Everyone is forever searching for a place to call their own. I am no exception. There were numerous hardships, especially in a city like Mumbai – years of hard work, saving money, and finally, I zeroed in on that one spot that spoke to something deep inside me. It was a modest 480 square feet, one-bedroom flat in a nice community, and it was mine. The question of what truly makes a home has preoccupied my mind since. They say home is where your heart is, but shouldn’t it also house your soul?
Having lived in different cities across the world, I can distinctly recall each home rooted contextually to that city, be it Boston, London or Hong Kong. This one had to be quintessentially Mumbai. I have always been fascinated by the Art Deco heritage, Bollywood’s glamour, and the city’s vibrant nightlife. More recently, I have started collecting some art and old maps, particularly centuries-old urban plans and etchings from my travels overseas. Strangely, the collection of art has by default emerged as a set of characters almost like in theatre – The Blacksmith, The Clown, The Actor, The Saint, The Lady, The Samurai, The Collector and so on. This collection, I imagined, along with other curiosities including antique objects, toys and a love for vintage motorcycles would make for a rich canvas to bring alive of my new home.
We began with stripping down all non-structural walls to reconfigure the space. Utility areas were minimized for optimal use of internal spaces. The heart of the house came first - a day-lit, open kitchen with a bar, adjacent to a home office that also doubles up as a dining space. The home office/dining table is a ‘found’ log of oakwood that was naturally split down the middle and later ‘repaired’ by an infill of brass much like the Japanese technique of Kintsugi. It pairs with a table lamp repurposed from a 100-year-old bicycle light mounted on an oak stand. The two chairs designed for dual purposes of both working and eating were made in oak with leather trim for better wear and aging.
The living room comfortably seats 9 adults on its two sofas (couch and a settee), leather bar stools and office/dining chairs respectively while the host can entertain comfortably from behind the kitchen counter. The couch is fully upholstered and cozy while the settee is light and styled in wood and leather to match the two office/dining chairs. The centerpiece of the seating arrangement that works as a table, is an original thangka art piece framed in brass, which also works as a display case for various artifacts.
On the other side of the heart lie the day-lit, airy master bedroom and the facilities. These are accessed through a doorway with the kitchen marble dado wall on one side and a black-framed fluted glass partition on the other behind the home office/dining space. The matching door and the glass partition are mirrored so as to maintain privacy when closed. When open, the private space is designed in such a way that it exaggerates the depth of the apartment making it appear a lot deeper than it actually is.
On the left side of the entry to the room lies the bed which is crafted in oak and punctuated with woven leather on its headboard. While it is supported on four legs off the ground, it conceals an invisible drawer with adequate linen storage underneath. Two simple brass framed black marquina marble top side tables lie on either side of the bed. Above it hangs the kabuki artwork of ‘The Samurai’ between the dual purpose brass light fittings. Finally, directly in front of the bed and alongside the feature cupboard is a black framed, fluted glass sliding wardrobe unit with ample storage completing the tour of my new home.
When the entire home is illuminated with candles, a comforting yet playful dance of shadows and firelight across various reflective surfaces instantly transports me across time – lifting my soul yet making me feel rooted to this space that is as much an extension of me, as it is of bricks and mortar.
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