Vintage Class

Mid-century modern aesthetics meet a sense of luxury in this apartment Kaizaad Mehta Architects designed for a family in Mumbai.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Aditya Warlikar; courtesy Kaizaad Mehta Architects

The site

The site was a warm shell 3BHK flat on the 29th floor of a high-rise in a West Mumbai suburb with sweeping views of the city. The building has glass façades at intervals, so the living room and bedrooms had floor-to-ceiling windows which were partially openable.

The brief

“The client wanted to maximise the sunlight from the full-height glazing and open up the living room,” says architect Kaizaad Mehta. “The client’s mother is an avid gardener and wanted to bring in nature via an array of indoor plants.” With regards to the look and feel, the client wanted the warmth that wood brings to the indoors married with aesthetics that would age gracefully. Other requirements revolved around adequate storage and utilising the guest bedroom as a multifunctional space.

The design intent

The objective of creating an elegant and spacious design, was realised by blending mid century modern aesthetics with a dash of luxury. “We wanted the apartment to feel bigger and brighter, hence the use of white with spattering of colour from accent walls and other furniture,” discloses the design team. Strip lighting was preferred for its better dispersion of light over conventional lights and pendants owing to the low ceiling height.

The civil intervention

While the client wasn’t too keen on heavy-duty alterations, a feeling of open-ness was important — which is why the wall between the living room and the guest room was brought down and replaced with glass. The wall separating the kitchen was also demolished to make way for the breakfast counter. In the bedrooms, the duct walls were reclaimed to create closets.

The spatial flow

The entrance leads to a white panelled stretch of wall that extends straight into the heart of the flat. This expanse also houses the prayer cabinet as well as the door to the clients bedroom. To the right of the entrance is a parallel kitchen space with limited natural ventilation. A visual connect to the dining area is achieved via a panelled glass window which also binds the area together.

A sliding glass partition creates the backdrop for the living area and visually segregates the space from the guest room. Once opened, the guest room, which houses a pull-down bed and a study corner, merges with the living area to create a much bigger area for gatherings and celebrations. 

The visual vocabulary

The open floor plan of the living room is facilitated by panelled glass partitions that replace two chunks of solid wall. These act as openable divisions thereby bringing in light from the full-length windows to the living room, guest room and the kitchen. A fluted wooden panelling extends from the living area to the guest room, like a single frame for the entire central space. The fluid layout with array of indoor plants also keeps it light and open so the spaces appear larger and breathe as one.

To accentuate the open floor plan concept and ‘erase’ the considerably low height of the flat, shades of white, greys and browns have been used extensively in the living room with the occasional blue tone to mark an accent or feature wall. 

The dining area, which is a more ‘eggs and bacon’ than ‘seven-course meal’ is an amalgamation of a modern-age minimal concept. The breakfast counter finished with a white lacquered glass top and bound with rose gold edges overlooks into the kitchen through a matt black panelled vertical sliding window. The fluted base of the counter synchronises with the teak wood legs of the dining table which protrude in steps like strands of DNA and flaunts a creamy onyx top. 

In the client’s bedroom, the blend of wicker and veneer on plywood gives an authentic pure wood vibe, while the parent’s bedroom maintains the existing wooden flooring and presents an uncluttered relaxing space ruled by pink and gentle edges.

The highlights

“While special attention was given to each and every nook, the way the glass partition and the glass door slides open in their respective corners without the hinderance of a corner post, makes it space uncluttered and barrier-free,” say the architects while shedding light on what makes this project special. A second highlight Is the TV unit in the living room. Its teal flutes, rose gold metal strip, topped with white lacquered glass enhances the white panelled walls. 

Fact file

Project: Gulati Nivas
Location: Mumbai
Area: 1,200 sq ft
Principal architects: Kaizaad Mehta and Abhishek Roy
Design team: Suchit Jadhav