Design that is timeless should feel both of-the-moment and everlasting. It should seem effortlessly elegant and be able to balance practicality with style. Here, we have curated design elements from homes in Ahmedabad, which deliver on all counts. You could steal one or several of these ideas to create an endlessly enduring home.

Wooden ceiling beams

KSUP Studio embellishes this living room’s ceiling with exposed wooden beams that are not only attention grabbers but impart a slightly rustic touch to the contemporary style. Wooden beams can dress up the plainest of ceilings, bringing warmth and style at the same time to any interior, as Design Box shows here.

Grid partitions

A metal grid partition set with glass panes is Studio Patternmaker’s stylish way to demarcate spaces in an open layout, in a less obvious way than, say, walls or solid partitions. In this glass-and-wood grid by Patel-Vadodaria Design Research Studio (PVDRS), the glass allows for an unencumbered visual flow, while the grid pattern adds the requisite style element to the practical design.

Bold colour combinations

Opposites attract – this applies to colours for interiors too. Ignitus Architectural Studio uses a combination of cobalt blue with canary yellow to create drama and depth in this dining space. Design Box mixes vibrant pinks and brilliant blues, transforming this living room into a jewel box that is a testament to the owners’ unique personality. The contrasting colours complement the overall traditional-cum-contemporary look of this home.

Concrete finishes

The concrete look can be surprisingly homey and warm, quite in contrast to its often undeserving rep of being industrially cold; so much so that S A K Designs has clad this space in wooden planks with the texture of exposed concrete, not just on the wall, but on the ceiling and floor too. SPASM Design Architects gives the bedroom wall here the original IPS (Indian patent stone) treatment; the concrete wall is undeniably edgy, providing the perfect background to the pared-down bed.

Indian accents

Traditional touches add flair and an element of interest when introduced into contemporary decor. S A K Designs converts an urli into a washbasin in a bathroom that is otherwise quite modern. A wooden hand-printing block used in fabric printing finds a new avatar as a doorknob – an idea implemented by Patel-Vadodaria Design Research Studio (PVDRS) as an ode to Ahmedabad’s famous textile industry.

Exposed brick walls

Brick walls are a versatile design feature that work well in any setting, be it modern, ethnic or industrial. Manisha Shodhan Basu and Associates use classic red brick in this living room for a minimalist and rustic look that is conversely bold and full of character.

 Jali windows

Latticework or jali windows are Studionine Architects’ way to combat Ahmedabad’s hot, dry weather in wonderful style. The lacy veil-like terracotta panels, while acting as a cooling device are a stunning decor feature in their fineness and in enabling a play of light and patterns throughout the day. SPASM Design Architects does something similar in this home, albeit with corten steel cut out in patterns of trees and branches, taking inspiration from Ahmedabad’s architectural wonder, the Sidi Saiyyed ni Jali mosque, known for its intricately carved filigree windows.

Wooden ceilings

There’s nothing that brings more beauty and inimitable style to a home than an all-wood ceiling. Not only practical in hiding unsightly electrical wiring, it is truly enduring. tHE gRID Architects uses pale oak wood for this living room’s ceiling in sync with the rest of the furniture. Hiren Patel Architects covers this bedroom’s ceiling in dark panels of wood, giving the impression of an inverted ceiling and enveloping the space in a cloak of warmth and natural texture.

 Indoor–outdoor connections

Bringing even a bit of the outdoors inside your home is a design trick that will never go out of style. S A K Designs carves out a niche beside this dining room for the family to enjoy a spot of breakfast al fresco. SPASM Design Architects prove that nature can be preserved by any means. The entrance of this house was built around an existing neem tree, allowing it to flourish and grow.