A clean-lined and modern Coimbatore home

Beautiful Homes (BH): What kind of brief did the homeowner have for this house?

Pradeep Arumugam (PA): The homeowner had a clear vision. They wanted a home that felt expansive and open while also offering private zones for the family. The brief emphasised openness, visual connectivity and a strong relationship with nature. We envisioned a space with seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor areas, anchored by landscape and natural light.

BH: In that sense, would you say this home is a pretty accurate expression of the firm’s design philosophy?

PA: Definitely. The home reflects a core part of our design philosophy—clean lines, elegance and well-articulated spatial transitions. But it’s also very much shaped by the client’s own preferences. From the beginning, they leaned towards a minimal aesthetic, with an emphasis on calmness, openness and subtle detailing rather than anything loud or overpowering. In that sense, the final outcome is a shared vision, where our sensibilities matched the client’s preference. The result is a space that feels cohesive and deeply rooted in both perspectives.

BH: What kind of plot was it, in terms of size and location, and how did the particular context play into your design?

PA: Located in one of Coimbatore’s developing areas, the plot was large enough to allow us to dedicate more space to landscape than built-up area on the ground floor, which influenced the design significantly. The built-up area is around 15,000 sq ft. The front of the house comprises the public zone with spaces to entertain guests, while the private spaces are in the rear. The front of the house comprises the public zone with spaces to entertain guests. The private spaces are in the rear. We used wooden flooring there to make them feel cosier and more intimate. On the other hand, we chose tiles for the public areas for their durability and clean look. These two zones are connected by a central informal living and dining area, which is the heart of the home. This spine also connects directly to outdoor landscape pockets. There’s also a dry courtyard acting as a transition between the public and central spaces. A lift leads to an entertainment lounge on the top floor.

BH: How did you select the materials and the furniture?

PA: We took a layered approach. The exterior palette was clean and minimal to allow the landscape to shine. A large custom main door bridges the tone between the outside and the inside. For the interiors, most materials were made to order. We avoided off-the-shelf finishes and focused on custom finishes and details. The furniture followed a consistent theme that aligned with the tone of the house. At the same time, it catered to the mood of each particular space.

BH: What made you choose Asian Paints products?

PA: We’ve used Asian Paints products in several earlier projects as well and it’s a reliable go-to. For this house, we used their paint ranges, textured finishes, sheers and wallpapers. The finishes had a high-quality output and a great colour palette, especially for the textures. With the wallpapers, what stood out was the wide variety in patterns and styles. They’re also always current and in tune with design trends.

BH: Did you also do the landscaping?

PA: We created and planned the internal green pockets, but collaborated with an external landscape consultant for external design of spaces—plant selection, mood and placement. While the external team executed the softscape, we ensured it complemented the architecture.

Image courtesy, WARP Architects