A WORK OF ART
This spacious, light-filled apartment in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill comfortably houses three generations. But what sets it apart is that it stands testimony to the axiom, home is where the art is.
This Mumbai apartment in Malabar Hills by architect Rajiv Saini is the perfect balance between art, design and comfort
Gujarati businessman Samir Mehta’s first encounter with my work was a little over 10 years ago when he visited the Devi Garh Hotel in Udaipur. Devi Garh combines local craft with tradition while giving it a contemporary context. The idea of modernity encapsulated within a traditional exterior stuck with Mehta. I knew that here was someone who respected my work, and so when he approached me for a project, I agreed instantly. The project in question was Mehta’s own home. He called it a blank canvas and me the artist who would turn it into a beautiful complete whole.
MAKING ROOM FOR EVERYONE
The 6,000 sq ft apartment in south Mumbai’s Malabar Hill is located on the 10th floor and has generous views of the sea. It is home to three generations of Mehtas—the homeowner and his wife, their two married sons, and his parents. More than three years ago Mehta got in touch with me to design the new property just a few kilometres away from his previous one in the same area. The process took around two-and-a-half years because of construction snags. Six thousand square feet is a lot to play with and my brief was to accommodate all the family members. Since it was originally two separate flats on the same floor with a lift lobby in between, plans were made and remade several times to avoid tunnel-corridor like areas around the house. Corridors tend to get dark without light and ventilation and I hate the idea of a long tunnels running alongside the rooms. So the rooms were
introduced with intermediate zones in the form of dressers and sit-out areas.
LETTING THE SUN IN
If light is the fourth dimension in any building, then in this apartment it becomes the protagonist, bathing every area in the house with its splendour throughout the day. Take for instance the 10 am sun that makes the sea glisten; its reflection enters the apartment through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Large and small windows throughout the length and breadth of the home let natural light into every nook and corner of the home.
BEING ART SMART
The five-bedroom apartment is at once minimal and elegant. Pastel shades are brought in through furnishings and draperies. An abundant display of contemporary artworks (some even from emerging artists) are strategically placed in the home; for instance a blown-up Capsule 504 print by Prajakta Potnis depicting a freezer dotted with kitchen mixers is aptly placed in the kitchen. Two framed FN Souzas stand out in the middle of the living room, with a Roll & Hill ‘Agnes’ pendant lamp branching out overhead. A 14th-century granite sculpture from south India and six framed Zarina Hashmi prints are the other artworks in the same room. One goes from Zarina Hashmi, Prajakta Potnis, and Atul Dodiya, to antique pieces bought at auctions. My wife Shilpa Gupta’s works also find pride of place near the entrance as does one by my sister, Reena Saini Kallat. In the process of doing up this home Mehta went from someone who has never been to a gallery to now, where he travels and collect art works.
ADDING CHARACTER
Art gives way to personal touches. In Mehta’s study framed letters that mark the family’s business milestones over the decades can be found. Mehta’s father moved to Mumbai in 1953 from Palanpur, a village in Gujarat. The milestones
depict the family’s struggles from a Mumbai pedi (a bedcum-sitting arrangement where he slept, ate and worked) to the palatial residence today. Next is the Jain prayer room done up in pristine white marble with the idol illuminated. It also has wedding invites of all three generations framed for posterity. Since the home has to make space for all its occupants a special sitting space was made for Mehta’s parents with a Jean Prouvé ‘Fauteuil de Salon’ lounge chair from Vitra in the family lounge connected to their bedroom.
Though the most significant elements are art, comfort and natural light, the home also fulfils all the functional needs of the various occupants.
Mumbai-based architect Rajiv Saini started Rajiv Saini + Associates in 1994. With projects in India, UK, Thailand, Dubai, Nepal and Singapore, the studio specialises in high end luxury homes and hospitality ventures. www.rajivsaini.com