Fact File
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Principal Designers: Neesha Alwani and Shruti Jalan
Photography courtesy: ns*a Architecture & Interiors
The Apartment by the Sea by ns*a Architecture & Interiors is home to founding partner Shruti Jalan and seamlessly blends sophistication with comfort and warmth. The apartment is located in Malabar Hill, Mumbai, on a higher floor offering uninterrupted views of the ocean with the sea on three sides. Our first instinct was to widen and lower the windows to bring in natural light and ventilation. The large expanse of the windows offered infinite views in every direction. Keeping the bright and airy feel in mind, we used white marble on the floor, which offered a neutral palette. Golden brown oak wood panelling surrounds the spaces by way of wall panelling and doors to the rooms. The rest of the walls are dressed in a white stucco lime plaster, which offers a smooth, light texture. The furniture is in a mid-century modern style, which complements the clean lines of the surrounding shell.
The living space features a seating area, a bar area, and a dining area. The furniture within this space is dressed in a combination of rich chenille and leather in colours that complement each other. The two sofas are in deep blue and grey chenille, while the two lounge chairs are in mustard-coloured woven fabric. The red leather covers the wooden dining chairs, which adds the desired flair to the space. The six-seater dining table is in solid wood, while the centre and side tables are a combination of matte brass and grey marble. The facetted bar is placed at an angle in one corner of the living space; it is finished in matte brass and has a matte black glass top. A mid-century bar closet is used as the bar storage. It opens onto a family room, which houses a comfortable lounging area, a large projector screen, and a study. Fine wooden fins on a sliding panel give the user the option to open or cordon off the space as per their requirements. When open, the family room and living room appear as one large living space.
An oak wood veneer panelled passage leads to the two bedroomsthe master bedroom and the children’s bedroom. A large niche in the passage is adorned with bronze mirrors, providing an expanse to the long passage and housing art and artefacts. The master bedroom, located at one end of the apartment, has corner windows, which give the room a boundless feel. Being in the master bedroom would make it appear as though one is sailing on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. Keeping the context of the room in mind, the bed was placed in the middle overlooking the magnificent view. The four-poster bed has a leather headboard and freeform side tables in wood and matte black glass on either side. The walk-in wardrobe, with its sliding panels made of slender wooden fins, forms the backdrop to the four-poster bed. A similar sliding panel cordons off the master bathroom from the rest of the room.
The children’s bedroom is adjacent to the master bedroom. The flooring is made up of a playful pattern in white and grey wooden ceramic tiles. Open niches in shades of blue, futons and floor cushions in a mix of colours, and wardrobes with playful handles make up the elements of the room. The sliding door to the bathroom is designed in a grid pattern with a mix of different colours and textures of glass panels. The kitchen is a highly functional space designed using the same colour palette as the rest of the house. The large expanse of the counters and dados are in white quartz, while the overhead and under-counter shutters are in oak wood veneer. Black powder-coated matte-finished edging and hardware give the kitchen a sharp look.
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The choice of materials and finishes was in keeping with this chromatic landscape. “Through the moodboard we visualized the allure of the space,” explains Pennesi. “An interplay of alternations between more or less tactile surface textures, contrasting colors and opaque and translucent finishes that create intriguing peep-through effects.”
This led to the choice of stoneware tiles by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, which deck the floors and bar counter with their dense and uniform speckled pattern and bind together the different areas into which the space is divided, wth laminates from Arpa Industriale and Kaindl, used respectively for the support surfaces and the structures of the bespoke furnishings.
“We chose these materials for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Aesthetic because this type of semi-finished product has color ranges that enabled us to make choices consistent with the palette we created; and practical because they are wearproof materials and ensure easy sanitization. In particular, Fenix, a special laminate we used to coat the counter top, with a surface that has a non-porous outer layer, makes the material easy to clean and suitable for contact with food as well as fingerprint-proof and pleasant to the touch.”
Even the lighting was curated in detail, helping create a pleasant and richly detailed environment. Bellhop cordless table lamps designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos, illuminate the tables with their discreet light. Suspended above the bar counter is a spectacular suspension composition created with a series of “leaves” in Diphy polycarbonate. Designed by Mirco Crosatto for Stilnovo, it was inspired by a fascinating Japanese plant, whose flowers turn as transparent as crystal in contact with water.
