Fact File
Location: Mumbai
Size: 140 sq m
Design: Disha Bhavsar and Shivani Ajmera
Photography by: Kuber Shah
The Fluid Home by Quirk Studio draws on the dynamism that people have come to desire from their living spaces, resulting in a charming abode that is highly versatile in its spatial functions. With many individuals going for versatile spaces—spaces to work, rest, and entertain—the idea of fluid spaces has cemented itself within the populace. Think flexible spaces where the walls shift, the ceilings rise, and rooms perform multiple functions throughout the day and night. The Fluid Home, situated in Mumbai, takes the idea of flexible spaces and fuses it with modern sensibilities and trends. The house, built upon an area of 140 square metres, is designed to create a warm and chic abode for a nuclear family.
Opening into a foyer with the living room ahead, splashes of grey synchronised with the wooden false ceiling induce a playful charm in the living room. The sparse use of primary colours adds drama to the space; for instance, the sofa adorning one of the corners in a bold green tone revitalises the space by adding a contrasting pop of colour. In addition, the evocative blue abstract rug accentuates it in all the right ways. The seamless flooring and walls, all done in light pastel tones, are accentuated by the minimalist furniture in muted but distinctive colours. The lighting with brass highlights is conceived with a crisp modern-industrial theme in mind, adding to the glamorous feel of the space. Décor has its vocabulary that complements the overall aesthetic; the house has elements that evoke a classical vibe yet create modern sensibilities.
The open kitchen, which ties in seamlessly with the living room space, is separated from it by a large sliding door or moving wall made with 3D MDF tiles and finish in grey textured IPS, adding an eclectic element to a space that is quintessentially straight-forward. Following the theme of muted pastel colours, the kitchen features brass lighting. The open marble breakfast counter adds texture to the overall space, creating a modern and luxurious aesthetic. The master bedroom, adhering to the design tone of the rest of the house, radiates a mellow warmth. A minimal grey bed pairs with the near salmon pink interiors of the room, and the brass pendant lights on the corners, along with the recessed lights, bring a soothing sense of luxury to the space. The aesthetic quality of the space is reinforced by the fishbone-patterned parquet flooring. Ornamental lighting punctuates the bedside, creating a cohesive experience along with the muted colour palette and the wooden textures repeated across the entire residence. The guest bathroom is clad with soft pink tiles and features light grey flooring to accentuate the minimal design aesthetic.
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.
