Pre-Case Study · Residential Interior
Radha Madhav
Penthouse Residence, Vadodara
THE CLIENT
What They Asked For.
The clients came to us with a vision that was as spiritual as it was architectural. They wanted a home that did not simply display luxury, but lived in quiet conversation with their faith a residence where the presence of Radha and Madhav would be felt in every corner, every material, every breath of the space. The home had to feel devotional without being decorative, modern without being cold, and rooted in Indian craftsmanship without ever feeling traditional in the literal sense.
OUR APPROACH
Vrindavan, Reimagined Through Modern Minimalism.
Radha Madhav was designed at the intersection of two seemingly opposite languages the spiritual richness of Indian devotional architecture and the disciplined silence of Japanese minimalism. Rather than choosing between the two, the home was built to belong to both.
The result is a penthouse where minimalism is never empty and devotion is never loud. Cloudy grey lime-coated walls hold the entire residence in a single calming tone, while handcrafted interventions natural teak trunks, restored century-old jharokhas, sculpted clay murals, rustic hand-lipan textures, Sanskrit shlokas concealed behind backlit niches emerge from this silence as moments of meaning. Every surface was composed to support a single emotional outcome: that the residents would feel accompanied by Radha and Madhav in their everyday life.
WHAT WE BUILT
An Experience That Unfolds, One Room at a Time.
Room 01 / Entrance & Foyer
A spiritual prelude of teak, cane, and hidden light.
At the centre of the foyer stands a vertically suspended sculptural installation handcrafted from a natural cut section of Ghana teak trunk. The upper canopy is woven in cane, the hollow lower arch allows live areca palm foliage to emerge from within the form. Centrally embedded is an illuminated circular artwork of Radha and Krishna gazing at one another a backlit glass piece that radiates as the spiritual nucleus of the entire foyer.
The main entrance door itself is a custom 40 mm MDF composition featuring sixty handcrafted arch modules. Some are perforated for natural ventilation; others are mirror-clad. The result is an evolving optical experience where depth and reflection blur into one another. Beside the door, sixty miniature backlit niches conceal a Sanskrit shloka Jal madhye Varaham cha, Parvate Raghunandanam, Gamane Vamanam chaiva, Sarva Karyeshu Madhavam that appears only when the dedicated lighting engages, transforming the entrance into a daily blessing.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ghana teak trunk installation with woven cane canopy
- Backlit circular Radha–Krishna artwork at the centre
- Custom 40 mm MDF door with 60 arch modules (perforated + mirrored)
- 60 backlit niches revealing the Madhav shloka at night
Room 02 / Living Room
Where Japanese minimalism meets Indian devotion.
The emotional and spiritual centre of the home is the monumental Radha Madhav mural hand-sculpted in clay by Devesh Gupta himself, cast into glass-fiber for permanence, and installed within a precisely engineered architectural recess. Concealed flush lighting elevates the artwork at night. The mural is visible from the kitchen, dining, staircase, balcony, and seating zones making Radha and Madhav a constant emotional companion throughout the home. The deities face west; the residents face east per Vastu a quiet dialogue between divine and human gaze.
Diagonally opposite, a handcrafted teak swing in the balcony aligns precisely so the residents sit across from Radha and Madhav, who are seated on their own swing in the artwork. The room layers a restored century-old jharokha into a fixed partition, beside a custom sliding system of six rotating arched panels that alternate between mirror and glass. Cloudy grey lime-coated walls and ceiling, fluted embossed detail, and a centrally recessed glass chandelier complete the composition quiet luxury expressed through proportion rather than ornament.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Hand-sculpted Radha Madhav mural (clay → glass-fiber, designer’s own hand)
- Vastu-aligned mural placement visible from across the home
- Swing-to-swing alignment between balcony and mural
- Restored century-old jharokha integrated into a fixed partition
- 6-panel rotating mirror-and-glass sliding partition
Room 03 / Dining & Kitchen
Hospitality, spirituality, and function in one sequence.
A sculptural feature wall in elongated oval forms, crowned by a dramatic arched canopy inspired by Vrindavan’s Raas Leela, anchors the dining area. Handcrafted marble bells suspended within the arch animate the composition with movement and texture. A 50-inch Italian marble dining table sandblasted and laser-finished to retain its natural unevenness while achieving a silky tactile surface sits at the centre on a gunmetal fluted base, surrounded by six handcrafted curved teakwood chairs upholstered in muted grey.
Between dining and kitchen, an oval teakwood mandir with cane-and-glass shutters conceals an illuminated Krishna Raas Leela canvas devotion woven into daily rhythm. The kitchen itself is the boldest spatial expression of the residence: indigo-blue distressed cabinetry, black granite countertops, matte black fixtures, and an arched-pattern backsplash. Above the island, three monkeys cast in muted grey metal see, hear, speak no evil sit atop a suspended overhead member, a quiet philosophical presence over the heart of the home.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Vrindavan Raas Leela arched canopy with handcrafted marble bells
- 50-inch Italian marble dining table (sandblasted + laser-finished)
- Oval teakwood mandir concealing a Krishna Raas Leela canvas
- Indigo-blue distressed cabinetry with black granite and matte black fixtures
- Three-monkey sculptural composition crowning the kitchen island
Room 04 / Parents’ Bedroom
A rustic Buddhist retreat.
The parents’ bedroom departs softly from the rest of the home into a soulful rustic retreat inspired by Buddhist calmness and the tactile beauty of traditional Indian village interiors. The bed-back wall was finished by hand using sandy lipan the earthy soil-plaster of village homes. The arching wave patterns were drawn by human fingers, not machines, giving the wall depth, warmth, and the irreplaceable authenticity of handcrafted imperfection.
Above the bed, custom macramé pieces in semi-circular and arched forms echo the room’s geometry. To the side, three vertically stacked arched niches carved into the wall thickness hold handcrafted meditation mudra sculptures. Facing the bed, a six-foot arched composition in hand-lipan texture frames a Buddha face artwork whose grey and sandy tonal blending allows it to merge with the room rather than stand apart. Custom dual-tone cotton curtains transition from muted grey above to rustic sandy below letting the textile itself bridge architecture and palette in one continuous gesture.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Hand-lipan bed-back wall drawn by human finger, not machine
- Custom macramé pieces in semi-circular and arched forms
- Three arched niches with handcrafted meditation mudra sculptures
- Buddha face artwork blending grey and sandy tones
- Dual-tone grey-to-sandy cotton curtains
Room 05 / Balcony & Transition Lounge
A Vrindavan-inspired spiritual sanctuary.
At the emotional centre of the balcony is the custom teakwood swing solid teak structure, woven cane side panels, pastel upholstery placed in deliberate visual alignment with the Radha Madhav mural inside the living room. When the residents sit here, they sit across from Radha and Madhav. A simple, daily, intimate act of communion built into the architecture.
Along the double-height wall, an exposed-brick installation inspired by ancient Indian temple architecture forms the spiritual backbone of the balcony. Approximately 200-year-old handcrafted Jagannath Puri Rath wooden artifacts sourced from tribal artisan families of Odisha who have carved temple elements for generations are composed across the wall: four male divine forms on one side, four female forms on the other, with a custom-commissioned standing Lord Vishnu sculpture radiating warmth at the centre. Below, a shallow reflective water body in aqua-toned mosaic tiles holds the entire composition’s reflection. Floating candles, focused overhead lighting, and a live-edge seating counter crafted from the same Ghana teak as the interior shelving complete the sanctuary.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Custom teak swing aligned with the Radha Madhav mural inside
- Double-height exposed-brick installation wall
- 200-year-old Jagannath Puri Rath wooden artifacts (8 deities + central Vishnu)
- Aqua-toned mosaic reflective water body with floating candles
- Live-edge counter from the same Ghana teak as interior shelving
Room 06 / Stairs
A slow artistic journey between floors.
The staircase was envisioned not as circulation but as a cinematic transition — concealed initially behind the artistic TV partition wall, then revealing itself gradually as one moves through the space. A custom roller curtain inspired by Japanese mountain landscapes marks the entry to the stairs, simultaneously providing privacy while maintaining cooling efficiency. The widened metal structure feels open and luxurious, while sparkling dark grey quartz treads paired with natural teak risers introduce earthy warmth into a typically cold material. Hidden sensor-based linear lights activate sequentially as one ascends or descends, making the staircase feel alive — almost as though the home itself responds to human movement.
A custom Japanese landscape canvas runs along the inclined staircase wall, featuring bridges, water, and tranquil horizons that transform the climb into a meditative experience. Three staircase steps were extended with rounded planter cut-outs, bringing greenery into the vertical journey. The handrail is crafted as a single jointless natural teak member paired with sleek minimal metal supports — uninterrupted, tactile, and timeless.
At the upper landing, a custom meditative “eye” installation becomes one of the home’s most symbolic interventions. Layered grey hand-stroke textures form the eye, while a circular linear artifact at its centre functions as both a sculptural wall lamp and visual focal point. Concealed circular ambient lighting behind the form releases a soft halo at night, creating a quiet sense of awareness watching over the home. Two pearl-finish fabric pendant lights suspended within the double-height void complete the experience.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Japanese landscape roller curtain partition at the staircase entry
- Dark grey quartz treads with natural teak risers and sensor-based sequential lighting
- Custom Japanese landscape canvas along the inclined staircase wall
- Three staircase steps extended with rounded planter cut-outs
- Meditative “eye” wall installation with circular sculptural lamp
- Two pearl-finish pendant lights suspended within the double-height void
Room 07 / Master Bedroom
Pastel olive green, expressed through restraint.
The master bedroom celebrates pastel olive green — the client’s deeply loved shade — transformed into the emotional essence of the space without ever dominating it. Pure white walls and a seamless white ceiling preserve openness, while the wardrobe and bed body, finished in a faded pastel olive matt deco, introduce colour through tone rather than contrast. Every furniture element carries continuous teak wood detailing — floating horizontal drawer handles and elongated vertical wardrobe handles — bringing handcrafted warmth and architectural rhythm into the otherwise muted composition.
The bed-front wall forms the room’s poetic centrepiece: a custom canvas cladding mounted on MDF panels that gently bends into a curved vertical edge, with concealed ambient light hidden behind the curve washing the wall in a soft floating glow at night. The artwork narrates a dreamlike heritage landscape — a royal Indian palace beside flowing waters, painted in desaturated olive greens and earthy neutrals like a fading memory.
Beside it, a 2-foot-wide, 7’6″ tall vertical teak striped panel grounds the softer artistic surfaces, while statement hanging lamps embedded with handcrafted olive-green marble elements diffuse light through soft white glass. The bed-back is upholstered in faded pastel olive velvet stitched in rhythmic vertical channels, crowned by three artistic frames depicting natural branches, birds in motion, and abstract flowing forms — visual continuity that symbolises peace and the quiet poetry of nature.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Faded pastel olive matt deco wardrobe and bed body
- Continuous teak wood handles — floating horizontal and elongated vertical
- Curved canvas cladding wall with concealed ambient glow
- Heritage palace landscape artwork in desaturated olive tones
- Statement pendant lamps embedded with handcrafted olive-green marble elements
- Faded pastel olive velvet bed-back stitched in rhythmic vertical channels
Room 08 / Japanese Bedroom
A Zen sanctuary in white and teak.
The son’s bedroom was envisioned as a quiet Japanese Zen sanctuary where calmness becomes the truest expression of luxury. The room follows a strict restrained palette of pure white and natural teak wood, allowing warmth and minimalism to coexist in perfect harmony. The bed-back wall is a custom teak grid composition inspired by traditional Japanese architectural detailing, with silky matte white leather upholstery integrated within the framework. A dedicated planter is embedded directly into the headboard composition, while delicate crane artworks fly across the bed-back wall paired with a metallic matte sun on the east-facing wall — symbols of peace, longevity, freedom, and spiritual balance.
An existing structural column beside the bed was transformed into a concealed mirror storage unit hidden within the extended bed-back panel — utility absorbed into purity. Above the headboard, matte white glass panels with concealed LED backlighting release a soft diffused glow that never falls directly on the eyes. In front of the bed, a long sliding wardrobe carries Japanese mountain-and-river landscape artwork resembling hand-drawn pencil canvas — protected behind glass, transforming the wardrobe into a large framed installation.
On the right side, a lower Japanese-style seating corner with matte white upholstery and a stitched motif fabric backdrop sits beneath a raw teak shelf holding a handmade macramé frame. Handmade round wooden sphere knobs across every drawer and shutter bring tactile warmth into every interaction.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Custom teak grid bed-back with silky matte white leather upholstery
- Crane artworks paired with a metallic matte sun on the east-facing wall
- Structural column absorbed into concealed mirror storage
- Sliding wardrobe clad in Japanese landscape pencil-canvas artwork
- Lower Japanese-style seating corner with stitched motif fabric backdrop
- Handmade wooden sphere knobs across drawers and shutters
Room 08 / Guest Bedroom · Grey Room
European elegance in a single family of greys.
The guest bedroom is a quiet expression of European elegance, where simplicity becomes luxury through proportion, texture, and tonal harmony. Designed entirely within a single family of grey tones — walls, curtains, wood textures, upholstery, and décor accents — the room speaks one continuous monochromatic language inspired by the timeless restraint of European interiors. The bed wall introduces subtle classical detailing: clean vertical cornishing on the left for architectural balance, and softer marble-toned shaded curtains on the right for depth without contrast. The bed itself is finished in muted grey wood panelling, with a floor-mounted bed-back upholstered in silicon-finish zigzag fabric whose gently curved side edges keep the geometry fluid rather than rigid.
A custom European canvas composition above the bed becomes the soul of the room — blurred Tuscan tree landscapes flowing into a majestic European palace surrounded by classical gardens, extended on either side by slim vertical framed compositions that create the feeling of a grand wall installation rather than a standalone painting. Sleek concealed pelmet lighting runs along three sides of the room, washing the walls in soft indirect light.
A compact wardrobe pairs with a minimalist work desk featuring overhead storage, while a small open shelf with hidden reading lights beneath layers luxury into utility. The dressing vanity is clad in matte grey composite stone with matte gunmetal grey knobs, finished above with a clean rectangular mirror shutter containing integrated storage and lighting.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Monochromatic grey palette across walls, fabrics, wood, and décor
- Custom European Tuscan-palace canvas with slim vertical side panels
- Curved-edge bed-back in silicon-finish zigzag fabric
- Concealed pelmet lighting on three walls for an indirect wall-flush effect
- Compact wardrobe paired with a minimalist work desk and hidden reading lights
- Matte grey composite stone dressing vanity with gunmetal detailing
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