HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

I enter the compound and walk down a pathway of white pebbles set amid greenery. The lady of the house, the soft spoken Jahnavi, greets me and takes me around and I realise that a house reflects the owner's personality. This one has understated elegance.

Beautifully designed stone tiles are embedded in a synthetic lawn patch as you enter the drawing room. The lighting is soft accentuating the patterned cushions on the chocolate brown sofas. The room, like the rest of the home, is spacious with no clutter that may hamper its classy style. The glass panes with mustard blinds add to the serenity.

The artefacts merge into the setting. There's the crystal swan family on the teapoy. Jahnavi picks one and says, "I bought this because I also have a son and it's like my family. I could relate to it instantly. I took my own time to accessorise the house. Friends laugh at me saying I was like a bird building its nest adding a feather a day." Not the one to follow décor trends her home had to be according to her tastes. The architect ? V. V. Srinadh ? knew just what she wanted.

The drawing room forks into a sitting area and dining hall. The sitting area where "the teenager of the home chats up with friends" has a couple of warm orange sofas with blingy cushions. Though the entire décor is a celebration of pastels, a few corners such as this one carry splashes of hues like orange, bronze and brown to break the monotony.

LOTUS MEDITATION

Jahnavi points out the metallic lotus etched on the teapoy. She got it done the way it was on one of her saris. Interestingly, she got her accessories even before the home was built, and she found that most of them had the lotus motif. Only then did she realise it was her favourite. A wooden Buddha idol who is meditating is holding a Swarovski studded lotus.

You cannot miss the aesthetic rhythm throughout and the subtle visual drama. The walls are lit by wall-washers that throw up a pattern at night dramatising the space. The décor is textured ? so the focus is as much on the sense of touch as it is on the visual. The stones walls, wooden louvers, marbles and tiles lend themselves to varied textures in each room. In the study, the flooring is metallic to vibe with the teenage taste of their son. The guest room is easy on your senses: the only signs of bling are the crystals on cushions carrying portraits resembling Raja Ravi Varma's work.

MERGING SPACES

The functional no-fuss modular kitchen opens into a serving area which looks inviting. Even if you are not a great cook you may want to try your hand at it just to be able to spend time here. Every room has an element that makes a statement without being loud; in the case of the kitchen it is the chequered titles. Says Srinadh, "We wanted the transition between the inside and outside to be smooth. When you pass through the garden and walk in you must not feel you have entered a drastically different space." Just adjacent to the kitchen is a sit-out with lean-on wooden chairs looking out into the garden.

The second floor has a lounge that serves as a multi-activity area where you can party, have a relaxed time playing snookers or watch a film in the built-in theatre. The colours here get warmer. A wooden statue of William the Conquer on a galloping horse at the bar counter stands out. Jahnavi tells me that Suresh picked it up on one of his trips abroad.

The slate paving of the gaiety swimming pool in this area is part of the tropical look. The entire area, including the bath close to the pool, is in sync with nature with its foliage and areca palms.

The highlight of the house is the master bedroom. This space, at a glance, looks Victorian with the cream and beige cushions sporting rosettes, the quilted bedcovers, and the realistic painting. But Srinadh corrects me. "The Victorian style is louder, it is characterised by carved wood. But here the lines are straight. The look is very Bali."

Another feature of this dream home is its floating roof: the glass panels that serve as walls do not touch the roof making it stand out with its wavy design. It is structurally supported by steel columns. Srinadh says that throughout the house glass panes were used in such a way that they allow mild daylight without letting in harsh direct sunlight.

THE TROPICAL LOOK

The landscape garden has exotic palms, black bamboo, lemon grass and ornamental grasses creating a tropical atmosphere. Some areas have been reserved for seasonal plants. This green space was designed by city-based landscape designer P. Jaganmohan who heads Green Scene, a design studio. He points out, "The tropical style is all about letting the space remain natural, a manicured garden would kill the look." There's also a lotus pond with Koi fish. Says Jaganmohan, "The pond tends to give the garden a meditative ambience." Then there's the Plumeria rubra (temple tree) with its thick foliage and a fish pond at the entrance.

Instead of water pipes running down the length of the building from the terrace what you find are thick chains suspended so that rainwater trickles down into the lotus pond. As you stand outside the home you notice that it fits into the quiet lane of Jubilee Hills without a glitch. The windows frame an adjoining park bringing in the green view into the drawing room. In fact, the spots of greenery in the interiors help the home vibe seamlessly with the surroundings.

The park was formerly maintained by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. Today the Rayudus maintain the park to preserve the aura of their home.