This gallery-like design studio in Mumbai has the warmth of a home

MuseLAB’s new studio sees a carefully selected palette of materials and finely curated pieces of art, accessories and furniture. And while there, one might even spot a unicorn!

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Ishita Sitwala; courtesy MuseLAB

The context

Architects Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani, the founders of the brilliant Mumbai-based studio, MuseLAB, started their design journey a decade back out of a humble 50 sq ft (borrowed) conference room. With few more member joining their design team, about seven years ago they shifted to a 296 sq ft space — with a storefront and a double-height space within — at Prabhadevi’s industrial neighbourhood. Huzefa and Jasem realised the need for a larger space a year back as the team was constantly evolving. After six months, their hunt for that “perfect space” culminated at the Kamat Industrial Estate, which was just a block away from their previous office.

The site

Located on the second floor of the industrial estate, this double-height 1,200 sq ft space is neatly tucked away from the hubbub of the main road. Previously used by an advertising agency, the space had a pitched roof with a truss, seven windows that framed old trees surrounding the estate, and a 400 sq ft loft. “It was a scaled up version of our previous studio, both in terms of area and volume. And it was in an old industrial estate that makes the setting more cultural and less industrial. There was a lot of modular furniture when we visited it first… we mentally stripped it off every burnt and saw its potential,” say the architects, when quizzed about the factors which attracted them to this space. “Mumbai is where we are from; while the city is not perfect, it has a lot to offer. Prabhadevi is one of the older neighbourhoods. The bylanes are intimate and reveal a lot of hidden spaces. Walking through the modest stairway leading up to our studio is akin to a cultural walk through the city,” they add.

The design intent

“The details and gestures within the space are meticulously planned moments of discovery. Materials are layered throughout the space, from warm woods in the custom made cabinetry and work surfaces to stone countertops and tiles and a custom-made wallpaper in our restrooms. Tactile surfaces embedded in our DNA form a crucial part of our work — it is always about materials, textures and forms. Craftsmanship and collaboration resonate through our practice which reflects within our space. Each furniture piece, object, rug or light piece evokes an emotion. We choose to surround ourselves with objects and art that are unique,” says Huzefa.

“Our space is a result of what we as a practice have been cultivating and nurturing since its inception. It is our laboratory where we create concepts with a sense of curiosity and playfulness. Our studio is where we like to withdraw from everything outwardly and draw inspiration from within,” adds Jasem.

The design and material details

Though no structural changes were made to the site, the erstwhile fabricated straight staircase was replaced with a MS fabricated spiral one by MuseLAB. Further, all the existing partitions were mostly demolished. As all the windows faced the southeast direction, for a good part of the day the studio is flushed with natural light, which required the architects to design indirect lighting only over task areas. Light captured within the space is absorbed by the lightly textured walls with their matte and grainy finish. Contrasting the raw coolness of the wall and the stone-like dark vitrified tiled flooring is the warmth of the live edge walnut wood flowing work surface that stretches from column-to-column at the core of the studio. Either edge of the workspace is mirrored, with birch-ply top desks supported by the warmth of teak wood legs that were a part of MuseLAB’s earlier workspace.

The free-flowing main area accommodates all the essential functions together — the central workspace is flanked by a double-height entrance on one side; which would further lure you towards the client-meeting room. On the deep end of this open floor plan facing the entrance door is a custom-made table with a marble top where the founding partners sit together. Tucked away in one corner of the studio is the pantry which is book-ended by the spiral staircase. In the southeast corner, two windows placed perpendicularly is a place of “refuge” — an informal setting where everyone congregate for quick discussions, coffee and lunch breaks.

The 400 sq ft loft houses a flexible lounge that consists of a library, material boards and an informal meeting space that is perfect for movie nights at the studio. The loft is connected by a ribbon-like fabricated spiral staircase which seems like it is peeled away from the floor… rising above in a similar texture and hue as the flooring.

The highlights

The studio is peppered with some of MuseLAB’s bespoke furniture pieces and objects; and a few others from artists and designers that Huzefa and Jasem admire. These include: a handwoven custom-made wicker lamp from Wickerstory which is suspended over the pantry space; and a ceramic cactus lamp and side table by product designer Harshita Jhamtani. An artwork titled Promise of Time by Garima Gupta composed of 42 drawings that are backlit and correspond to spring, summer, autumn and winter sits comfortably in the lounge area. The Resting Chair, an installation created by MuseLAB is placed gracefully by a window reflecting the various moods within the space. A definite conversation piece is the chandelier which was designed in collaboration with Jeet Soneji, a MuseLAB alumnus. The DNA Chandelier is fabricated in metal using pipes to form a double helix consisting of ceramic bells and contrasting metal baskets. “This light installation stands for who we are and our story. It represents the MuseLAB DNA — the way we do things, which is difficult to describe but evident in our process and what we create,” the architects explain.