BRIGHT BECOMES BEAUTIFUL
In this two-bedroom apartment in Mumbai, design studio MuseLAB seeks inspiration in an Ana Montiel painting to give it a cheerful, charming and colourful voice
A painting becomes the source of inspiration for this Mumbai apartment by architectural firm MuseLab
The only brief given to us by the client was, “I’d like a vibrant and comfortable space with lots of storage.” This brief along with the carte blanche to do what we deemed fit gave this home a unique design vocabulary. The two-bedroom apartment, which we call Happy Owl, developed (in terms of design) a split-personality. On the one hand it makes use of simple shapes and minimally styled elements, while on the other, it has a hueheavy and vibrant aesthetic. It is a mix of details, structured forms and happy colours. For us, this project presented an ideal situation where the client never said ‘no’ to us so, we got a lot of freedom and the process was as calming as it was exhilarating.
With that voice as our torch, we turned towards Spanish-born, London-based artist Ana Montiel’s paintings for inspiration. We were driven by her work which can be described as animated and alive with undertones of warmth and compassion. Inside, everything from the colours of the walls to the furniture, fixtures and warm toned walnut and oak veneers were all carefully chosen to emulate that kind of natural beauty, which is prevalent in a Montiel painting.
Spread across 620 sq ft of carpet area, the apartment includes two bedrooms—one of which is set up as a den that opens up to the lounge and dining area. Located in a quaint suburban street in Bandra, Mumbai, the west facing windows frame views of the neighbourhood skyline. The entrance unit comprising stacked shelves and drawers paints an attractive image. Dressed in six vibrant colours, it not only acts as a sculptural screen, but also
sets the visual tone for the house. The white wall across the unit has a collage of white framed pictures. The living and dining areas are flipped in the apartment to create a rather unorthodox layout which surprisingly works beautifully here. Seen in the background is the dining table which is reminiscent of a picnic table made of beech wood. Three customised eclectic chairs in soothing colours and a window side bench complete this informal yet comfortable dining room accessorised by shaped filament lights.
A conscious effort was made to ensure a seamless balance between the functional and the aesthetic—a black and white pattern tiled wardrobe in the lounge area forms a perfect backdrop to a coral chaise lounge complimented by an armchair in a floral fabric and a teak wood coffee table. The faces of the bar-cum-library unit shutters are covered with four different veneer strips in varying combinations to balance the colours in the room with warmth. A beautiful rug by ManMade Rugs completes the set up of this room.
A blue sliding folding door divides the den from the lounge. The bedroom is simple with geometric patterns. It features a ladder which acts as a side table and an all wooden drawer unit which conceals the additional storage. This layered unit, conceived as a wooden skirt is hand-crafted in teakwood and gives fluidity to an otherwise robust material like wood. The handles of the doors that are electroplated in pop colours, add another dimension of detailing to the apartment.
Sprinkled with art, curios and photos of family and friends collected from travels and over time, the styling is contemporary and detail-focused which makes the space quiet alluring. Amidst lots of owl figures that the client loves to collect, warmth meets vibrancy in a way that is well balanced and unpretentious that makes one feel immediately relaxed, happy and at home.
In 2012, architects and partners Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani started MuseLAB as an end-to-end design studio. Rangwala is a graduate from Georgia Institute of Technology, US, while Pirani graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design, US. From a 40-acre luxury eco-resort to a Ridah boutique and private residences, they work across the sector. www.muselab.in