Five homes that have unabashedly embraced all that luxury living has to offer
Faquih & Associates
Even though architect Kaif Faquih has worked on many uber posh homes, his idea of luxury verges on the philosophical. “True luxury is not about the exotic, the expensive or the rare; nor is it about the fashionable or the glamorous. It is about being able to live the way one feels about existence... to the highest standard of that interpretation,” he says. Faquih then shares a project that manifests this thought best. This house in the hills of Maharashtra is for a client who treasures natural open living along with the availability of modern comforts. The plan is laid out on rising levels of the hill and matches the topography of the land. The lower level pavilion houses the social spaces while the upper level contains the more private accommodations. The colours are borrowed from the landscape and the earth. Much of the interiors are incidental and contingent, where emphasis is laid on space and atmosphere and not on objects.
A double-heighted ceiling (which is visible from the ground and first floor) covered with Nu-Wood bends gives this space an almost sculptured feeling. For additional drama, alongside this feature, a 16-feet-high wall has a sketch of the Eiffel Tower by the lady of the house (she happens to be an artiste). The dining room has a modern light dropping to the table which has a custom-made buffet counter and ‘the blob bench’ created by Aamir and Hameeda, in keeping with the theme of the house.
(This story appears in the 18 October, 2013 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)