Aum Architects brilliantly navigated the challenge of an awkward living room floor plan and other curveballs that come with a renovation to do up this two bedroom apartment for a family that has its cultural roots in Rajasthan. The family relocated to Mumbai a few years ago, but the design influences of marble and wood are quite apparent and in a way reminiscent of their heritage.
Mumbai apartments come with a modest real estate footprint. It’s becoming increasingly common to see two adjacent apartments being combined into one when the spatial needs of a family are high by Mumbai standards. Having said that, it takes architectural vision and expertise to make the most of the space — both for function and aesthetics — if the layout is not straightforward. As in this case.
About the project:
Who lives here: Mr. Rishi Godha with his family
Location: Jogeshwari, Mumbai, Maharahstra, India
Project Completion Year: 2016
Plot Area (In sq. meter ): 1266 Sq.ft.
Project Type: Apartment
Designed by: Manish Dikshit , Sonali Pandit, Nachiket Borwake of Aum Architects
Photography Credits: Prashant Bhat
Norman Foster “As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown.”
Dikshit says,
“We took off from this when we started working on this 1266 sq.ft. apartment in the western suburbs.
Having lived in Rajasthan the clients wanted a spacious abode with a cohesion of modern and traditional. Breaking down requirements based on utility and combining it with aesthetics a design proposition was made for this residence in Jogeshwari.
Integrating an innovative approach to design, while retaining an old world charm in its contemporary functional spaces is how we can sum up the design philosophy for this house. Taking into consideration personalised style as a part of client profiling, adding accents of refined sensibility infused with rich indigenous heritage a vibrant design that perfectly expresses elegance and style was created.
Foyer
A window at the entrance has been camouflaged to look like niche. The marble used to frame it has been used in the long living room; the application and usage varies but it helps tie the space. Dikshit says, “We picked wooden blinds for this area to form a background, subtle light filtering through. Hints of gold and white in the form of the ceramic lion artefact accentuates the niche. “
Living
This wall is purely designed for aesthetics in a combination of wood, marble and gold leafing. Lighting has been very crucial in overall design and here it makes it a prominent feature as marble and wooden elements have been used
Dikshit says,
The challenging part of the residence was the irregularity of space in the living room was to be transformed into a cohesive space. The irregular shape is formed in the process of combining the two adjacent flats thus creating various pockets in the long living room. This meant having a unique seating layout simultaneously creating a vibrant design that perfectly expresses elegance and style.
Furniture transforms modern day living into a form of a creative impression. This helped in carving out a more creative approach to the spatial living room. The living room was functionally divided into a breakfast area, a formal dining space, a cluster for general seating and a more cosy seating corner.
Dining Room
The dining table area is designed to make the asymmetry stand out. Geometric lines merge to form a sleek functional space here. The kitchen forms the extension of the breakfast table.
Kitchen
The kitchen is a minimalist contemporary design with pristine white platform, contrasting wooden tiles on the floor and dado and a very subtle laminate finish for the shutters.
Kids Bedroom
One of the rooms was that of the teenage sons; the brief was to have a design that synchronised to his growing years. The design was to keep it fun and playful yet not childish. Overall colours were kept neutral, we added a little punch of color in the soft furnishing.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom suite was formed by combining a smaller of the previous room to make it the walk-in wardrobe. The master bedroom suite is infused with meticulous detailing in terms of sourcing materials, unique technical innovations and artistic features, statement of style and comfort with a subtle stamp of opulence. This helped in creating an illusion of making the room look big. the single seater is finished in deep maroon velvet and intricate gold leafing details adds a hint of glamour to the room.
The walk in wardrobe is part finished in mirror to create a deception of a wider space. A full length mirror panel with indirect lighting was customized on site for the dresser. The master bedroom suite ranges from vintage pieces to contemporary. The overall space is formed from a selection of creation and curated items.
Resources:
Flooring: Marble (Millenium Marble)
Wall Cladding: wood work, gold leafing, marble cladding, acrylic,
Interior Finishes: Lustre paint, Wallpaper, Colored lamination, Tinted glass, White Onyx, Marble cladding,
Lighting Fixtures: Teknolite for general lighting, Decorative lights sourced from Deepam
Furniture/decor: Custom made from Mujim Khan furniture and custom made on site
Soft Furnishings: Good Earth, Address Home
Curtains / blinds : Sreeji Furnishing
Hardware: Unique Enterprise
Marble / Onyx: Millenium Marbles
