A Writer’s Mumbai Home is Full of Quirks, Patterns, and Stories

Home is not a place. It’s a feeling.

The stories of our lives are sketched everyday within the four walls of our homes. Chapter by chapter with twists and turns, laughter and moments of tears, victories and lessons, births and farewells. The little nothings that transpire when we are cuddled up in the couch watching a favorite series on a weekend, or playing a board game on the dining table are the moments that we all associate with a home.

This quaint 3-BHK apartment in Mumbai designed by  Nishita Kamdar has the nailed the brief of that home that is an enabler for the stories to happen. It goes beyond the walls, the textures, the rugs, and the expensive lighting. Welcome to a home th

Who lives here: a writer, his wife and their 3-month old daughter

Location: Powai, Mumbai

Size: 2 BHK, 1,050 sq.ft.

Interior designer: Nishita Kamdar

Cost per sq ft: Rs. 2900

What was the brief given by the client?

This quaint 3-BHK apartment is situated in a large residential complex in Powai. The young
owners wanted a house to be personal and more about the experiences it has to offer than just purely being aesthetically. The home had to reflect their personalities. This was a marked departure from the other opulent homes in the neighborhood that flaunted imported Italian marble and Swarovski chandeliers screaming out price tags more than the emotions of the people living in it.

Can you take us through the house visually and what were the structural changes you did?

The house was originally designed as a 3-BHK with two baths and a powder room.  Since the living room was small, we decided to break down the powder room and enlarge the living and dining area. To further increase the common spaces, the kitchen wall was broken to make way for a large barn style sliding door which when open ties the living space with the kitchen. The two larger rooms were retained as bedrooms, while the  third was converted to a media bedroom.

Living Room

There are several design elements in the living + dining area that will take your breath away. Let’s start with the one that has the most impact:

Flooring: One of the first things that catches your eye as your enter the home is its flooring.  The vibrant flooring is made of cement tiles by Bharat Flooring in geometrical patterns. The cement tiles are locally produced in India; they reduce the temperature making the floor cool to walk upon. There is so much drama going on here that the other elements are kept simple and walls white. The flooring extends into the kitchen as well.

Backgammon inspired dining table: The dining area sports a relaxed feel with a casual cushioned bench with veneer paneling on one side and three chairs on the other side. The table is a sleek, modern wooden table with a magnetic back painted white glass. This allows for their growing child to play with magnets and even write on the table top, thus making for some great interactive time.

V-shaped book shelf:   This rather unconventional V-shaped book shelf lends an element of quirkiness to the space. Imagine the conventional image of the father of the house sitting on his big fat armchair reading a book.

Chalkboard wall:  Chalkboard walls like brick walls are timeless and will never go out of style. One of the most used areas of the house, two walls in the living wall are converted into a chalkboard wall.  The family takes pride in sitting with their little daughter every evening to draw and play and spend some
quality time together.

How adorable is this that the couple alternatively leave messages for each other in this wall. Couple goals.

Bedrooms

Master Bedroom

The mint green cupboards sport an antique distressed finish. Notice the peek-a-bBoo louvered Window and a stunning swing side table made of a cut section of a tree trunk set against that blue wall? This room defies the myth that dark colors make a space look small. On the contrary, it has brought in depth and warmth with a refreshingly new color palette, not often seen in smaller apartments.

Guest bedroom

To strike a balance and tone things down, we wanted the guest bedroom to be simple. The striking Ombre cupboards are allowed to do the talking in this room. The cupboards are divided by a bed with a tall headboard and book shelf.

Media Room

The couple loves to watch movies . To make this room comfortable, half the room is converted
into a large bed with cushions and the other side is a bookshelf to store all their books and DVDs.
The warm grey makes it a cozy space to binge-watch.

Image Courtesy: Studio Kunal Bhatia for Studio Nishita Kamdar