SUBSCRIBE NOW
    • Homes

    A sense of fluidity prevails in Midori—a contemporary gatsby-esque Mumbai home crafted by kaviar:collaborative

    NOV 14, 2022 | By Kashish Kaushal
    A custom designed dining table with a terrazzo top and brushed brass legs stands elegantly under the beautiful hanging light from Geo Lighting. Staying true to the curves in the house, the furniture pieces also start moulding themselves in curves and rounded edges thereby adding to the cohesiveness of the space. The Krest dining chairs are from Hatsu; Photography by studio suryan//dang
    The colour green has been selectively used with care so as to not be too overwhelming to the user on a daily basis but rather act as a background. Green jar is a family heirloom and the curved brushed brass TV unit is custom designed and built by kaviar:collaborative; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    Treading a fine balance between subtlety and opulence, colour and curves dominate the blueprint of Midori—a 1,250 sq ft home situated in Malabar Hill, Mumbai. Designed by Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani, partners and principal architects of kaviar:collaborative, the multifunctional home takes cues from a few sought-after Art Deco elements, for instance, the rich dark green colour, brushed brass, marble and terrazzo.

    Envisaged as a space where design is uncomplicated but still has a sense of humbleness to it, the three-bedroom apartment was delicately crafted by combining two adjoining apartment units in an archaic building. Home to a family of three on weekdays and a party central 101 on weekends, Midori seeps in an aura of elegance while being impeccably utilitarian. 

    The curious brief

    As one moves through the entrance foyer, vertical slits in the teak wood allow for an interesting spectacle of light dancing throughout the day in a dimly lit space which adds a bit of theatrics to rouse the user’s curiosity; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    “As architects, we tend to seek cues and visual guides from the site and context,” reveals Vineet. The homeowners are extroverts who work hard and party harder, hence, it was clear from the beginning that the house needed to reflect their outgoing personalities.

    “Out of the few things they told us, they were very sure that they wanted their house to have a bar that would compel them to never go out for a drink again. They love hosting people over for parties and soirees and wanted the perfect setting for the same,” further elaborates Kasturi. 

    A terrazzo-clad wet bar with brass legs neatly custom-made by kaviar:collaborative is packed by green marble flooring, dark green fluted wall and teak veneer; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    Tour every turn of Midori home

    Fostering a bold yet welcoming first impression, the entrance is designed to operate as a dark vestibule, heavy on material and character with curved walls in teak and green flutes that lead to inner private sanctums of the living and dining spaces. What steals the limelight here are the vertical slits in the teak wood allowing for an interesting spectacle of light dancing throughout the day.  

    Sinuous curves of different colours, materials and textures flow into each other to create a feeling of visual endlessness in the counter space. The terrazzo table top is executed by Bharat Floorings and the Hibiki Japanese whisky bottles are from Suntory Whisky; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    Before we cover the rest of the spaces, it’s important to note and pay special attention to a green fluted wall, also known as the green guiding spirit. Treat it as a chaperone that gently escorts you throughout the space. It acts as a feature that hides functions behind it—some doors open into bedrooms and washrooms while others open to storage units. 

    The bar, being the piece de resistance, is staged atop the emerald green marble figuratively demarcating the ‘live’ and ‘play’ spaces of the apartment. The bar chair is custom designed by kaviar:collaborative and upholstered by Bharat Furnishings. Ray Pillar candles from SPIN add a distinct shade of green to the setting; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    No surprises for guessing, the foyer leads to the bar. Hailed as the cornerstone of this project, the bar constitutes an open brass shelving unit showcasing the homeowners’ collection of whiskey bottles. Fun fact—a hidden storage unit flushed with the white wall allows for more functionality.

    Loose furniture pieces like sofas, chairs, dining tables are specifically customised to have lower backs and heights in order for the user to experience the space as a larger volume. The mushroom coffee tables atop the Cleo carpet from Jaipur Rugs are designed and built by kaviar:collaborative and are decorated with an heirloom green jar and Mini Clayhead and Clayhead from Claymen. The curtains are from Nirantara, Shobhana Saboo; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention. It’s probably the reason why Kasturi and Vineet decided to use a custom-made two-sided sofa as a divider between the living and dining spaces. “It acts as an L-shaped sofa for the living space, and as a detachable bench for the dining space. This bench can be moved around the space during parties to accommodate more people,” quips Vineet. 

    A curved sliding-folding door modelled in teak can completely seclude the den from the rest of the house and allow it to function as a third bedroom if needed. The sofa cum bed is custom designed and built by kaviar:collaborative and upholstered by Bharat Furnishings. A carpet from Rugberry, hanging light from Geo Lighting and an arched terrazzo artefact from The Golden Triangle act as chic additions to the area; Photography by studio suryan//dang

     

    Wooden fluted walls transform into upholstered bed backs that have been custom designed and built by kaviar:collaborative in greige and sage green flutes varying in sizes to create the aura of calmness in the master bedroom. Upholstery and curtains from Bharat Furnishings and bed sheet from Live Linen complement the space. The grey vase is a family heirloom and the wooden flooring is engineered by Kingdom Flooring; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    Ready for a magic trick? The master bedroom is hidden behind the green guiding ‘spirit’ (fluted green door) and only once you push the perfectly camouflaged door, does the bedroom reveal itself. Cool, right! The bedroom is a moodier space as compared to the living areas.

    Behind a fluted glass pocket door stands the kitchen. Teak wood and matt grey shutters dictate the mood of the kitchen. kaviar:collaborative have used an antique grey kitchen deck from Simpolo for the backsplash and countertop, and an anthracite black kitchen sink and spout from Blanco; Photography by studio suryan//dang

     

    The overarching sense of fluidity is achieved by the thoughtful application of materiality across the space. The Buddha artefact in the den is a family heirloom; Photography by studio suryan//dang

     

    The custom-made sofa upholstered by Bharat Furnishings opens up into a queen size bed converting the otherwise den room into a guest room. The throw on the sofa is from Live Linen; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    Ideas to bookmark

    Colour and curves are important components of Midori—not only do they act as guiding elements across the trajectory of the house, but they also mystify the concept of boundaries by visually erasing them. For instance, teak wood veneer is used as one of the walls in the entrance foyer as well as on the sliding folding door for the den which helps in balancing out the gloss and shine of the marble flooring.

    Curtains from Bharat Furnishings, bedside pendant lights from Kumar Lamps and the heirloom grey vase in the master bedroom not only add to the room’s utility but also contribute to the calm aura; Photography by studio suryan//dang

     

    The green guiding ‘spirit’ turns into a wooden one with a walk-in-wardrobe and ensuite bathroom hidden behind it. Peels of brushed brass form an open shelving unit; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    What kaviar:collaborative fell in love with

    The original apartment being almost 80 years old had its own benefits as well as afflictions. Varying dimensioned columns, beams and low ceiling heights proved challenging for the architects.

    The curved walls, specifically the green guiding ‘spirit’ of Midori, acts as a feature that hides functional spaces behind it—like this door that conceals the powder room. Ray Pillar candle from SPIN and heirloom glass vase add a subtle elegance to the space. The wall and counter tiles are from Saral Tiles and Ceramics while the sanitary ware and fixtures from GROHE; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    Another challenge that the duo loved to conquer was rearranging the structure and making the home Vastu compliant. 

    The powder room features a circular wall mirror from Kohler, tissue box marble from Project Blue and the glass vase is a family heirloom; Photography by studio suryan//dang

    An overarching sense of consistency is achieved by the thoughtful application of materiality across the space by kaviar:collaborative that will leave you spellbound!

    The architects at kaviar:collaborative are on a colour spree for sure! If you loved this ‘green spectacle’, you must check out their ‘red’ hot Colour Me Home in Mumbai!