The Publishers' Home is a tropical retreat designed for a lovely couple in publishing, Hemali Sodhi, writer & founder of A Suitable Agency, and Ananth Padmanabhan, CEO of HarperCollins India, and their many furry friends. Located next to the Welfare for Animals in Goa Rescue Shelter, this 1500sqft, 2 bedroom home is frequented by many animals, from dogs and cats to rabbits and ducks.
The home is a part restoration and part expansion project for us. It has been converted into a 2-bedroom home from a small, rather unplanned, studio space. The earlier layout lacked space definition and had a sort of make-shift living area with glass walls that we expanded into a more liveable space. We kept some of the old roof structure intact, but had to replace and strengthen some of the wooden beams that were rotting. We got into planning the space more effectively, creating connection yet defining rooms, adding verandas and finishing off by giving as much attention to the landscape as we did the home. Realizing the difference between need and want is also a crucial step between designers and clients. In this case, it was an easy consensus that allowed for a more compact space, mindfully balancing the home and its surrounding outdoor environment. All this and more, while staying true to our design ethos of increasing human engagement with nature, thereby opening up the space, adding skylights as well as making way for larger doors and windows to maximize natural light.
For us as a studio, being close to nature brings a lot of joy and our work in turn, reflects our nature-centric approach. A smooth transition between indoor and outdoor spaces is a conscious attempt in most of our projects and according to us is the foundation of intelligent design and holistic well-being. The most thoughtful spaces are those that facilitate human interaction with nature. The true beauty of the home lies in its connection to the outdoors, where we extensively worked on the landscape as well, adding a lot of plants, grass mounds for ducks to enjoy, a lily pond as well as bird baths that attract exquisite birds. Every space has been designed keeping a link to the outdoors in mind. Large expansive windows and skylights ensure a dialogue between spaces indoors and outdoors.
Mindfully designed, every opening purposefully spills out onto the greenery outside. In a bid to let nature take centre-stage, the color and material palette are somewhat restrained. An understated grey cement flooring runs from the verandahs into the home, adding character and depth. The living area features a built-in seating on three sides with low backs, designed intentionally to provide an unobstructed view of the space. Needless to say, the clients' collection of books add that dash of color and warmth to the space. We wanted their second home to be about who they are and reflect their choices and lifestyle. Fondly called 'The Publishers' Home', it is a warm space with nature at its soul, that welcomes both humans and animals alike- a true reflection of the clients' personalities. A home for two private people to enjoy in the company of things they love most- books, animals and nature!