Seamlessly combining the Old with the New: Ketan Sonalkar
“To be able to deliver projects that we and our clients will be proud of,” is Architect Ketan Sonalkar’s motto.
Ketan Sonalkar, with a degree in Architecture from the premier institute, Sir J.J. College of Architecture, has worked in different capacities over the past few years. He started his career as a Site Architect for a large IT park translating designs of international Architects to suit the site conditions and using locally available materials. A stint in Project Management, mainly for the IT and BPO industry, gave him an exposure in all the different aspects of a project. Following which, he worked as a key member in the Design Team of a large Retail Chain conceptualizing new formats and implementing design strategies on a pan India basis.
After significant experience, he started his own independent practice, ‘Ketan Sonalkar Architects’ where each project is considered from all angles : suitability, sustainability, concept, cohesive blend of services and aesthetics to come to an optimum solution. While he started taking up independent projects a few years ago, he completed his MBA in Finance. Ketan is focused on offering creative solutions to his clients, with a strong emphasis on quality.
Residence at Boat Club Road, Pune
“What do you do when a client has inherited a flat, unused for a long time and along with it about 25 units of furniture which belonged to an erstwhile royal family?” exclaims Ketan.
“The furniture units were ranged from 80 years old to about 200 years old, while some were in reasonably good condition, others needed a lot to be done to be restored. No new furniture was to be added but all the furniture was to be restored and positioned appropriately within the premises”. With this brief from the client, Ketan started his journey into restoration and reuse.
Ketan explains that, “The concept was to do the entire interiors, focusing on the furniture while working on other detailing, in correlation to the same. Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge was to work on the furniture. As each unit was in a different condition and all the units had to be scraped and polished in such a way that there would be of a similar tone throughout the premises. It took nearly 3 months to scrape each unit which included wardrobes, dressing tables, cupboards, etc. to bring all these units to a usable condition”, exclaims Ketan.
Another factor impacting the design was that : a lot of artifacts which were also a part of the inheritance needed to be factored in the design along with the furniture. To achieve this, false columns in wood were created and these were used to accommodate some of the furniture units or to serve as backdrop for some elements.
The flooring was detailed out to have inlays and patterns to give it a palatial feel . These complemented the furniture as well as defined spaces within the premises. Mouldings along the edges were included in designing the false ceiling, and it was used for enhancing the lighting. The lights were strategically used to help focus on antique artifacts and paintings. A warm shade of lighting created an energetic and joyful ambience.
The Kitchen which is away from the line of sight was the only area that had a present day design. An easy to maintain as well as more of a functional space was created in the Kitchen. The net result was a well-defined space which takes you back in time, yet very much relevant today.
Ketan ensures that, “Our dedication and detailing for each Project remains the same with the objective of ‘delivering the most suitable solution’ irrespective of the typology or size of the Projects”.