A look inside a 21,000-sq-ft French palace built in Delhi

Schenelle Dsouza

Ever wondered what living in a mansion looks like? Well, take a look. What looks like a royal mansion on the outside, this prestigious residence in Delhi, is an embodiment of luxury draped in a French Classical design.

Designed by 42MM, this 21,000 sq. ft. home called Prarthana Residence is an ensemble of extravagance. It has a basement, stilt, ground, first and second floors. Each floor is dedicated to a specific function. The interiors follow the order of the classical style while the choice of colours, infusion of texture and patterns add a modern twist to it.

The house has an elegant, experimental theme, but at the same time is unique in its approach. Every surface is treated as art, accentuated with either artwork, mosaics or detailed cornices.

The entire residence features Plaster of Paris mouldings with gold leafing, wood panels, leather & fabric panelling. Muted patterned wallpapers make it on most walls while glass and stone mosaic artwork accentuate the corridor in a Renaissance theme.

Each room has a unique floor theme. Certain areas feature stone mosaic carpets, and stone medallions in Michael Angelo, Z Black stone, Marquina onyx. The facade features Moca Crema stone that gives an illusion of the facade being carved out of a monolithic stone block.

The house comprises complementary and contrasting royal hues. While the formal areas like the drawing-room and dining room adorn an elegant royal blue, the family living room and lounge embody a refined royal wine.

Greens, blues and black-golden hues are used to paint the bedrooms, giving them a warmer look.

The entertainment zone in the basement features bold colours like purple, orange and browns to represent a bold energetic mood. The colour balance is brought about by complimenting one bold colour with neutral tones.

The house intersects with greens at different levels. The stairs in the side elevation that connects to the stilt floor to the basement is a vertical green belt adjoining the basement. The most striking feature is the green wall framing the living area. It opens the room on both sides to the green courtyard. The green courtyard walls are made in Glass reinforced concrete yet gives the appeal of a stone wall.

The ground floor terrace adorns a classical flooring design in the grass. While the terrace features a planter bed along its perimeter. All these green intersections create a perception that enlarges the extends of the plot in which it is set.

You may also like:

This 8,000 sq. ft. Kolkata apartment looks like a splendid, mini palace

This pretty, sea-facing Goa house opens out to the outdoors and ensures privacy