This expansive Mumbai apartment revels in elegance and luxury

Ameliorate Design Studio use materials to craft a richly-detailed narrative.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Bizou Photos; courtesy Ameliorate Design Studio

The site and brief

A well-known and reputed family from Thane, near Mumbai, was set to start their new journey in their massive 3,000-sq-ft, five-bedroom apartment. As active members of the community with a vibrant social life, the brief they gave their interior design Zehra Contractor of Ameliorate Design Studio specified a home that would depict luxury and sophistication.

The intent

“Luxury is more of a state of mind, a philosophy of living the best life available,” says Zehra. “Size doesn’t matter, but a sense of style does. The challenge in a high-end interior design, like this one, is that it must be well-executed and lay emphasis on quality. At the same time, it shouldn’t stray far from the family’s personality.”

The visual expression

The narrative looks at a crafted experience built upon attention to detail, finishes and refined decor. The interior design endeavours towards comfort rather than a sharp coldness. Mirrors have been used liberally to endow a certain sleekness besides weaving in reflective surfaces that amplify the beauty of focal points. “The strategy behind having a mirrored wall as the backdrop to the dining area, for instance, was to reflect the grand main door,” reveals Zehra. Wood lends warmth to the environments, and has been employed, among other uses, as patterned partitions which themselves function as design highlights. Other materials — such as the fluted marble wall in the living room — speak of bespoke experience and craftsmanship. Distinctive, elegant decor items fill the space appropriately. 

The private spaces use textures to add the requisite warmth and elegance. Headboards of the beds and the walls behind are treated as the main protagonists, largely ornamented with mirrors in conjunction with other materials. Colour — both soft pastels and more vibrant shades — is used as a supplementary design tool to pen distinctive, personality-driven design stories. 

Fact file

Project: The House of Details: Apartment 27
Location: Thane
Area: 3,000 sq ft
Principal designer: Zehra Contractor
Lead contractor: Shoeb Contractor
Styling: Shraddha Nayak