Formal living room of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Informal living of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
The home opens with a sense of quiet grandeur. A solid Burma teak carved door leads into a formal living area, where polished Kota stone floors inlaid with delicate brass details introduce a crafted elegance beneath one’s feet. Lime-plastered walls absorb and reflect daylight with gentle softness, while clean-lined sofas, jewel-toned upholstery and a muted Sabyasachi wallpaper ceiling create a composed backdrop for bold artworks and curated antiques. “The first step into the home, the drawing room, was imagined as a gentle immersion. We wanted each texture and object to carry a sense of history and craft, so the space felt like it had gathered stories over time,” says Nilasha, founder and principal designer of Studio Nilasha. An antique door turned coffee table, vintage furniture and a large traditional painting further anchor the space in reflection and memory.
A generous verandah spans the front of Villa Auro, forming a shaded threshold that leads into the drawing room. Through a series of arched openings, the home naturally flows toward the dining area and kitchen, creating a spatial rhythm where one room seems to breathe into the next. Beside the dining space, a central hallway accommodates a staircase on one side and a study nook on the other, extending toward the informal living room and master suite beyond.
From here, the home relaxes in cadence, shifting from composure to comfort. Sliding stained-glass doors open into a living room where plush minimal seating rests under an abstracted representation of a wooden temple ceiling, handwoven carpets soften the floor, and wallpaper from the house of Ikari with traditional motifs lends narrative to the walls. Behind the scenes, automation by Keus adjusts lighting and ambience throughout the day, allowing the room to transition from quiet reflection to warm evening gatherings. In the family lounge, a sculptural restored teak pillar stands as a contemporary echo of South Indian vernacular homes, while wicker, brass and wood weave through the furniture, on top of an Obeetee carpet that grounds the space with texture and pattern.
Informal living of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Dining of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Dining of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
The dining area extends seamlessly from the living spaces. A solid timber dining table with chairs upholstered in a Sabyasachi fabric sit atop another Obeetee carpet, creating intimacy within the open plan, while consoles double as storage and display for artefacts. Above, a light fixture casts shifting shadows, enlivening the room. Beyond, the kitchen crafted with SCASA carries forward the home’s material language through shaker shutter-style cabinetry, Indian stone counters and an antique stained-glass pendant that infuses the space with colour.
Kitchen of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Master Bedroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
The master bedroom balances modern restraint with traditional detailing. Arched minimal panelling anchors the bed back wall, a bed that has Mother of Pearl inlay detail, complemented by bespoke lighting and furniture. Wicker wardrobes, an antique hand painted credenza, handwoven carpets and custom metal-detailed window grilles subtly echo the client’s ancestral home. Throughout the residence, antiques sourced specifically for the project become part of the architecture of living rather than decoration, their patina resonating against lime-plastered walls and matte polished wood.
Furniture design became a collaborative effort with Nawazish of Dstakari, whose craftsmanship brought bespoke teak, Mother of Pearl and brass detailing to life across consoles, sideboards, beds and accent chairs, forming a cohesive material vocabulary. Connecting levels, a solid wood staircase with moulded detailing becomes both sculptural and functional, its balustrades echoing the finesse of traditional joinery while remaining unmistakably modern in terms of scale and proportions.
Master Bedroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Master Bedroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Master Washroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Kids Bedroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
The first floor unfolds into a hallway that leads to the daughters’ Jack-and-Jill rooms on one side and a guest bedroom, covered terrace and puja space on the other. The children’s rooms are minimal, light-filled and adaptable, shaped in soft pastels and clean lines. Entry to the covered terrace is softened by stained glass that filters light into jewel-like hues, hinting at the home’s theme: tradition as presence rather than ornament. All the furniture in this covered terrace space is from the clients ancestral home and was refurbished and repurposed for the space.
Kids Bedroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Kids Bedroom of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Lounge of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Lounge of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
A level above, the landing opens into a home office and the family’s preferred retreat — the lounge and bar. Awash with natural light, the space balances contemporary lines with gentle traditional touches in its forms, fabrics and finishes. A wood, marble and brass bar adds a refined note, while glass doors open to a sunlit terrace suited to both lively gatherings and peaceful solitude.
The bedrooms carry distinct personalities while remaining aligned with the home’s ethos of Indian modernism. The primary suite is hushed and contemplative, defined by its antique credenza and brass-inlaid furniture. The daughters’ rooms lean into lighter tones, fresher palettes and playful accents that allow the interiors to grow with them while maintaining the home’s material continuity. Technology remains gracefully integrated, with Keus automation shaping atmospheres by shifting light, highlighting artefacts or softly illuminating surfaces as day turns to night.
Study of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Office of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
At Villa Auro, Nilasha turns memory into space. Every texture and tone speaks to both past and present, blending the intimacy of recollection with the clarity of contemporary design. The home shows that designing for the present is not about erasing what came before but about renewing it with care. For Studio Nilasha, Villa Auro marks a pivotal moment. Known for minimalism and restraint, the studio embraced a broader vocabulary here that includes layering, colour, craft, antiques and cultural resonance. The process required sensitivity to balance modern lines with traditional accents, to curate without overwhelming, and to let artefacts and architecture coexist as equals. The result is a home where the family feels both rooted and renewed, and a project through which the studio expanded its own design language. “The clients are happy with the final outcome, and so are we,” Nilasha reflects. “Villa 91 reminded us that growth lies just outside the comfort zone.”
Bar Area of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
Balcony of Villa Auro by Studio Nilasha
