The Mumbai apartment exudes a comfortable, warm and luxe appeal

Vibrant colour schemes and modern, maintenance-friendly materials are the main heroes of this narrative scripted by VRCS Interiors.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: MK Gandhi Studio; courtesy VRCS Interiors

The Blue Door House by VRCS Interiors, Mumbai is a modern, contemporary space of about 1,650-sq-ft carpet area, a 3BHK apartment amidst the plush residences of Powai that reflects the client’s beliefs and interests vividly. “The client’s brief for their dream home was collectively to have a comfortable, warm yet a luxe factor that would elevate the space,” architects Ratish Raj and Vidhi Nair tell us. “We had to plan ingenious spatial arrangements, vibrant colour schemes along with materials that would look modern and be maintained easily. The couple is a plant enthusiast and wanted to only use natural plants through the space.”

The project kicked off with a few civil alterations. For example, the kitchen needed an extension; the servant’s room and the washroom needed to be converted to a home office and the flooring for the entire house had to be changed.

The material palette sees a generous use of colour PU on the main door, shoe cabinet, kitchen shutters and island counter, and other pieces of loose furniture. Veneers have also been employed liberally: the doors feature grey-stained veneer, the TV area and the sofa backdrop see the use of natural teak veneer, while the TV unit itself is rendered in black-stained veneer. Grey William Italian marble on the floor ties the narrative together, while the highlighter wall in the living area variant of the Statuario marble along with louvred wooden panels and a hint of modern back painted glass. The passage wall has a beautifully textured houndstooth patterned wallpaper that enhances the family photo wall done up. Other finishing materials include colour PU, industrial concrete surfaces and water-based matt polish. Bathrooms and balconies see a pragmatic application of designer vitrified tiles.

“The main design challenge was how to connect the open kitchen concept with the living area when required with ease, so we came up with a 10-foot-long statement sliding partition that works well when closed and adds a design value to the passage wall when opened,” declares the duo, adding that it is the favourite element in the house. “The process of execution and the end result got us excited like a kid at a candy shop,” they exclaim. The free standing cabinet in the master bedroom is another highlight, attracting attention because of its detailing and colour combination. “This project brought us a little closer to nature,” say Ratish and Vidhi. “It made us use more natural plants. It is so wonderful how nature when brought inside the home comes with its own beauty and aesthetic appeal.”