Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh

Situated on a hillside, and looking on to the expanse of the Kangra valley, this colonial villa is more than a hundred years old. The brief was to restore the grace of the villa without changing the exteriors and modifying the interiors to suit today’s needs. First, the massive pitched roof was dismantled, renovated, and reinstalled with new slate tiles as per the original design. Next, the interiors were retouched with plaster and a storeroom was modified to a bathroom. Solid deodar wood reclaimed from the old ceiling structure was used in making false ceilings. The polished planks in the ceiling give the space its character. The floor was carpeted in a slate grey color to bring out other surrounding elements. Solid pine wood was used in the furniture designed for the living room. Doors and windows are retained as the original.