The full specification table
The table below is the guide as printed — element, what the style requires, the specification and the 2026 cost band.
| Element | What the style requires | Specification | 2026 cost band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palette | Warm neutral base with one saturated Indian pigment | #F6EFE2 base, terracotta #C1502E, forest #2E4A38 | Rs 43–65 / sq ft painting |
| Craft element | One structural craft move per room, not three decorative ones | CNC or hand-carved jali screen, 18 mm MDF or teak | Rs 850–4,500 / sq ft |
| Wood | Teak or a teak-toned veneer, warm and familiar | Indian teak veneer, melamine or PU matt | Rs 240–380 / sq ft |
| Stone | Indian stone used honestly: Kota, Jaisalmer, Makrana | Kota for utility, Jaisalmer for the pooja, Makrana for feature | Rs 55–480 / sq ft |
| Flooring | Terrazzo, Kota or large-format stone-look porcelain | Cast terrazzo or 800 x 800 mm porcelain | Rs 95–520 / sq ft |
| Textiles | Handloom, block print, ikat — one per room | Cotton handloom drapes, block-print cushions | Rs 400–2,200 / metre |
| Metal | Antique or aged brass; never polished chrome | Aged brass handles, CP fittings in brass finish | Rs 450–3,500 per piece |
| Pooja space | Designed, not retrofitted; stone platform and warm light | Marble or Corian platform, 2700K concealed light | Rs 38,000–1,45,000 |
| Seating | A low element: diwan, jhula or floor seating in one room | Teak frame diwan or a ceiling-hung jhula | Rs 32,000–1,80,000 |
| Art | Contemporary Indian work, framed simply and lit | Adjustable spots at 24-degree beam, 3000K | Rs 650–1,800 per spot |
| Ceiling | Simple, with one timber or jali detail over a key zone | Gypsum with a teak-framed raft over the dining | Rs 160–320 / sq ft |
| What to avoid | Elephant motifs, applied carving on flat doors, mirror work by the metre | — | — |
How to use the guide
- Apply the one-craft-move rule. Per room, choose one: the jali, the diwan, the jhula or the pooja platform. Three of them in one room is a showroom, not a home.
- Plan the jhula hook before the ceiling. It is a structural fixing into the slab and it cannot be added once the false ceiling is boarded.
- Use one saturated pigment against the warm neutral base. Terracotta or forest green, once, with the rest of the room holding steady.
- Light the art properly. A 24-degree adjustable spot at 3000K per piece is what makes contemporary Indian work read as collected rather than hung.
Three mistakes this prevents
- Applied carving on flat doors. It is decoration stuck onto a modern object and it satisfies nobody; a jali screen that actually divides space does the opposite.
- Polished chrome with a warm Indian palette. The palette is built around brass; chrome makes the whole room look slightly cold and slightly cheap.
- A pooja unit bought and placed. It ends up in a passage with a tube light. Designed in, with a stone platform and concealed warm light, it becomes the best corner of the flat.
Download the style guide (PDF) →
See pooja room design and read the pooja room placement guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a jali and what does it cost?+
A perforated screen, traditionally carved stone or timber, now more often CNC-cut MDF or teak. It runs ₹850 to ₹4,500 per sq ft depending on material and pattern density. Used as a room divider or a pooja enclosure it does real spatial work; used as a wall decoration it does not.
How is this different from traditional Indian design?+
The frame is contemporary: clean joinery, restrained palette, modern lighting. The craft elements sit inside that rather than defining it. Traditional Indian interiors carry ornament across most surfaces; this style concentrates it in one or two deliberate places per room.
What stone should I use?+
Indian stone, used where it belongs: Kota at ₹55 to ₹110 per sq ft for utility and balcony, Jaisalmer yellow at ₹180 to ₹360 for a pooja platform, Makrana white at ₹220 to ₹480 for a feature. Using Italian marble here works against the whole premise.
Can I have a jhula in a flat?+
Yes, with a structural fixing into the slab rather than into a false ceiling or a beam of unknown capacity. It has to be planned before the ceiling is closed and ideally checked by a structural engineer. A jhula on an inadequate fixing is a genuine hazard, not a finishing detail.
What does this style cost?+
₹1,700 to ₹3,000 per sq ft of carpet, ex-GST, depending mainly on how much craft work is included. The jali, the pooja platform and any bespoke brass are the variable items; the base scheme costs roughly what a good modern scheme costs.