Beautiful Home, Furniture, Home Decorating, Home Tours

Home Tour: Amal Rosa Augustine’s Beautiful English Empire Style Home

Posted on

March 12, 2018

by

Disha Mishra Dubey

Today, I’ll take you all to Bangalore, a beautiful city where I spent just one year but fell in love for a lifetime. We’ll tour a home that envelops British colonial elements and is a minimalist’s paradise. Come on in!!!

Amal Rosa Augustine, who lives in Bangalore with her husband and a toddler, has opened the door of her two-bedroom apartment for Design Decor & Disha readers to take a peek inside. Her home reminds me of English empire style. Let’s start with the console table in the picture below, which perfectly sums up the British colonial style of decorating. Hammered metal platters in dark tones are paired with a carved wooden frame in ivory that matches the accessories on the console to create a cohesive look. Touches of gold and wooden furniture with clean edges infuse some modern elements. Traditional or modern, plants never go out of fashion and Rosa knows that well.

This minimalist home is a reflection of a clean, pure and serene environment, but what makes it a British colonial style home is woven furniture in dark wood, light and airy colours, soft & subtle furnishings, eclectic accessories and tropical foliage. Below is a picture of Rosa’s living room, where dark wood furniture creates a contrast against white walls. The overall feel of this place is traditional with a splash of exotic.

I love how Rosa has given an extra visual punch with the colours. Here is what she shares with us: “My tiny apartment in Bangalore was purchased in October 2016, and it’s just a 1400 sqft flat with two bedrooms and a study. When I started to do my homework for the interior styling of my house, I had some dreams about it, and I think I was able to turn it into reality (at least three-fourths of it, if I say precisely). I didn’t follow any particular style in general, and it is a mix of traditional, rustic, farmhouse style. some of it is inspired by Pinterest, interior magazines and home decor websites.”

Also Read: Indian Interiors

Opposite to this seating arrangement in the living room is the entertainment unit that you see in the picture below. TV unit in dark wood, woven baskets on the wall and on TV unit, some picture frames and colonial hurricane lamp wall sconce reaffirm my statement that this home is a true colonial style home. Every room is dotted with the exotic plants that make the place a tropical paradise.

Further, Rosa says, “I have to mention here my dear friend Seethu who helped me throughout designing my dream home and also for my husband for signing all the cheques without looking at the amount and above all my parents who made this a reality”.

Have a look at this hand wash basin area next to the dining room. It is not only wonderfully organized but also a testimony to the fact that modern and British colonial styles mesh together well.

Rosa shares some sweet memories: “My family is a very spiritually oriented family, and hence all around the house, you can find bible quotes and lot of images of Jesus. The most integral part of my house is this small prayer area. I love everything about this. The holy family statue was a gift from my parents when we moved into our first home after our marriage. I carried it in all the homes we rented till date and finally to our own home.”

The dining room is simple and minimal, with woven chairs in dark wood that bind the entire space together. The balcony space has been converted into an open seating area. Huge windows allow the influx of glare-free, ample natural light. This adds visual depth to the confined sitting area. Bamboo blinds bring the texture and organic feel of outdoors to the indoors and create a beautiful dappled light effect that makes the atmosphere soothing and relaxing.

Potted plants add incredible drama to the place, no matter if they are placed on the floor or on the wall shelf.

The sideboard and crockery unit here offer both style and storage. The displayed crockery here is white which adds a streamlined, contemporary twist to the British colonial style.

Rosa has to say something about her balcony. Here is what she said: “This is an area which was actually a closed common balcony area as per our builder’s plan, but I turned it into an open area which is an extension of our dining and living rooms. It has really made a good impact and changed the look of entire apartment’s feel.”

“Even if it’s not open, I never restrained from growing indoor plants. I have put some of my plants, and this area is my husband’s and mine most favourite nook in our home.”

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Rosa is in a mood to share more about her favourite places in her home.
“My next favourite place in the home is this sitting area. It’s called the ‘chai corner. ‘ I love sipping my morning and evening tea in this place; it’s so peaceful and comfortable.”

Now, let’s move on to the kid’s room and study. Here is what Rosa shares,
“This is our study (the so-called half bedroom). We hardly kept any furniture in this room because this room belongs to the two crazy people in my family. Half of the room is for my daughter, and the other half is my husband’s office space. My daughter loves this room, and it means the world to her. She spends most of her time in this half-bedroom. Most of the things here are made by my 14-year-old niece, and I gave them their rightful place because of her ardent love for my daughter.”

Now, before we go further, let’s have some coffee that is being brewed in Rosa’s small and stylish coffee station.

“This is a small corner in my kitchen which I have turned into a coffee bar. Saw this on Pinterest, and it had to be in my home as I love playing with chalks, and that’s why you will see lots of chalkboard paint done here and there in my home.”

“My kitchen is a tiny place, but I love to look at the brighter side of it. I feel it’s very easy to maintain and keep a small kitchen spick and span.”

The master bedroom is crisp white, comfortable, relaxed and elegant, which rightly define the British colonial design. All these elements bring an air of romance and sophistication to the overall design.

“Our master bedroom is kept very simple. My husband is very particular about making it clutter-free, and also, I was concerned about my 3-year-old daughter, so I kept it minimal. Other than the bed, I only have a cot and a chest of drawers in my bedroom for storage. Picture frames with family pictures on the wall above the headboard remind us of our loved ones, and we all just love looking at them.”

Her guest bedroom is a place where I would love to retire for the night. It is such a soothing place with white walls, cheery lemon furnishings, and dark-toned furniture that pops against the pristine walls. I am so in love with this unusual wall decor where embroidery hoops act as a frame and beautiful fabric is given a place of artwork.

White, brown and lemon employ crisp and minimal aesthetics. Traditional style infused with a contemporary style of decorating in the right amount results in British colonial style, and I truly love how Rosa has effortlessly achieved this look.

Get the look of Amal Rosa’s Home:

Basket Planters: https://amzn.to/4jkTvUx

Wooden Dining Table: https://amzn.to/4iRmlvP

Console Table: https://amzn.to/4leI6aA

TV Unit: https://amzn.to/42h7QKC

Sheesham Wood Bed: https://amzn.to/4jkrrkk

Picture Frames: https://amzn.to/3Rx29TU

Since I don’t like to restrict myself to a particular design or decorating style, 3D is a place where you will find homes decorated in various styles from traditional to modern, ethnic Indian to British colonial, collected to simple and minimal and studio apartment to a sprawling bungalow. Hope you liked what you saw today, a completely new theme of decorating!!!

Thanks a ton, Rosa, for this wonderful treat for our eyes. Wish you and your family love, luck & sunshine.

Dear readers, I had committed to publishing this post, and I have kept my promise, but now I’ll take a break and will see you all in April.

Till then, connect with me here.