A Scandinavian Color Palette Blends With Pops of Color in This South Indian Home

Nestled in a tranquil location in Bangalore, India, designer Vinitra Amarnathan’s residence offers a refreshing break from the bustling city streets. This is not a purely Indian space: traditional decor and bold patterns are not always present. Rather, culture manifests itself in subtler ways—through ornate wood furniture, swirling ruby-red carpets, and lush indoor plants that reflect the cityscape.

In fact, if you look closely, Amarnathan’s space is quite international. White walls and clean silhouettes create a Scandinavian effect, while mid-century chairs and earthy tones evoke ’70s American design and Japanese wabi-sabi sensibilities. Meanwhile, playful touches breathe life into the space, such as flamingo-patterned wallpaper and an egg chair that opens out to the garden.

Below, Amarnathan dives deeper into the design of her residence, from her biggest sources of inspiration to the home’s connection to nature and her favorite discoveries from her travels.

How did you first discover your space? What about it appealed to you? 

Finding this house was a happy accident as our rental apartment was sold and we were forced to move at short notice. We found this apartment by chance in the same area and what I love is that it is completely untouched, which gives me the opportunity to work and layer.

Describe the surrounding neighborhood—does your home fit in or stand out? 

I’d say it’s somewhere in the middle. I always want my home and all my projects to be contextual in terms of how they look and feel to their surroundings. We have beautiful weather, blue skies and lots of trees that create the color palette and overall ambiance of our home.

At the same time, the house is a departure in its design approach and novelty. The crisp white walls are then covered in colours, materials and textures that reflect our own image, a departure from the solid wood and bright colors seen in many traditional Indian homes.

How would you describe your style and approach to decorating your home? 

I want a home that suits me as a canvas for my personality. The style is based on simple mid-century form and function with a classic Scandinavian color palette of white, taupe and gray. My favorite colors are yellow, warm tones of oak and olive appear throughout the house adding warmth!

I wanted the home to be modern and clean, but also feature unexpected elements such as art I collected during my travels, vintage pieces from my parents’ home, and natural motifs such as rattan and jute.

Who or what are your biggest design inspirations?

It’s too much. One of my biggest sources of inspiration is the simplicity of form and use of materials by Jean Michel Frank. Another thing that comes to mind is Nate Berkus and his approach to effortlessly layering and mixing pieces from different eras.

How does your heritage inform your style?

India is so diverse in its art, textures and crafts that it truly defines my approach to design, which starts with simplicity, allowing spaces to co-exist with the layers of art and crafts that India has to offer.

I have always been fascinated by our arts, textiles and crafts and they are a big part of my home.

Any other cultures you take design notes from?

Honestly, a lot. Traveling and getting to know different cultures is an important part of my life. Some of the cultures that have stuck with me and influenced my approach to design are Asian cultures such as Sri Lanka and Japan. I am also heavily influenced by Scandinavian design, its classic shapes and materials.

What were the greatest finds in your home?

The dining table was the first big purchase we made when we moved to Los Angeles. We bought it at an auction at Helms Bakery and to this day this long country table is one of my favorite pieces in the house.

Another favorite item is the hand-carved stone bust of Buddha that we bought from a store in Mumbai and the antique rattan chairs in our living room.

Do you have a favorite design feature or room?

Our living room is part of a large open floor plan and one of the things I love about it is the layout. The entire seating area is centered around the outdoor view and I love how it immediately connects you with nature.

Where in your home do you spend the most time, and what are you usually doing there?

In our living-dining room. We often relax here listening to music, playing board games, having dinner, having fun or even just enjoying the silence!