This 3BHK apartment in Mumbai exudes an aura of glamour with several of its features hinting at the owner’s deep-rooted connection with the fashion industry. Can you spot the clues?
One look is all it takes to conclude that the owner of this plush apartment in Lokhandwala, Mumbai is a fashion aficionado.
Principal Architect at Interface as well as the brains behind the interiors of this 1,800 sq. ft. apartment – Kunal Barve – nods delightfully at the observation, affirming that his client is indeed a family man whose embroidery business sees him travel widely to meet leading couturiers of the world.
The fashion related clues are aplenty at this glamorous apartment, starting with the living room area that woos visitors with its sophisticated European accents.
The elegantly carved chairs, modern centre and side tables, wall-mounted lamps and an abstract carpet design all convey an enchanted relationship with contemporary Western trends.
The dining table nearby, on the other hand, betrays an Oriental weakness for embellishment, made apparent by the intricate pattern of the uber-luxe mother-of-pearl top and richly embroidered chairs.
The exquisite embroidery on the dining chairs was voluntarily and lovingly laboured over by the client at his office workshop, whereas the table top with its gadzillion precise squares of mother-of-pearl was painstakingly assembled in the course of two months by another band of craftsmen. There’s more mind boggling detailing to be discovered in the enclosed balcony attached to the living room: a carved wooden door evenly lit and suspended from the ceiling trains its gaze on a hypnotic mosaic-tiled floor below.
“The client was very keen on creating a simple interior but still wanted it to be special with lots of attention to detail,” informs Kunal, as he elaborates on the tedious process employed by his team to cut and assemble three types of marble stone for an exclusive geometric pattern in the outdoor lounge area.
The pull of intricate pattern is visible again in the powder room where ogee-patterned flooring offers a lyrical setting for the most mundane of human functions.
Kunal uses the opportunity to create more drama here with an unusual washbasin where water spouts out from the top of a tilted mirror. “The reflection of the water cascading over the mirror is really dramatic,” he states adding that the space between mirror and wall is used practically to create additional shelf space for visitors who stay over.
Kunal’s other impressive work of illusion features a sliding door that separates the living room and the family den, where a mix of glass and mirror are used to create a distorted reflection that plays a practical joke on the viewer.
This playful spirit spills into the family den where a pit sofa doubles up as a bed and where the family can relax or entertain visitors. “The client wanted a casual atmosphere here where he could play cards or watch TV with his friends”, points out the architect. Considering the high premium on real estate in Mumbai, the architect has put every corner of the 3BHK house to good use.
The master bedroom may have been cut in size to accommodate the family den but its adjoining balcony is efficiently utilised to seat a study table.
Imported lighting fixtures contribute to an easy-going glamorous atmosphere.
The master bedroom with its luxuriant white leather headboard, parquet flooring, chic ceiling lights and floor-to-ceiling wardrobe is decidedly plush and comfortable. “Adding designer fittings really helped create a sense of glamour in this relatively small bedroom,” explains Kunal.
In the children’s bedroom, safety and colour are introduced into the space in the form of bolsters that line the sides of the bed as well as clad an entire wall. The hard edges of the window and ledge are sheathed in chenille giving off the appearance of living within a storybook.
As for the kitchen – obviously a much-utilised area in this house – the design team has been generous with space and has treated this utility area in white, with a fretwork panel and a dining chair being the sole compromise towards embellishment and colour.
Referring to the inclusion of decorative detail across many of his interior design projects, Kunal says, “I like art and enjoy incorporating it into my work.” In this apartment too, he exhibits an acute eye for detail that fortunately resonates with the client who is equally consumed by the finer points of good living. “Being from an industry where attention to detail is paramount, the client was appreciative and understanding of the amount of time it took to create everything to perfection,” signs off Kunal.
Text By Christabelle Athaide
Photographs Courtesy Santosh Jadhav
Contact
email: contact@kunalbarve.com
web: www.kunalbarve.com
