Institu Design Studio — The living room plays on contrasts with seating intentionally arranged to propagate company and solitude. The Landon 2-Piece Chaise Sectional / Sofa by West Elm, for instance, adds a modern touch, and the central Madison Coffee Table, also by West Elm, makes a handy addition for company. Next, there’s the Ava armchair by Magnolia Furniture, perfect for bibliophiles, while the Maison Console Table from Gulmohar Lane lends sturdy support to the Gardenia-embroidered wall art by Kalakaari Haath; Photography by Yadnyesh Joshi

The art of living in

Insitu Design elevate this Mumbai apartment into a layered fantasy with plenty of room for real life.

21 Aug 2026

It takes four walls to build a house, but infinite memories to make it a home. Perhaps that’s why the old adage goes “home sweet home”. Rustomjee Crown was conceived with exactly this ethos in mind, established early on as a space to be truly lived in and unrestricted to merely masonry. Convivial corners and a blend of conventional and contemporary sensibilities echo across the 2500 sq ft. Mumbai apartment, where tchotchkes and decor strive for authenticity rather than pretentious perfection. Here, it’s artisanal everything and contrivance is simply shown the front door.

Less is more-ish

Helmed by principal architect Sahiba Madan of Insitu Design Studio, the space boasts a master bedroom, kitchen, living and dining room, guest bedroom, study, and a foyer. The aesthetic remains intentionally restrained, with a clear preference for understated elegance instead of rehearsed maximalism. With a layered material code, elegance whispers with intent without screaming in opulence. Subtle motifs woven across the space allow for coherence to coexist with character, framed by a largely earthy palette. Texturally speaking, wood, marble, fabrics, and handcrafted finishes add a homely touch. This uniform dialect echoes across the home, lending it that fierce duo of familiarity and finesse.

A work of art

Inside, it’s the little things that play a big part. The foyer, for instance, is anchored by a large bookshelf underscored by patterned flooring and accompanying cane pendant lights, straight out of a hygge daydream. The kitchen and living spaces remain attached to the rest of the home through fluted glass windows, doubling as entryways to light, while hand-painted tiles by Shibani adorn the breakfast corner, adding a pop of colour. Elsewhere, the study room makes room for pockets of green and warm wooden fixtures, which turn it into a focus hub designed with intent. Lastly, the guest room goes all out, duly decorated with artisanal elements sourced from pan-India.

Room for both

From the architectural point of view, the central challenge was rooted in juxtaposition. The living room, which came with a clear design brief, was to remain ideal for socialising and seclusion, simultaneously. The solution? A series of interconnected seating pockets that could function independently or together within a larger living space.

An interplay between materials, motifs and more, Rustomjee Crown stands as a no-nonsense manifestation of a home visualised as a utopia with utility.