A carefully detailed, curated and crafted apartment in South Mumbai

Open Atelier Mumbai brings together contemporary aesthetics, global brands and Mumbai’s skyline.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Ashish Sahi; courtesy Open Atelier Mumbai

The brief

Designed and detailed for a family of six, 2,400-sq-ft Sombre Pearl is an eclectic mix of styles brought together with a palette of dynamic textures and muted colours. With a list of peeves as the client brief, Open Atelier Mumbai’s approach for the home was to bring in the right energy and a sense of individuality to every space. The apartment boasts of its style, from curvilinear details running along the elevations to custom artwork pieces in the private areas, along with the finest furnishings and decor.

The design intent

“Catering to the idea of ‘a shell within a shell’, the home is enveloped in a detailed layer of bold forms and finishes as the first shell, which is then outlined with soothing terraces adjoining all the major rooms of the home,” reveals Rahul Mistri, principal designer of the firm.

The civil intervention

To incorporate an additional bedroom for the son, the internal plan of the apartment was securely altered from the original three-bedroom, living and kitchen configuration. The larger idea of having a home that can be seamlessly transitioned from a larger space for entertainment to a soothing, intimate setting is the imagery of Sombre Pearl.

The spatial configuration

The cruise through the home begins with the entrance alcove, perfect for an early morning sit-out. With vaastu considerations in mind, the home temple is tucked into the passageway via pocket doors crafted in Saint Gobain glass. Stepping into the living room, the scooped wall detail remains as the consistent backdrop. The living space welcomes in the natural light and Mumbai breeze from the window, which also is one of the entry points of the long running-terrace decks of the home.

The heart of the residence, the dining space exhibits extravagant yet minute detailing in every corner. The dining space blooms to life, veiled in Lasa White marble from Classic Marble Company with a hand-crafted crockery cabinet in wood and rose gold profiles. The kitchen is a minimal, elegant, most importantly, efficient design example suitable for Indian cooking standards.

Built on the idea of a magnificent suite, the master bedroom showcases a palette of contemporary finishes. In a space-crunched city, the bedroom constitutes a two-spaced master closet. The private spaces of the daughter, son and grandparents exhibit a sense of their personas. The daughter’s bedroom is a chic space shelled in a curvilinear skin of white grids over the entire bed space. The son’s bedroom, a result of the clever civil hacks and space optimisation, is a quirky yet simple palette of powder blue and grey. This room optimises every niche and corner for all the essential needs yet claims ample space for movement. The grandparents’ bedroom is an all-white soothing space with an attached bathroom. The running terrace garden adjoining the significant rooms of the home captures the dreamy skyline of Mumbai city and escapes its chaos via 20-plus species of plantations. Climate-proof furniture, woven canopy seatings, and greenery celebrate biophilic design in a metropolis setting.

The material palette

The scooped wall detail in the living room and entryway is a smart way to conceal storage units and add dimension to the space as well. The veneer panelling in the dining room, the white marble flooring and the tabletop, along with the 12 artworks by Rangari, add to the material palette of the space. The panelling treatment and the sheer drapes give the bedrooms an airy ambience. The mural in the daughter’s bedroom, along with the batten board finish of the curved ceiling, adds character to the space. Fluted fabric panels and mirror slits line the son’s bedroom giving it a textural quality within its limited space.

The challenges

“One of the challenges faced during the execution of this project was to incorporate utility spaces and ample storage catering to an Indian household without compromising the construction elements of the building,” says Rahul. “Integrating the changes into the existing structure seamlessly called for careful planning and design. Another challenge was adding light and warmth to the son’s bedroom, which had no windows. Creative solutions such as artificial lighting, colour schemes, and reflective surfaces created a bright and inviting space.” Incorporating personal preferences into several rooms while maintaining a cohesive character for the entire house also required sensitive resolution, as did the fact that the main terrace had to be segregated into various sections without using physical barriers.