December 26, 2015 / 16:27 IST
Luxuriating in great views and replete with interesting design flavours, the Hyderabad home of interior designers Aamir and Hameeda Sharma treads a different path.
Interior designers Aamir and Hameeda Sharma
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It’s always interesting to see a person who designs spaces for others create one for himself. And when that space houses not one but two creative individuals from this line of work, sparks are sure to fly. “Well, I wouldn’t say it was smooth sailing,” confesses Hameeda Sharma, “but we sailed through. I guess you can only see our creative best when we work together.” She and partner Aamir Sharma run a thriving, award-winning architecture and interior design practice (Aamir & Hameeda) in Hyderabad. He is the quintessential bad boy: endearing, impish, lover of mean machines. She balances his facetious nature with her incredible poise and calm temperament. But both these divergent personalities lost their heart to this 3,000-square-foot apartment overlooking the Golconda Fort and the Qutub Shahi tombs.
“We bought this apartment when it was under construction. We knew from the moment we saw the land for the first time, that this is where we would like to live: located right in the heart of the city yet cut off from its hustle and bustle,” reminisces Hameeda. Getting their hands on a work-in-progress flat also meant they could tweak the plan to their specifications. “We wanted to keep it simple, spacious and practical. It’s just our cat Coco and the two of us. Our basic requirements consisted of a nice entertainment area for our family and friends; and an easy-to-access, open kitchen, pantry and breakfast area as neither of us cook but love to eat. This also gives us a chance to spend time with each other while we have our breakfast; our other meals are normally at the office or on the go. And last but not least, we needed storage. Lots of it! Both of us are shopaholics, and space is never enough,” she smiles.
The casual seating area of the living room. The picture wall captures moments with family, friends and while travelling. The art wall juxtaposes work by one of Hameeda’s favourite artist and paintings done and gifted by family.
The designer duo opted for an open plan, it’s largeness supported and, indeed, enhanced by the decent, 11-foot ceiling height and later, by the custom-made 10-foot-tall doors. The colour/material palette of choice was stone, wood and concrete. The open plan was visually segregated into different pockets by shifts in wall treatment: from rustic stone and cement sheets to smooth plaster. “We don’t like a very stark look,” emphasizes Hameeda. “Which is why most of the ceiling in the public zone features cement boards, and we selected a warm-toned marble or wood for the floors.”
The huge bar is placed very close to the entrance to the apartment.
The aesthetic is marked by rustic elegance and a casual style that is at once carefully-put-together and uncontrived. “We like our space to be warm and cosy, and each and every corner of our house is detailed in such a manner,” discloses the lady of the house. “Most of the artefacts speak of our travels, and have been collected over a period of time.” This ‘glorified junkyard’, as Aamir fondly calls his home, celebrates the whimsical, the charming and the emotive, and deftly mixes the old and the new. Interesting artwork picked up from an art market in Amsterdam, eye-catching street art, their favourite ‘rope’ lights from a store in Dubai, a typewriter in working condition picked up from Spain, tomes on everything from architecture to travel, antique cameras from the 1900s, Louis Vuitton luggage, lithographs of Salvador Dali and Picasso, a Balinese artefact… This personal collection is an interesting medley of form, colour, texture and character. One wall in the living area is a picturewall, created since the designers didn’t get enough time to go through the photographs they took on their travels.
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The clutch of wall-mounted art includes lithographs of Salvador Dali, limited edition lithographs of Picasso… and a painting of the great Coco by Hameeda’s father in law.
Revolving around moments spent with family, friends and each other, centered on mementoes of mind-expanding trips around the world, laced with love for their feline companion, and always driven by a stylish aesthetic… home may be where the heart is, but for Aamir and Hameeda, home is also what a heart creates.
CONCEPT To keep it simple, spacious and practical, with lots of storage.
MATERIALSFlooring: Marble and wood Walls: Stone, cement sheets and plaster Ceiling: Cement boards and plaster
FACT FILEProject: A&H Home Location: Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Area: 3,000 sq ft Principal designers: Aamir and Hameeda Sharma
Some more images…
By: Betterinteriors
