A Coimbatore home exemplifies the ‘modern Indian’ aesthetic

Coimbatore home Chestnut Storeys — (Image credit: Talib Chitalwala)

A growing number of interiors in India have been crossing the desks of Wallpaper* editors (including a Delhi apartment by Studio Jane, a Chennai residence by Multitude of Sins, and a Gujarat home by MuseLAB), with a cohort of local design studios rising through the ranks. Many of them demonstrate the ‘modern Indian’ aesthetic, which merges global sophistication and local tradition, and is captured perfectly in ‘Idyll Home’, a Coimbatore residence imagined by design firm Chestnut Storeys.

Created for a family of four by the firm’s founder, Farah Agarwal, Idyll Home was intended to be, first and foremost, a sanctuary, while still feeling opulent. This is achieved via neutral tones and organic materials punctuated by bold accents and arranged in a way that feels clean and sophisticated.

Agarwal has also added bursts of colour, as well as some whimsical elements, to create a layer of intrigue. Things like the turquoise and gold pineapple wallpaper in the dining area and an orange staircase, as well as the use of varied materials such as Kota stone flooring and metallic finishes, are unexpected, and elevate design.

Each space in this 10,000 sq ft home is distinctive – continuity is not a priority here. The foyer, for example, is home to a Ravinder Reddy sculpture and the brightly coloured staircase, which winds through a double-height area with an indoor garden. The informal living room, meanwhile, is playful, featuring B&B Italia armchairs. The pooja room (a space for praying found in most Indian homes) and its adjacent water feature offer a serene dimension, while the courtyard is home to a reflection pool containing a traditional wooden boat.

Another aspect of Agarwal’s brief was the creation of a connection between the indoors and out. Outside, the garden blends nature with modern elements. Inside, the layout maximises natural light and ventilation, and floor-to-ceiling windows and reflective surfaces blur the lines between nature and architecture.

Key elements of the modern Indian aesthetic are, as mentioned, heritage and tradition, which Idyll Home evokes with a curation of artefacts and furniture handpicked from across the country, including Vahana sculptures, Cochin antiques and Jaipur Rugs carpeting.

As a result of its warm-yet-sleek ambience, connection to the greenery that surrounds it, and cultural richness, Idyll Home lives up to its name.

chestnutstoreys.com

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Anna Solomon is Wallpaper’s digital staff writer, working across all of Wallpaper.com’s core pillars. She has a special interest in interiors and curates the weekly spotlight series, The Inside Story. Before joining the team at the start of 2025, she was senior editor at Luxury London Magazine and Luxurylondon.co.uk, where she covered all things lifestyle and interviewed tastemakers such as Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Priya Ahluwalia, Zandra Rhodes, and Ellen von Unwerth.