APARTMENT 17 AT KALPATARU YASHODHANRealized

Location: Andheri, Mumbai
Area of Construction: 700 Sqft

If there ever was a colour scheme that must work doubly hard that most others, it’s the delicate tonality of a pastel spectrum. There’s no hiding flaws or awkward forms,the airy allure of pastels brings everything out in the open. And that, for a typical Mumbai apartment, would be the opposite of what one wants. But, in the right hands, balance can be achieved, and dreams do come true. At least, that’s our reassurance when Studio Osmosis is involved in the making of a design. Shilpa and Sameer Balvally, the co-founders of one of the chicest design ateliers today, take us through the brief and the story behind the making of this home.

“The home owner are a working couple, who stay with their aging parents. It was important for us to adhere to a strict design guideline that was clutter-free in nature and would need less maintenance. The design was to be kept as minimalistic as possible and yet have a character. ‘This home should be a happy place’ was the only client brief other than the functional requirements. The couple enjoys reading and art in their free time which reflects in the space design. The couple and family also love all things Indian as well as a really creative person herself whether it came to Art, ceramics, singing or even voiceovers,” reveals Shilpa. Basis this, the architect duo realised that functionality is the crucial to the conceptualization of this home. Now, functional design need not only refer to ample of storage and sneaky dual-purpose features…it could also mean, creating a home with a function custom-made to suit the owners. And in this case, their requirement was for a clutter-free home with a zero-maintenance lifestyle.

They created a minimalistic interior, through the means of a pastel colour scheme. But that’s not all, Shilpa and Sameer also played with the expanse of the home, by absorbing the entrance walkthrough into the living room. Essentially, they created more space and further accentuated the feeling of expanse.
What really strikes us about the design of this home, is that rather than embracing any trend, this home in Mumbai reflects a pure and honest connect with the people occupying it. The design is timeless, as it was important that each time the residents return to this space, they forget about the outside world and just sink in. About the colour scheme and how it adds much value to the home, Shilpa says, “Colour and personalization of the house to make it a home played an important role in the design of this project as a direct reaction to the people who would reside in it. Colour and its effects on the human behavior and psychology as well as moods was the inspiration for the design of this home. The highlight of the design was to let the walls set the dialogue of the house, the furniture was kept minimalistic and elegant to blend into the space. Keeping the client’s very simple requirements in mind- creating a happy home! Nature and memories trigger our emotion into happiness, so finding a colour that reflects your moment of happiness is the best way to connect with your space that is home. While the décor and the furniture were kept to a minimum, textures, accents and fabrics along with detailing played the key role in determining the mood and character of the place.”