Traveller, music lover, avid reader, and art connoisseur are some of the adjectives Nishita Kamdar, principal architect at her eponymous studio, uses to describe her client who commissioned this project. The homeowner lives with his wife, their son, and his parents in this 2,800-square-foot apartment at Breach Candy in South Mumbai. “He was looking for a designer to do up his space in the city but the discussion started with the client sharing quotes, stories, and art that the couple enjoys instead of jumping straight to the project requirement. This was a sign of a great start. Each design decision would begin with us collectively brainstorming on how they imagined the space and what a home means to them. The result is nothing short of a successful collaboration between a client and designer where he brought his art collection and I brought my creativity to the table,” reveals Kamdar.
The work for this Mumbai apartment started by stripping down the home to its bare shell to redesign the flow. “For us, the layout and wall planning is very crucial. It tells us how one moves throughout the space,” shares Viragi Parekh from Studio Nishita Kamdar’s team. Spread across three bedrooms, living and dining spaces, and a media room, the apartment is designed to appreciate the finer nuances of life. “Our design brief from the owners posed questions such as ‘Is luxury about expensive belongings? Or is luxury simply living in a space that allows you to appreciate the little things, the art, the environment, and the moments?’ Keeping this in mind, we wanted to create a cocoon in the fast-paced city where the family could unwind and showcase their love for art,” says the architect.
Christened ‘Aria’, the South Mumbai apartment opens with an intricately-etched, Bauhaus-inspired wooden doorway that gives you a peek of a terracotta-red sculptural wall. Called ‘The Melting Candle’, the wall is hand-carved out of plaster and clad in IPS (Indian patent stone). Tucked behind it is the dining area where an African marble monolith table finds its spot.
As you walk ahead, the living room features furniture in neutral tones that complements the dark rug and flooring underneath. It opens out to a balcony ahead with sheers filtering in natural light during the day. “Custom-made artefacts appear in obscure corners and make for interesting conversation starters. The carefully-curated pieces are kept monochromatic like the rest of the house that allowed us to play with forms rather than colours,” shares Kamdar.
The leather finish kadappa stone flooring leads into the media room that is perfectly framed by two symmetrical bar cabinets on both sides. Concealed by black, wooden, fluted, sliding-folding doors, this room showcases the pièce de résistance of the house—a majestic totem light installation encased in an elliptical wall.
Inside, a hand-painted ceiling creates a dramatic flair to enhance the room’s overall appeal. Says Kamdar, “The media room was envisioned as a space to pause, reflect, wander, and weave one’s own stories in a rather whimsical setup whilst appreciating artworks by MF Husain and Sunil Das.” As you transition into the passageway, an alcove in the wall reveals Buddhist prayer wheels. Explains the designer, “The client wanted to have a transitional piece in the passageway inspired from Shiva's ananda tandava. The artist took inspiration from Buddhist wheels but etched the story of Shiva on them.”
In the primary bedroom, a moody, charcoal effect takes over through the walls. Strategically placed decor pieces add to this effect while a black, burnt wood four-poster bed is laced with an in situ marble and terrazzo flooring. The bathroom in the bedroom is connected to the walk-in wardrobe and strays from the dark palette with the use of colourful China mosaic tiles on the walls. “We ensured that the functionality of the home does not come in the way of its aesthetics. Its detailing and accent pieces make it a modern seaside oasis,” concludes Kamdar.
Each bedroom in this apartment has its unique identity that reflects its owner’s sensibilities. In the parent’s room, a fabric bed headboard takes the spotlight, while the son’s room has Bauhaus and Art Deco influences.
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