A Calm Hyderabad Home Where Texture, Light, and Silence Lead

For Nilasha, founder and principal architect at Studio Nilasha, Zephyr was never about doing less. It was about choosing carefully. Designed for a young couple in Hyderabad’s Filmnagar, the 3,000 sq. ft. home explores how stillness, texture, and natural materials can shape everyday living without spectacle.

Rather than relying on colour or ornament, the house uses surface, grain, and light as its primary language. Soft whites and beiges become active participants, allowing materials to speak clearly and calmly. The result is a home that feels grounded, warm, and quietly expressive.

Nilasha describes the approach as intuitive rather than prescriptive. The intention was to create a space where the eye slows down and begins to notice detail, the way lime plaster catches light, how sandstone feels underfoot, or how wood ages gently over time.

A Scandinavian Sensibility, Rooted in India
The clients shared Nilasha’s affinity for minimalism and Scandinavian design principles, particularly the emphasis on natural materials and functional clarity. Instead of replicating a global aesthetic, the studio chose to reinterpret it through local resources and Indian craftsmanship.

Sandstone from Rajasthan, lime plaster, wood, linen, and wicker form the core palette. These materials are not treated as decorative accents but as structural and sensory elements. Their textures create depth in the absence of bold colour, allowing the home to feel layered without feeling busy.

For Nilasha, this balance between global restraint and local materiality defines modern Indian living today. It is not about choosing one over the other, but about letting both coexist quietly.

The Threshold Sets the Tone
The experience of the home begins at the entrance. A wooden door opens into a calm foyer where sculptural wicker elements immediately draw attention. A wall-mounted bench and fluid pendant lights by Wicker Story introduce texture and softness, while lime-plastered walls and subtle oak panelling establish the home’s understated rhythm.

This space acts as a pause between outside and inside. It does not overwhelm or announce itself. Instead, it gently prepares the visitor for what follows. For Nilasha, this transition was important. The foyer needed to feel intentional yet effortless, setting the emotional tone for the rest of the house.

Where Surfaces Carry the Story
Moving beyond the foyer, the home opens into its main living areas with a sense of quiet confidence. Walls and ceilings are wrapped in lime plaster, creating a seamless shell that feels soft and continuous. Every surface is considered. Nothing is left untreated or incidental.

Underfoot, sandblasted beige sandstone grounds the space with its muted texture. The living area is arranged with upholstered seating that prioritises comfort without visual clutter. Adjacent to it, the dining and bar spaces flow naturally, maintaining openness while subtly defining zones.

A two-toned wood louvered partition separates the media room, offering privacy without closing off sightlines or light. The bar area is kept deliberately simple, with wood and stone surfaces and open shelves that display personal, everyday objects rather than styled decor.

Between the living and dining areas sits the pooja space, enclosed within a louvered fluted glass screen. This design preserves intimacy while allowing light and the fragrance of incense to move gently through the home, integrating ritual seamlessly into daily life.

A Small Space With Dramatic Depth
Tucked near the dining area, the powder room shifts the mood slightly. Here, Nilasha allowed the material to take on a bolder role. Fluted stone with pronounced veining forms a dramatic backdrop, paired with an organically shaped mirror and a custom concrete basin by Nuance Studio.

Despite its compact size, the powder room feels sculptural and immersive. It stands apart without disrupting the overall calm, offering a moment of visual intensity within an otherwise restrained home.

Private Spaces, Consistent Language

As the home transitions into its private zones, the material language remains consistent. The master bedroom is warm and restful, defined by fluted wood panelling, wooden flooring, and an upholstered bed. Handwoven rugs and linen bedding add softness, reinforcing the sense of retreat.

In the guest bedroom, seamless panelling extends to form the bed and side tables, creating a unified, almost architectural composition. The design avoids excess furniture, allowing the room to feel spacious and composed.

The child’s room introduces a note of playfulness while staying true to the home’s overall sensibility. The standout feature is a sculptural ceiling light inspired by lunar craters. Nilasha recalls this as one of the most engaging design moments in the project, transforming an abstract idea into a tactile, almost surreal element that feels integrated rather than decorative.

A Home That Whispers

Zephyr is not a house that seeks attention. Its strength lies in how quietly it holds space. Every decision, from material choice to spatial flow, is guided by restraint and intention. The home invites its inhabitants to slow down, to notice, and to live with awareness.

For Nilasha, the project reflects a belief that elegance does not need to announce itself. In the gentle interplay of texture, light, and proportion, Zephyr becomes a timeless retreat, rooted in place yet free of trend.