5 beautiful mountain homes in Himachal Pradesh that'll inspire a weekend getaway
Curling up with a hot cup of cocoa next to a fireplace, amidst a setting where rolling hills are covered in greenery and misty fog envelops chilly mornings, is a dream getaway waiting to happen. Beautiful mountain homes, selected from the AD archives, will take you back to these scenes and inspire another holiday this season.
Beautiful mountain homes from the AD archives
A Filmmaker's Bohemian Home in Manali
-2.jpg)
.jpg)
When Rohan Thakur (Ronnie) describes the eight months (and time leading up to it) he, his wife Bharati Bahrani (Barty) and their interior designer Sherab Zangmo Tharbus, spent working on their 1,500-square-foot Manali home, his voice is emotion-filled. Almost as if echoing the raison d'etre of its filmmaker residents, the home doesn’t just speak, it emotes. The entrance draws you into the spacious living room of the top-floor apartment, to the right of which lies the master bedroom — a muted quiet retreat in the otherwise vivid home. The living, dining and studio cluster was to remain unfettered and light strewn, a requisite for shoots — this was executed by using glass partitions instead of walls. The bedroom, studio and recording spaces are softly secluded.
On the right, is a fully-equipped studio. On the left, a traditional dining area and kitchen serve as the heart of the home. Sherab shares, “It’s common practice in traditional Himalayan homes to have these two spaces together, referred to as a Tandoor room, where the family gathers to cook together. This space was a modern take on that feeling of cosy childhood nostalgia.” A stone-clad staircase takes you to the attic lounge, perfect for relaxed gatherings, and a bridge connects the attic lounge to a sound recording pod above the studio.
A Vernacular Cabin In Naggar
.jpg)
Sustainability is more than just a professional philosophy for architect Rahul Bhushan. He founded his firm North in Himachal Pradesh’s Naggar town in 2017 to give back to his community what he learned from them about coexisting peacefully with nature. Growing up in Shimla, Bhushan imagined himself as a magician who could change his surroundings at will. “[In my mind], I would make houses evaporate and put simpler ones in their place; some got replaced by grass and trees. I never knew I would be an architect, but in hindsight, it all connects so well,” he says. It is the need of the hour, he tells AD, especially for fragile ecosystems, such as the Himalayas, that lie in seismic zones 4 and 5, which are known for being especially disaster-prone when exposed to indiscriminate human intervention.
He realizes that North is not just an architectural firm, it is a platform that earnestly drives for a better future. One of North’s projects, the Dhajji House, is a stellar example of a structure that sourced all its materials from its surroundings—like timber from an abandoned house nearby, stones from a riverbed, and mud derived from the Himalayan sand. For the architect, his universe of artists and craftspeople are like a close-knit family who create and live together. “Our team, the students, artists, and visitors come from all over the world where they build on fresh insights on art, design, architecture, and most importantly, living,” says Bhushan. “And as for the local karigars, we see it as a long-term commitment [to work collaboratively with them] as opposed to a two-hour session with the students for a show and tell.”
A Sitara In The Himalayas
Having carved out a legacy with her brand Good Earth, Anita, or AL as she is affectionately known, has ascended her mountain, both figuratively and literally, and has come to rest in the valley of the devatas, a corner of paradise where creativity flows as freely as the seven waterfalls across the ravine. Acquiring a sloping meadow behind the family house, Anita worked with “more than one architect” to conjure the large hill house that seems to crown the valley below and oversaw every detail with her well-tuned eye for both the practical and the poetic. “I actually engaged a Manali architect, Sri Duni Chand, who understood at an instinctive level what is needed in this area; it was a process of learning that seeking out local voices and talent is worth 20 imported names.” Over the decades, the designer has gained a deep respect for the mountain vernacular in these parts and has single-mindedly imbued Sitara with the spirit of the place in which it is set.
Having the wood fire lit, with its old Yunca to prevent it smoking, designed by “a talented New Zealander in Pondicherry”, Anita points out the double sofa in front of the stone fireplace, topped with stone lions by Sanjay Garg. She talks about it being inspired by a visit to a Cotswolds country house. “I had it covered in a silk printed with a design of Himalayan flowers inspired by an old sherwani I discovered.” The sense of layering yawns across the walls with a dazzling brass relief panel by Vikram Goyal in front of armchairs covered in a vibrant pattern taken from an old Russian roller print, itself inspired by an Indian chintz.
When the mountains call, you must answer. Rohit Amarnath Rudingwa, owner of the beautiful space featured here resigns to this calling at least once a year. The destination is always his hometown, Manali, which is surrounded by mesmerizing views of the Himalayan Mountains. Rohit (a merchant mariner) and his wife (a doctor) take time out every six months to visit his family home, which is designed in a traditional “Himachali” style. It was during one such break, when the 3,000 square-foot house was getting refurbished, that Rohit reached out to interior designer Sherab Tharbus, the founder of TharbusDesigns, with a special request: he wanted the 450-square-foot attic space of the house to be converted into a main suite.
While planning this project, Sherab’s focus was on two facets—a unique design and a functional space. To create the Parisian milieu the designer decided to bring in shades of blue into the space and complement it with warm and dark tones of wood on the ceiling and floor. The undertone blue is not overbearing, as it is painted on MDF panels, which wrap the lower half of the bedroom walls while the rest is painted in sober white. “The idea of bringing in shades of blue was pulled from the sea, something close to the client's heart,” says Sherab. The plain walls of the bedroom acts as a breather that separates the bright bottom half of the room from the double-height Deodar wood ceiling. The higher wall panels and the dark ceiling visually bring the room closer together to create a snug and cozy mood.
A Holiday Villa In Kasauli
For this finance entrepreneur, the mountains seemed like the only antidote to city life. The prescription came in the form of a little gabled villa in Kasauli’s DLF Samavana, which, with its sweeping mountain vistas, verdant setting and morning birdsong, was enough to convince him and his wife to put down a deposit, sign the papers, and begin hunting for designers. It wasn't long before they chanced upon Devika Khosla and Raj Khosla of The Works Interiors—to whom they were introduced by a mutual acquaintance—to manifest their long-held vision.
In a bid to prioritise these requisites, and to frame the mountain views at every corner, Devika and Raj gave the interior of this Kasauli home a log-cabin-like avatar, with an authentic wood-burning fireplace, complete with a fairytale chimney. “The intent was to create something timeless, a cosy family retreat that would bow to the snow-capped mountains, the valley and the pine trees below,” says Devika. To bring in a bit of mountain magic, and to stay true to the surroundings, the designers used locally sourced wood for the flooring, ceiling, and wall panelling. As for the furnishings and finishes, earthy upholstery and foliage-printed wallpapers were the materials of choice, while colour was introduced through accents in muted grey and blue.
0 Comments