures that accompany rural living. The floating quality is reinforced by a cantilevered intermediate slab, which lends the home a more intimate scale.

More from Tatler: Home tour: a mahjong player’s vibrant jewel box in Santa Monica

As one arrives at the verandah, a bold sculptural staircase forms the visual backdrop of the semi-open lounge. The verandah itself merges with the indoor living space through a sliding glazing system, creating a large pavilion that accommodates the full range of the family's shared life.

Outdoors, dense plantation is pushed forty feet back from the house on all sides, with open lawns occupying the intervening space. These lawns allow uninterrupted air passage from all directions, emit no ambient heat, and provide generous space for the social gatherings that are central to this family's life. 

Coconut trees are placed close to the house to modulate its scale and complement its form, while curtain creepers descend from the overhang's edge, adding shade and slowing the perception of time when the wind moves through them. The central axis of the house dissolves visually in both east-west and north-south directions, terminating at four nodes anchored by weeping willow trees and stone-paved hardscape seating. 

The material palette was chosen in deliberate contrast to the family’s city lives. Having grown up in the structure of urban homes, they were drawn here toward materials that maintained their natural forms, which felt less constrained by the conventions of metropolitan interior design. 

This Hyderabad, India home is rendered throughout in neutral light grey lime plaster, allowing the structure to merge with its surroundings. The floors are laid in Markapuram slate, its smooth yet undulating surface inviting a more meditative pace to living.

Among the furniture pieces are reclaimed teak furniture and live-edge wood benches, which extend the natural palette in this communal space. Jute rugs and curtains contrast with the black metal glazing systems and decorative fans, ensuring that the spaces maintain artisanal crispness while still being inviting. 

At the end of the day, the Antriya family getaway in Hyderabad, India is built to commemorate a connection with nature, with each other and with oneself. Creating an atmosphere that is at once elemental and elegant, 23 Degrees Design Shift has created a home that is both durable and aspirational, carving a space for more memories in the years to come. 

NOW READ

Home tour: a private getaway balancing serenity and sustainability in Batangas, Philippines

Rooted in place: how David Agamos Padadac is championing sustainable Filipino design

Home tour: a coastal retreat in Southern Tuscany, Italy shaped by 1970s Italian Riviera living