Although the Indian city of Rajkot is located in the west-coast state of Gujarat, it’s far enough inland that its climate is hot, with daytime highs averaging over 90 degrees for eight months a year, and over 100 from April through June. That’s why, when moving into an apartment tower there, architect Abhishek Patel and his family (including his wife and parents) chose a west-facing unit on the top floor, 14 stories up, to take advantage of cooling evening breezes.

Because the tower is located next to Saurashtra University, with its lower-slung buildings and a large cricket field, “It’s a seamless view,” Abhishek says. “I can enjoy sunsets and even cricket matches from my balcony.”

At 1,100 square feet, the apartment offered more space than the family had in a traditional chawl (or tenement) apartment. But in places it was raw—for example, there were plumbing pipes running along the upper dining room wall near the ceiling.

Working in collaboration with the firm he cofounded, 540X Partners, Abishek says he set out “to create a light, airy and minimalist environment that is both functional and easy to maintain.”

“We started by questioning the typical design trends going on,” he explains. Adds Abhishek’s partner, Jeet Gajera, “Since it was Abishek’s own home, it allowed us to have more creative freedom—he was open to experimenting.”

Because Rajkot is a hub for metal fabrication, custom furniture is actually cheaper than high-end retail options—so the architects felt comfortable designing and constructing unique furniture and lighting. “Most of our projects, maybe 90 percent, have custom furniture,” Gajera explains. “You have all the control over the finish and the silhouettes and fabrics and upholstery of the furniture. So it makes sense to make your own thing.”

In this apartment, the pair used brass and polished plywood as a continuous material motif. They also brought in marble—which, because there are quarries in the northern-neighboring state of Rajasthan, added a luxurious feel on a limited budget.

The living room acts as a social hub for the residents, with a large, custom sectional sofa (including backrests) built into the wall, facing an entertainment center made with floating, wall-mounted shelving and topped with green and white marble. The apartment’s largest balcony adjoins and extends the space, whether for more intimate conversation during a dinner party or to take in the view with morning tea.

Abishek decided to leave the kitchen as open as possible to create a combined gathering space with the adjacent dining area. The custom kitchen cabinetry is paired with an open marble shelf, held by brass dowels, for daily essentials like tea and sugar. (There is also an adjacent pantry, which cut down on the need for millwork.)

Though now it’s a beautiful anchor piece, the marble-topped dining table was a result of trial and error. “The first design was something else,” Gajera says. “After the fabricator made the table at his workshop and we bought it here, it was very flimsy and not suitable. It was an afterthought to cover it with marble—but it made the table more stable.”

Surrounding the table are custom dining chairs upholstered with the same fabric used for the living room sofa, as well as the primary bedroom’s headboard, creating a unified look throughout the home.

“The bright rust color of this fabric really complements the green marble, because they are split on the color wheel,” Gajera says. “It adds warmth and vibrancy to the space, which is otherwise very neutral.”

In the primary bedroom, the architects had fun creating wall-mounted brass light sconces that stretch upward to form the curtain rods. In the second bedroom, a length of brass provides a base for a nightstand before transitioning into another curtain rod. The designers had to work closely with the metal fabricator to achieve the final form and function.

The custom floating nightstands and shelving, as well as nearby closet doors, are composed of plywood, which is made from poplar and eucalyptus timber instead of birch.

“In India, plywood is typically covered up with wood veneers or laminate sheeting—but we questioned that,” Abhishek explains. “Plywood has its own natural beauty. We decided to apply the same polish over the plywood that we would use with other woods, and it ended up looking richer and better than a laminate or veneer.”

The guest room, decorated with mementos from Abishek’s travels, also includes a chair designed by Gajera, inspired by the work of Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret—who collaborated with his cousin, legendary architect Le Corbusier, on the Indian city of Chandigarh. Made from Burmese teak, cotton rope, and brass, the chair and the adjacent floating desk have become a favorite reading nook for Abhishek’s father, a retired economics professor.

When Abishek’s family moved into the completed apartment, which he calls Nirvana, “it surprised them, in a good way,” he recalls. “In the past, we lived with ready-made furniture. But here, everything is designed specifically for the people living in the house: according to our needs and our lifestyle.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: 540X Partners / @540xpartners

Builder: 540X Partners

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