Proper interiors usually require high budgets and lots of space. But Gayatri Athreyan, who works in the IT industry, didn’t have either.
With a budget of Rs 9 lakh for interiors and just about 1,000 sq. ft space, it was a challenge for interior designer Aparna Bidarkar.
And Gayatri recollects how excited she was when she bought the apartment at Moosapet for her mother Geetha Krishnamurthy and daughter Neha Rajesh. “I always wanted a beautiful home but also wanted an interior designer to do the place. My friends told me that hiring an interior designer would cost me more than the apartment itself. Yet, we managed to do a good job,” says Gayatri adding, “Who says a middle-class family can’t have good interiors?”
With a set objective in mind, the family and Aparna chalked out a plan. They started off with structural changes, sealing off the actual entrance to the kitchen and creating an alternate one, which gave space for a creative bookshelf. “All three of us are voracious readers so I was particular about having a bookshelf, but one that wouldn’t take up space. In the evenings you will find three of us in different corners of the living room, reading.”
Another interesting point in the house is the intelligent use of old artefacts. A 100-year-old cupboard fits exactly in a narrow space given for the puja room.
“We didn’t make many changes to the cupboard, just gave it a height and creatively designed the insides,” says Aparna. And the panels of the cupboard have been used as wall artefacts for the living room.
Quite aptly, their house is named Shakti after the three women who run the home.
Tips for smart designs
1] Craft a space out to get more functionality and maximise the utility factor.
2] Work with the space aesthetically. Create options for the use of flexible furniture.
3] Look for opportunities to design and reutilise old family heirlooms, pieces of emotional value that can be refurnished without taking up much space.
