Belgaum: An artist’s black

By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar

Styled by Jainee Shah

When it comes to her sartorial choices, Umme Hanny Ilkalwale likes her monochromes. But her artistic expressions are quite the opposite. Most days, her canvases are steeped in colour, with vibrant themes and motifs threatening to take on a life of their own. Her Belgaum loft—built atop her family residence—is proof. With exposed cement walls, black-and-white decor, and muted moments, her artworks are the exceptions that revel in colour.

The double-height courtyard features Bauhaus-inspired flooring. The realm is crowned by a skylight. All furniture is custom-made; all artworks are by Ilkalwale herself.

Hailing from a family of builders, Ilkalwale—an architect currently pursuing a master of arts in interior design at London's Royal College of Art—didn't have to look far for a designer. She and her family were well acquainted with Juned Jalihal of Jalihal Associates, with whom they had worked extensively for past projects. Tapping his services, then, was something of a no-brainer. She presented him with a brief of three words: "raw, minimal, unfussy". Jalihal was tasked with filling in the rest. "I instantly thought of Bauhaus," says Jalihal. "Of a space filled with natural light, with a monochrome palette and eye-popping tropical greens. A space to sleep, work, ponder, and create." But above all, it had to be a space that let Ilkalwale's paintings take pride of place. Skewing monochrome was the obvious solution for this Belgaum loft.

A barn-style door opens into a double-height lounge-cum-primary suite.

By Avantika Shankar

By Shweta Vepa Vyas

By Bindu Gopal Rao

Also read: A Spanish-style villa in Bengaluru for fun fiestas and serene siestas

For Jalihal, the structural considerations were as important as the aesthetic ones, especially given that Ilkalwale was keen on doubling the spatial footprint. With no horizontal real estate available, the only way to build was up. And introducing a mezzanine seemed like the way to go. The addition helped in more ways than one. Besides creating a charming semi-floor for easels and inspiration, it also channelled attention to the double-height courtyard with the skylight. "The entrance courtyard is special! With black-and-white floor details that nod to the art of the Bauhaus era, it's like a time portal to the past," he muses.

By Avantika Shankar

By Shweta Vepa Vyas

By Bindu Gopal Rao

The L-shaped mezzanine plays host to a studio space on one end and a study-slash-office on the other. Stacks of canvas rolls with finished and unfinished paintings rest on a carefully designed rack in one corner.

By Avantika Shankar

By Shweta Vepa Vyas

By Bindu Gopal Rao

Also read: Mumbai: Inside Cormac Lynch's Colaba home where India and Europe elegantly meet

In an effort to distinguish the loft—comprising a decent-sized studio, an office, a sleeping area, a walk-in closet, and a courtyard—from the bungalow below, Jalihal elected to use a Brutalist design language. Walls and ceilings were left unfinished and details were pared down. The result was downright industrial, just as Jalihal had hoped for. He amplified the rusticity with other details: furniture was crafted in birch plywood and fence mesh and reclaimed conduit pipes were used for the furniture and lighting design. Likewise, black-and-white tile offcuts from a previous job were upcycled and emblazoned across a console table. In a shell so restrained, the decor is almost imperceptible and the only accents that enliven the space are Ilkalwale's colourful creations.

Bathroom.

Walk-in closet.

The industrial aesthetic was a win for Jalihal, but Ilkalwale's parents weren't so sure. "They were curious about why the walls seemed unfinished, why the plywood still looked like plywood, and why electric conduits were showing up all over the ceilings. They were genuinely curious about where all that money was spent," he chuckles. "It took some effort to explain our design rationale. Luckily, they came around." Safe to say then, that the investment—and the effort—paid off.

Also read: The mindful renovation of a 100-year-old residence in Kottayam