Strong forms and minimal material application define this Mumbai apartment

Studio Osmosis craft a bespoke home tailored to their clients’ needs, with a few beautiful surprises thrown into the bargain.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Pankaj Anand; courtesy Studio Osmosis

The site

Located in central Mumbai, this residence is a tranquil space set against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea. Occupying the 42nd floor, it affords views of a scintillating cityscape, completed by the Bandra-Worli Sea Link that sparkles beyond. “The moment we stepped into the apartment, we were completely in love with the space and the views of the city. We wanted the home to look outward, frame the views at every point. It is in a high-rise with beautiful terraces, greens, and lovely sunsets to enjoy. An oasis in the concrete Mumbai jungle,” reminisce architects Shilpa Jain Balvally and Sameer Balvally, founders, Studio Osmosis, of their first impression of the site.

The design idea

The vision for the home is a direct response to the client brief and a result of active collaboration with the client and their idea of their dream home. They wanted a home that would reflect their personalities and lifestyle, allow space for socialising while maintaining private nooks, and provide room for their toddler to feel warm, grow, learn and connect. “We envisioned the space to be muted yet bold elegant, classy yet having a warm palette and a strong yet subtle arched language that carries through the house beautifully with greens, whites being the major mood and a very fresh, simple result as evolved from the first sketch on the drawing board,” reveals the architect duo.

The design approach was more architectural with the inclusion of arched forms which connect a viewer from one space to the other. “The arches evolved into pause spaces, created thresholds, and extended the language to join the various spaces within the house. The design language was kept minimal with restrained forms and colours,” they state.

The civil intervention

The original 3BHK was converted to a 2 BHK apartment which gave the flexibility to have a larger entertainment area that was more cohesive to the client’s core intention to socialise and enjoy the views of the maximum city. Walls were removed to have an open plan for the living/entertainment area and dining with its own bar zone connected with each other within this open plan. “The design approach was more architectural with the inclusion of arched forms which connected you from one space to the other,” Studio Osmosis’ founders tell us. “The arches evolved into pause spaces, created thresholds, and extended the language to join the various spaces within the house. The design language was kept minimal with restrained forms and colours.”

The material and colour palettes

Based on the root inspiration, the materials and textures revolve around the neutral palette of white, various tones of taupe and greiges within the fabrics, wooden textures with marble and antique metallic finishes. Variations of subtle yet deep greens have been used throughout the house in various forms to complement the beautiful views, breeze, natural daylight throughout the house and to add a sense of calm within the house.

Marble has been extensively used throughout the flooring. Matt polyester colour finishes coat the furniture and wall panels. All doors are arched panels with white polyester finishes. Each material is carefully detailed so as to not be overpowering but visually tie the spaces together. The furniture adds to the minimal character of the home. Greens both in colour and real greens form an important part of the oasis.

The spatial flow

The foyer area at the entrance welcomes you with a chandelier which lights up the space for the evening mood and acts as a breather while directing you into the living area through an arched doorway. There are two pivotal sides of the living and dining area itself where one side is highlighted by the end-to-end bookshelf/TV unit and the opposite side with book-matched Versace gold marble which adds a visual treat to the space. The neutral-coloured main sofa of the living area with the lovely green chairs complement the surrounding lush green Guiana chestnut planter perfectly with the space. The living area is glued together with a geometric custom designed rug by Weaver that has neutral tones with shades of the mustard and greens and light-weight centre tables. The living and dining spaces open out into the balcony maximising the openness to natural views of the city.

The display bar with a wine cellar boasts of the client’s favourite and finest collection of wine and spirits and becomes a casual zone for conversations. The eight-seater dining area acts as a bonding space for friends and family with a decorative chandelier and the bold marble backdrop with the finest display.

The kitchen has an arched sliding door with fluted glass for a sense of privacy. The layout of the kitchen is simple with a parallel platform to have maximum circulation space in the centre and better accessibility to the area. The mid-century patterned flooring complements the modern state-of-the-art equipped kitchen.

An arched passageway leads you to the other rooms of the apartment and provides a pause before the bedrooms with the mandir and study flanked on either side. An intricately detailed mandir jaali-patterned door takes inspiration from the curves and lines used in the overall design, while the stepped marble arch acts as background for the idol. The study area — a pandemic fall-out — is secluded from the rest of the house by glass partitions that also maintain connectivity.

The kid’s bedroom is designed keeping in mind the maturity yet the playfulness of the young toddler. Dark green walls add a welcoming tone to the room that includes a white PU-finish wall display unit cum seating nook. The walk-in wardrobe with green louvred shutters adds to the casual vibe of the room.

The master bedroom is a veritable oasis, disconnecting one from the humdrum of the city. The cosy vibe is completed with a spacious sun deck, and an elegant, half-height tufted fabric bed back. White PU-frosted glass-panelled arched sliding doors open into the spacious walk-in-wardrobe, dresser unit and a luxurious master bath.

The highlight

The showstopper of the house is the full height open PU finish coffee brown TV cum display unit with a home theatre and a fine collection of vinyl records of jazz music. The entire unit is a display of their personalities: an ensemble of their travel collectibles, books, and various accessories with a state-of-the-art media unit which the client takes pride in while entertaining his guests.