The Surat penthouse designed by Ayushi Gajjar and Harihar Lacewala, Principal Architects at H+A Studio, was a 3,200-square-foot project crafted for a multigenerational family of nine. The client’s brief was succinct: a home that could adapt easily to the evolving needs of a growing family. Beyond a space that was stylistically minimal, the clients wanted a home open enough for the family to stay connected, without compromising the privacy each member needed. “Each generation needed its own autonomy,” Gajjar and Lacewala describe the ethos of the design. With that in mind, the layout of the Surat penthouse was envisioned as a free-flowing space that would usher in ample natural light and support smooth daily movement.
Behind the dining area, where the kitchen is tucked, lies an island of stainless steel that floats amid accents of birch, rust, and black granite that make up the background of counters and cabinetry. The stainless steel island is the epicentre of the kitchen. Set on Kota flooring, the steel creates an illusion of a light, floating platform.
Original text by Rohit Chakraborty.
A Mid-Century Chennai Home
In the stainless steel kitchen, the table is by West Elm and the light is from Atelier Lumys.Photo: Phosart Studio
AD100 architect Gowri Adappa transforms a builder-grade flat into a luminous, layered retreat defined by texture, craft, and spatial clarity. The 3,500-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment, home to a couple and their two dogs, was lacking in space, character, and the inherent warmth that every home deserves. “The primary design move was to strip the apartment back to its structural shell and reconfigure it through a new spatial logic—one that prioritised fluidity, light, and material depth,” shares Adappa.
Stainless steel kitchens can feel inviting in a residential setting. This one is a perfect study in contrast, where the kitchen emerges as a thoughtful juxtaposition: an industrial-style insert within a home that is otherwise grounded in natural textures. “We clad the pantry entirely in stainless steel,” says Adappa. “It’s compact but highly efficient, and the finish ties in with metallic accents used throughout the home.”
