courtyardHAUS

The modern luxury villa CourtyardHAUS reinterprets principles of Indian life and traditional Indian architectural elements like step-wells and courtyards, all with a contemporary twist. The elegant atmosphere was developed in dialogue with the individual tastes of the house’s residents, and creates a space that is artistically innovative while also being simple enough for everyday life.
“The symmetrical design of the facade openings and the use of different materials are some of the aspects that make this project very unique,” says Kunaal Kyhaan. “The modern and rationalist architectural style of the building features geometrical, rectangular and square shapes but my interiors are vibrant, eclectic collages of furniture, materials, and textures. The effortless combination of these elements makes this project a very special one for me”.
The traditional courtyard is the core of the villa. “We conceptualized the zones of the house to be split by this courtyard so that one gets to walk around it constantly, thus providing an interesting, warm relief to the eye. The courtyard is inspired by traditional Indian step-wells, here transformed into a seating area in the shade of the ancient fig tree that dominates the center of the open space. The patterns of light and shadow it creates move and change constantly throughout the day. The monsoon season in Pune is a spectacular experience, and this courtyard is specifically designed to welcome the magnificent rains into the home while still protecting its residents,” says Kunaal Kyhaan.
The house is enhanced by unique design pieces, taking the owners on a sensory journey through local mixed materials and pieces of art and handicraft. “I traveled across the country and personally sourced elements that I used in this project, adding contemporary Indian aesthetic to the interiors,” says Kyhaan. Pieces such as a dining table with the surface resting on a giant boulder, copper tiles in the kitchen, and gradient-hued glass wardrobes are just a few of the many expressive touches of interior design in this project.
Kyhaan explains: “Most of the furniture and accessories are from my design brand, The KOY Store, and have been almost entirely handmade in-house by my local network of craftsmen, woodworkers, and metalsmiths. This space includes the “Curved Bamboo Sofa,” whose floating body on delicate metal legs expresses a timeless form, and the bent-metal “Curve Chairs,” beautifully upholstered in ginger-orange cotton suede. The house also features the spectacular “Cosmos Treetop Table,” a textured, fine-grained side table, which gives a playful nod to architectural drawings: the circular symbol used to describe the placement of plants in a building’s floor plan is cast for the tabletops. Lastly, the courtyardHAUS features my signature accessories from the “Zoo Collection,” inspired by Indian mythology and by the exotic animals indigenous to India. Hand-carved in assorted Indian marbles, metals or molded fiber, these pieces can spruce up any space and make it stand out.”
“The bedrooms are minimalistic yet cozy. Each room has a piece of furniture that stands out without being overwhelming; for example, in a bedroom we have incorporated a fuchsia “curved chair” and quilted cotton velvet cushions in soothing earth tones; in another, a beautiful hand-sculpted elephant from KOY’s “Zoo Collection” dominates the scene.”
“The bathrooms are graphic and expressive. Since I love working with a variety of marbles, I combined different compositions and colors to give this space a bold and unique look” says Kyhaan.
The kitchen was designed with its function as the household’s communal family space in mind. This kitchen is rather spacious and combines red copper tiles with a deep brown granite countertop and weathered-metal shutters. A part of the kitchen also functions as an informal dining area for the family.
The living room is an expansive space overlooking the garden. The colour palette is vibrant yet complimentary, as shades of teals, purples and pinks blend with the pink marble flooring. The marble used for the flooring here is rather unique and was acquired for its wind-blown desert-sand aesthetic as well as its tones of charcoal and salmon pink. Most of the furniture seen in this space is custom-made by The KOY Store, blended with unique finds in rattan and wood, and vibrant artworks. Some of the pieces are from Kenneth Cobonpue and Pierre Jeanneret.
The formal dining space is a sight to behold; defined by a curvy copper wall and a stoic granite boulder that functions as the dining table. This is complemented by Josmo’s Rattan chairs beautifully arranged around it and a sculptural blown glass chandelier by Arjun Rathi.