Wanderlust Villa

Designed for a family who are well travelled and take great pride in their adventures, the Wanderlust Villa aims to capture their adventurous spirit through insightful architecture and interior design. Be it an Irish bar, a Moroccan riad, or even a 60’s style home theatre, Studio Bipolar tried to stay true to the look without any compromises.

The ground floor was designed in a more contemporary fusion sentiment and the same was highlighted in the formal living room - with eye-catching Statuario marble across the floor and feature wall. Brass inlays and bespoke furniture is used predominantly in this room to contrast against the patterned stone. To counteract the cool white of the beautiful marble, a chevron patterned walnut veneer clad ceiling is reflected in the reflective, lacquered glass-top centre tables. Across the living area, in the formal dining, the onyx marble dining table is inlaid with brass details and the walls are furnished in a minimal aesthetic to let the heavy material palette stand out.

The ornate staircase leading up to the first floor was retained and rejuvenated by subtle change in polish. The stairs open onto an informal lounge, with sweeping curved walls clad in walnut veneer panels, backlit by warm cove lights. As this floor was designed for the younger son who preferred a more contemporary aesthetic, we chose a cooler grey marble to contrast against the warm beige tones of the rest of the house. We kept the walls minimal with simple groove designs, and custom designed furniture in deep orange leather to finish the look.

From the informal lounge, we make our way into the Teal Library. The design of this double height space was conceptualised as a fusion between classic and modern styles. Twenty-two foot height windows look onto a terrace above the front gardens and let in streams of sunlight at different times of the day, highlighting the rich tones of the walnut wood veneer and the deep teal coloured walls. Extensive panelling was fabricated for the wall by local artists and used generously in the teal expanse to stay true to the fusion aesthetic. A floral pattern inlay in the marble floors give this space a sense of scale to the length of the room. Handcrafted brass balusters line the solid wood staircase leading up to the second floor.

When our clients approached us with the brief for the second floor, the simplicity of the concept soon gave way to a highly challenging design process and an even more complex execution phase. An Irish bar aesthetic was the keystone of the moodboard, and was realised through deep cherry coloured polish over teak veneer and the ceiling coffers are lined with solid teak wood moulding coves. Archways were designed to frame the bar area while also disguising the structural columns smartly within them. A round window-partition was created between the bar and the lounge, with a circular framework of gold beams focusing on the billiards room like a crosshair. The bar counter was designed with a classic style, using black Marquina marble. On the floor, we used a mosaic tile in navy and white, and on the curved, vaulted ceilings, a lattice of brass plates on a base of regal, blue paint. A pair of brass deer-heads were placed at the centre of these vaults to complete the look. The dining and billiards room are adorned with identical mirror panelled ceilings which reflect the cherry wood textures below while adding visual volume to the spaces.

The client always referred to the home theatre as the cinema, and we understood why while designing it, as they wanted almost 25 seats of plush leather recliners to fit within the volume. A 60’s style pattern was chosen for the carpeting while the doors to the cinema feature radial grooving within the veneer, reminiscent of the window partition in the bar.

From Ireland, we make our way to Morocco through the glass elevator. Before we enter the Moroccan riad inspired jacuzzi area, one has to walk through the arched corridor which is lined with arched French windows, which highlight the black and white ‘patang-chal’ pattern of the floor. The ceiling itself vaults above each window till the entrance of the jacuzzi room.

The jacuzzi itself was created by using 18 different tile patterns in harmony. The space explodes in carefully curated shades of terracotta, blue, green, and white that make us feel like the ocean has come indoors. The abundance of colour and pattern transform this space into a quiet, luxurious oasis for our clients. Arched niches tiled with tree-patterned stone mosaics add a warm touch of yellow to the room. A double height cutout was made directly above the jacuzzi and a brass chandelier hangs through it, reflecting like stars in the water below.

Overall, this residence is an homage to our clients with a carefully constructed design language that was inspired by their memories of the world, collected by generations of their family, over decades of adventures.