A weekend home in Ahmedabad that celebrates slow living and minimalism

When a home is christened ‘Pause’, you know it is a place to linger just a little longer, take that well-deserved break, and cherish special moments. This weekend home in Ahmedabad designed for a family of four, including a couple and their twins who are pursuing engineering and medical degrees respectively, provides a blissful respite from their otherwise hectic pace of life. They commissioned the job to Devanshi Doshi and Shivam Vaidya, principal designers and co-founders of Studio Deshi, with a simple brief of creating a minimalist, clutter-free home.

The main door gives us a glimpse of the material palette of the home.

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The arched nook in the informal sitting space is carved from the wall and showcases curios collected by the family.

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“This space is their sanctuary to unwind from the daily grind of the city, designed as their weekend home in Ahmedabad. They asked for bright and open spaces that can accommodate multiple activities and age groups. Connectivity with nature and warm materiality was the key criteria of the design brief,” shares Doshi.

Even though the family resides in Ahmedabad, their idea of a second home in the same city was to find calm amidst chaos—a truly tranquil space to foster relaxation, connection, and the art of unwinding. The process began by blending the raw beauty of nature with modern, minimalist design sensibilities.

In the living room, a banana fibre hanging lamp from Oorjaa creates a shadow play. The minimal wall clock by Haoshi adds a playful and elegant touch.

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Soft yet decorative lighting casts a subtle, warm glow in the home. Above the dining table, a chandelier by The Wicker Story mimics nature’s flow.

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The main door encompasses many of the materials used in this home such as raw wood, Corten steel and earthy hues. As you enter inside, the open plan of the ground floor leads to the living room, dining area, and an informal seating space. Here, most of the furniture is custom-designed by Studio Deshi, taking inspiration from different forms found in nature. “We designed these keeping the home’s overall aesthetic and functionality in mind. The colours are muted greys and browns to blend in with the rest of the room,” says Vaidya.

The couch is inspired by the smooth contours of pebbles which beckon one to sink in with their plush soft furnishing. An avocado-shaped cluster table adds character whilst offering flexibility in its usage. The dining room is dominated by a large, monolithic dining table crafted from Indian stone with a river finish. “It adds to the raw, earthy and organic language of the space. We interconnected the X-shaped legs in stone to form a joinery which can withhold the weight of the thick stone on top,” explains Doshi.

The entire home features dark grey, concrete finish vitrified tiles arranged in a diagonal pattern.

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As is customary in most Gujarati homes, an indoor swing from Design Ni Dukaan forms an integral part of the seating arrangement in the living room. Artworks from Claymen, Kalakari Haath, and Pomoco are peppered around the house.

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The ground floor, which is largely reserved for hosting get-togethers, game nights and more, is provided with ample, movable seating to accommodate several guests. From multiple sofas to a swing, there’s no dearth of places to sit. In the centre, a circular table is surrounded by concentric benches that serve as multifunctional pieces. “We designed these to function as secondary serving tables, as footstools, and even as seating when required, making them quite versatile in use,” adds Vaidya.

The weekend home is surrounded by a garden designed as a fruit orchard with tropical trees of mango, chikoo, and jamun. Outside the kitchen, a small vegetable patch offers fresh produce.

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