Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Delicious Dark Tones Light Up a Mumbai Apartment
Rich grey tones, dark wooden elements and bursts of vibrant art bring warmth to this spacious apartment
Located in the suburbs of Mumbai, this apartment by Rakeshh Jeswaani Interior Architects (RJIA) epitomises the modern contemporary aesthetic. Rakeshh Jeswaani achieves this look by combining dark wooden surfaces with a mix of grey tones and rich textures. “The owners were not fans of the minimalist look, yet they wanted a contemporary spacious home,” says principal designer and founder Jeswaani. “As it needed to exude grandeur, we leant towards darker colours and wooden shades.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Mumbai
Year built: 2016
Size: 278 square metres (3000 square feet); 3 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms
Interior architect: Rakeshh Jeswaani of Rakeshh Jeswaani Interior Architects (RJIA)
Photos by Fabien Chaurau
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Mumbai
Year built: 2016
Size: 278 square metres (3000 square feet); 3 bedrooms; 4 bathrooms
Interior architect: Rakeshh Jeswaani of Rakeshh Jeswaani Interior Architects (RJIA)
Photos by Fabien Chaurau
The living room is one big space that includes the seating area and a separate dining area. Jeswaani also fits in a built-in mini bar and a television unit across one of the walls near the sofa. “Although the bar is not the biggest, it immediately catches your eye because of the quirky bright light installation that hangs overhead. We intentionally chose glass spheres in bronze and silver to add more form to the space,” Jeswaani says.
The television is cleverly tucked away behind colourful movable artworks by Raman Adone.
The television is cleverly tucked away behind colourful movable artworks by Raman Adone.
The room is designed to be kept clutter-free with plenty of storage and with space for easy movement. For instance, near the dining table, there is a crockery storage unit hidden behind a glass shield and vertical wooden panels. This wooden ribbing also runs across the base of the dining table, the living room and other parts of the home, tying together the different spaces.
The L-shaped leather sofa is from Natuzzi, while the rest of the furniture is custom designed and made by Curiosity Furniture. “We picked pastel shades of purple from the paintings in the seating area, to accessorise. This was done to add some colour and to subtly complement the brown and grey tones,” the designer says.
Light Italian marble with streaks of darker brown acts as a contrast to the cool colour palette, and also adds texture to the space.
Light Italian marble with streaks of darker brown acts as a contrast to the cool colour palette, and also adds texture to the space.
Adjacent to the dining area lies the kitchen, clad in darker grey walls and white back-painted glass shutters. Jeswaani also uses a red jaali motif screen here to cleverly cover a duct.
10 Kitchens Show Why Dark is Beautiful
10 Kitchens Show Why Dark is Beautiful
The powder room, situated opposite the living room, has been designed in dark rich surfaces. From the streaked marble counter and walls to the unevenly textured backsplash, this space is covered in an array of finishes, giving it an air of opulence. To further accentuate the look, the designer pairs an asymmetrical light in the corner with a back-lit mirror. He explains, “The basin is a block fully clad in marble and built into the counter. The same marble has also been used on the back wall in a geometric pattern.”
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From the entrance lobby, a long passage leads off to three bedrooms – the guest room, children’s room and the master bedroom.
In the guest bedroom, an orange back-painted glass wardrobe livens up the grey and wood-brown palette. “It is a burnt-orange shade with a tinge of brown to add colour, yet it’s not harsh on the eye,” Jeswaani says.
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“As their son is fond of superheroes, we decided to bring this out by incorporating a bright colour scheme for this room. This was then offset with light-toned neutral walls and wardrobes,” he says.
As a further tribute to the superhero theme, cut-out boards with the crests of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Captain America hang on the wall above the bed.
As a further tribute to the superhero theme, cut-out boards with the crests of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Captain America hang on the wall above the bed.
At the end of the passage lies the master bedroom. The wardrobes here are primarily clad in wood, and their shutters have been constructed from thin strips of wood with a glass backing, creating the appearance of a screen. The bed takes on a lighter colour palette with the high headboard covered in ivory cushioned leather, while its frame and the bedside tables are made from high-gloss ebony.
A cabinet in a corner of the bedroom commands quite a bit of attention with its print and accent colour. “This cabinet has been custom-designed by Portside Café and is completely clad in leather. On the front is a black-and-white graphic print inspired by the Woodstock music festival, to add some whimsy to the room,” Jeswaani says.
Adjoining the bedroom is a separate spacious sitting area with a black leather sofa. This space has dark wooden flooring and charcoal-grey wallpaper, exemplifying the owners’ fondness for a dark, rich aesthetic.
The master bathroom continues the theme of black, grey and wood with an accent of red, from the bedroom. The designer uses black marble for the flooring and counters, and adds red through a niche that runs along the entire length of one of the walls. The space also boasts plenty of storage with handle-free wood-like cabinets. “With this home, we’ve tried to meet the brief by creating a modern apartment that is draped in rich materials,” the designer says.
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Tell us:
What do you like most about this Mumbai apartment? Share your thoughts in Comments below.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Penthouse Challenges the Conventional Use of a Wall
Houzz Tour: Red & Grey Dominate the Theme of This Mumbai Bachelor Pad
Tell us:
What do you like most about this Mumbai apartment? Share your thoughts in Comments below.
Given that the owners also have two young children, executing the brief posed quite a design challenge. “The space needed to feel rich, yet it had to be practical and child-friendly. It was important to balance the colour scheme as we needed to make sure the space felt warm and homely and didn’t cross over to seeming gloomy or depressing,” he says.
This has been addressed by adding pops of bright colours like red, orange and turquoise through massive paintings throughout the home.
Vases: OMA Living; table: Curiosity Furniture