Tejaswi Balachandar

In negotiation with teak, kadamb, and neem, and the shifting thresholds of privacy and openness, on the red soil of Tamil Nadu, the house takes shape around what already stands. Spaces open on all sides, held between trees, light, and sky, and drawn by the pull of a catenary. Shot by Venkat Balaji | Compiled by Augustus Roy A house and a studio space for ceramic artist @aartimanik Design Team: Aishwarya, Chandan, Naomy, Ruju, Vyoma | Doro, Ahmedabad In Association with: @saltstud.io , Auroville Tejaswi Balachandar, Shravya Nambiar Structure: AJ Structural Consultants Agencies: Contractor: Madhavan | Vault: @earth.institute Photo Credits: @theshutterbook

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Magizham . The Living Volume is the heart of this home—the space that truly ties everything together. It’s this conceptual volume that first got us excited! . You arrive at the Entrance Foyer, which is positioned at a higher level. From there, the space steps down into the dining area, and further still, the living volume unfolds—opening out to lush greenery beyond. . . . Alternatively, from the entrance, a well-lit staircase leads up to the library. . Sheltered under brick jack arches and framed by stone-arched windows, this central volume is warmly held together by the materials we love most. . We noticed the family spends a lot of time in the kitchen, so we made it an integral part of the living space. Positioned above, the kitchen offers an uninterrupted view—allowing you to see every corner of the living volume while staying connected to all that’s happening below. . . . Project Architect @ravi_ndhar3101 . . Visualisation by @_vishnuvarshith_ . Arches built by @rohtak_domes_roof_ . Site supervision @mr_jd_black_ . . . . . . . . . #vernaculardesign #sustainabledesign #jackarches #stonemasonry #sustainableinteriors #beautifulhomes #handmade #bytheriver

We’ve always dreamed of brick jack arches, and Mexican domes! Finally it’s all come together at Magizham- A project located by the Amravati river in Tamilnadu. . In the one week that we had Sonu @officialsonujangra0001 and Chacha over- they built all this! The intuitive way in which they work is really special and one somehow can’t stop watching as it progresses! It was such a special time with Sonu’s sense of humour and all the local helping labour. There was just banter constantly while serious work was getting done. I don’t think there was one moment without laughter- this reel was an attempt at catching that. This is the kind of week that we wish every week was! . . . . . . Project Architect @ravi_ndhar3101 Site supervision @mr_jd_black_ . Reel edited by @_vishnuvarshith_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #brickconstruction #jackarches #sustainability #handmade sustainablearchitecture #mexicandome #flatdome #reduceconcrete #sustainablepractices #earthenarchitecture #handmade #sustainableinteriors #beautifulhomes #crafts #firstreel

The Blue Oxide room with pink eucalyptus leaves and minimal Cane features all our favourite materials in one frame. Despite being the smallest room in the apartment, we maximized the space by adding a window seat with a beautiful view of the city below. . . As you can see our feline buddy had a great time playing hide and seek here. . . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook . . Design team @_vishnuvarshith_ @sakshi__dadhich_ @adivignesh.j . . . . . . . . . . #oxide #ModernHome #CityViews #CozyCorner #HomeDecor #DesignInspiration #ArchitecturalDetails #InteriorGoals #handmade #handmadepaper #sunset #oxide #eucalyptusleaves #reclaimedwood#InteriorDesign #HomeInspiration #UrbanLiving #DesignDetails #elledecorindia #elledecor #sustainableinteriors #sustainabledesign #catsofinstagrams

The Blue Oxide room with pink eucalyptus leaves and minimal Cane features all our favourite materials in one frame. Despite being the smallest room in the apartment, we maximized the space by adding a window seat with a beautiful view of the city below. . . As you can see our feline buddy had a great time playing hide and seek here. . . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook . . Design team @_vishnuvarshith_ @sakshi__dadhich_ . . . . . . . . . . #oxide #ModernHome #CityViews #CozyCorner #HomeDecor #DesignInspiration #ArchitecturalDetails #InteriorGoals #handmade #handmadepaper #sunset #oxide #eucalyptusleaves #reclaimedwood#InteriorDesign #HomeInspiration #UrbanLiving #DesignDetails #elledecorindia #elledecor #sustainableinteriors #sustainabledesign #catsofinstagrams

The raised built-in platform transforms this space into a cozy gathering spot or a perfect spot for a mattress. It offers stunning views of the city below through the large windows, bringing a unique touch to the room. We’re absolutely fascinated by the texture of these bricks and thrilled to incorporate them into our design! . . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook Art courtesy @artworld_saralasartcentre . . Design team @_vishnuvarshith_ @sakshi__dadhich_ . . . . . . . . . #naturalwood #InteriorDesign #HomeInspiration #UrbanLiving #DesignDetails #BrickTexture #ModernHome #CityViews #CozyCorner #HomeDecor #DesignInspiration #ArchitecturalDetails #InteriorGoals #handmade #handmadepaper #sunset #oxide

China mosaic is just like an 8-bit game: art that tells a story with every pixel. . . . Thanks @vishnuvarshith , for this particular 8-bit art ;) . . . . . . . #ChinaMosaic #8BitArt #CreativeJourney #HandmadeArt #CraftingMagic #PixelArt #ArtisticProcess #HandcraftedInteriors #tileart #interiordesign

Our love for green continues here to the gorgeous tiles made by @windglaze_studio_pottery , thanks for collaborating with us on this one! It is truly special. . Inspired by the woodcut prints from Vietnam, these tiles add the right amount of warmth to the kitchen. We can’t seem to get enough of it! . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #loveforgreen #handmadetiles #woodcut #lotuspond #madras #handcraftedinteriors #sustainableinteriors #crafts #handmade #upinthesky #beautifulhomes #oxide #reclaimedwood #natural #green #openkitchen #artist #ceramic #ceramicarts

The only wall that we brought down in the apartment, made a huge change to the most important space-the kitchen. For clients that love to host people and cook, this was the most needed move. . We have been in love with green for a long time now and this wall just justifies it for us. Beauty truly lies in the subtle imperfections. . So thrilled that we got @aavartan.auroville ’s beautiful creation to add to this! Can’t imagine anything else that could fit so well. . . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #madras #handcraftedinteriors #sustainableinteriors #crafts #handmade #upinthesky #beautifulhomes #handembroidered #oxide #reclaimedwood #natural #green #openkitchen #terracotta #art #catsofinstagram #subtleimperfections

We took great pleasure in crafting a mud plaster mural for the master bedroom, complemented by an oxide base that ensures easy maintenance. By incorporating additional earth elements, we’ve infused this high-rise apartment with a natural aesthetic. The project was a collaborative effort, with many hands coming together to create something special. . . . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook Shoot support @sakshi__dadhich_ @khush_2610 . . Execution team @_vishnuvarshith_ @ruhishah16 @madavan.magi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #mudplaster #handson #madras #handcraftedinteriors #sustainableinteriors #crafts #handmade #upinthesky #beautifulhomes #handembroidered #oxide #reclaimedwood #natural #mudmural #redearth #bananaleaves #sitediaries

A reflection of the mud plaster mural in the master bedroom. This was our little masterpiece that we thoroughly enjoyed creating. . Adding more earthen elements in this apartment that is high above. A lot of us came together in making this one. . . . Pictures courtesy @theshutterbook Shoot support @sakshi__dadhich_ @khush_2610 . . . . The Design team @_vishnuvarshith_ @ruhishah16 @madavan.magi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #mudplaster #handson #madras #handcraftedinteriors #sustainableinteriors #crafts #handmade #upinthesky #beautifulhomes #handembroidered #oxide #reclaimedwood #natural #mudmural #redearth #bananaleaves #sitediaries