In this Vastu-compliant Hyderabad home, the children’s room steals the spotlight

Named after the Swedish word ‘mysa’ meaning ‘to be cozy’, this Hyderabad home began as a simple exercise in design: how much warmth and comfort can you inject into the space once it has been structurally demarcated? Vaishnavi Linga of VAL Atelier employed only layers of furnishings, accessories, and textures to create tons of visual interest, weaving together a refined yet earthy aesthetic.

The 4,200-square-foot home for four showed potential from its bare bones stage, with light-washed volumes and a cohesive spatial layout. For both the homeowner and Linga, it was only the cumbersome false ceiling in the living room that warranted a makeover. With the false ceiling out of the way, Linga introduced textural richness with a contemporary take on a coffered ceiling. The only other challenge in the otherwise Vastu-compliant layout was the lack of freedom to alter walls with even surface treatments without introducing panelling.

“Colours are our forte at VAL and initially, the homeowner was partial to pastels,” begins Linga. But when asked to carve out an inviting space that made the 4-BHK apartment feel more like ‘home’, Linga turned to a palette rooted in raw tactility—featuring rope, cane, wood and other natural textures—thus elevating warmth while retaining a modern, uncluttered sensibility. The pastels appear as accents, adding a pop of fresh colour to each space.

Also read: This Hyderabad home echoes timeless Indian design for a modern family

The beige marble flooring the home came with was retained to avoid additional costs, and Linga opted to keep the walls and ceiling in the same palette, allowing the darker tones of the furniture (albeit in the same family of neutrals to maintain cohesion) to take centre stage. Lighting was an important concern too, and Linga only employs indirect lights in the living room to underscore the calming atmosphere.

The striking children’s areas (two bedrooms for two sons) were designed with imagination and intentionality. Inspiration for the same flowed easily for linga, who draws from her personal experience with her two kids to envision and fill these spaces with a sense of whimsy that encourages childlike curiosity. In the colour-filled nursery, the child’s dream of becoming a pilot takes full flight with spatial and thematic cues: think murals on the walls and a dominant palette of gentle sky blues. In the second room, an aesthetic of outer space dominates, punctuated by a floor-to-ceiling mural detailing galaxies and planets.

Also read: 7 children’s room designs that discerning parents can get behind

Adjacent to the nursery lies a functional and design-forward study that doubles up as a playroom. To serve its dual purpose, the design is curated to support flexible use, mobility and interaction, thus encouraging a sense of exploration from the children while retaining a sophisticated vibe for when the homeowners want to entertain. Of the two kitchens, the homeowner was clear that heavy use would be restricted to the wet kitchen, allowing the dry kitchen to be designed more for its aesthetic than for its functionality. The double-paneled pastel green cabinetry with open ledges that punctuate this space are a favourite design feature of Linga, while the higher height of the cabinetry breaks the monotony of standard sizes.