City living’s mosaic of moods

Ali Baldiwala designs a Mumbai home to surprise and celebrate the joy of living

30 Sep 2025

Ali Baldiwala of Baldiwala Edge nurtures a signature flourish of eclecticism, but always with intention. It’s an approach that has defined his practice of layering contrasts with care. The emerging collage of seemingly disparate elements is, in fact, a calibrated interplay of materials, moods, and fluidly orchestrated moments. This is what guides the language of this 2,000 sq ft apartment (aptly christened Playhaus) in the heart of Mumbai, which unfolds as a “living, breathing canvas designed not to sit still, but to celebrate spontaneity, joy, and the unexpected,” as Ali puts it.

“I approached this project with a deep sensitivity to flow, in both planning and emotion.”

-Ali Baldiwala

Two apartments make one!

The emphasis remains on fluid movement throughout the design. It reflects in how two flats are reimagined as one expansive home, in the movable furniture that responds to a spectrum of needs, and in surfaces that adapt, shift, and surprise, revealing their meaning in playful bursts.

One enters through a rich teak main door with a brushed ombré brass finish, flanked by a sculptural (part function, part installation) pedestal of alternating bands of marble with a vivid orange core. The deliberate lack of thresholds in the free-flowing living room is immediately apparent, which only adds to a sense of flow. The heavier furniture pieces anchor the periphery while lighter, movable elements in the centre keep the stage open for transformation. It allows this central core of the apartment—home to a young couple with two children and one grandparent—to remain dynamic and cohesive, serving the larger rhythm of the family.

The home’s mandir is thoughtfully tucked behind a sculptural cabinet in the living room—a quiet spiritual presence subtly woven within the social landscape; Styling by Samir Wadekar; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

Colours and visual pauses

Every thoughtful addition serves a greater purpose, both functional and eye-catching, such as the bold black arch that adds a visual pause while acting as an ingenious partition—leading to a cosy bar that further opens into the master bedroom. Tucked adjacently, the dining room extends this study of bold contrasts and textural rhythm, while a long, graphite-toned corridor leads to the other end of the apartment.

Each bedroom comes infused with the vitality of its owners, while echoing the home’s layered visual language of form, play and materiality. The master bedroom channels sophistication with a playful undercurrent, combining visual drama with quiet tactility while evoking the dappled richness of a tropical rainforest.

The playful geometry of the children’s bedroom spills into the en-suite bathroom, with gridlines, graphic tiles, and bright orange accents take over; Styling by Samir Wadekar; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

In the children’s room, their input was pivotal, with murals on walls telling tales imagined by the children themselves, think dinosaurs with sunglasses and elements of their favourite sports. The grandmother’s room becomes a study in restraint, a departure from the vibrancy of the home. Here, the soothing palette and gentle contours in rose-inspired hues evoke absolute serenity.

Ultimately, what brings this mosaic of moods and materials together is its responsiveness. Each space was imagined in dialogue with both the inhabitants and the surrounding spaces which are threaded together by a belief that homes should never stand still. In its surfaces, colours, and shifting layers, this apartment captures the full spectrum of family life: celebratory, spontaneous, thoughtful, and warm.