Homes

Gaurav Kharkar & Associates imagines this sea-facing Mumbai home into a neoclassical collage

MAR 11, 2024 | By Khushi Gala
The living room has masterfully balanced curves and straight edges with both neutrals and pastel colour palette; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal
Metal and glass panes section off the kitchen from the living room without blocking conversation; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

Merging a visual translation of the sedating yet bold waves of the Arabian Sea crashing against the shore with the fast-moving metropolitan life of Mumbai, a home in the southern stretch of Worli brings everything around it to a standstill — such is its design vocabulary. Vidhita Parekh Kharkar, Principal Designer at Gaurav Kharkar & Associates, along with Gaurav Kharkar, spearheads a design narrative around a pre-existing structural pillar in the living room and converts it into the focal point and the overarching theme of the 1,800 sq ft abode. 

“We thought of hand painting the pillar from a local artist, depicting a series of neoclassical doors and windows with few mouldings dividing each floor, set one above another and the topmost row as a cute baluster detailed railing. Thus the perfect amalgamation of modern and neoclassical themes evoke a sense of elegance and exquisiteness,” explains Vidhita.

The black and white exotic granite marble floor pattern provides a graphic and dramatic welcome; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

Painting the canvas

“The idea was to make the house feel bigger and more interconnected with one another. It has an open space plan,” she adds. Brick walls were knocked down one after the other with the intent of reassembling these pieces to an evident puzzle of a minimally elevated space.

Inspired by white walls and panelling styles of French houses, the foyer is adorned with a dark green console, pink pouffe and a classic chandelier with its light bouncing off the black and white granite marble flooring. Walking through the arched openings, the eyes fall on the hand-painted pillar, the eponymous element of inspiration behind the name of the residence, ‘The Pillar House’. The living room reveals a blend of curves and straight edges, neutrals and pastels, with the pillar standing tall and proud adorning drawings of neoclassical doors, windows and mouldings. 

The living room has masterfully balanced curves and straight edges with both neutrals and pastel colour palette. The beige sofa is by Natuzzi Mumbai and Kerf Living atop the carpet by Obeetee. The fabric for the pink sofa and the curtains are by Pride Furnishings; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

A kitchen carved as an extension of the living room is sectioned off with metal and glass, coated in Italian marble countertops, with steel framed windows. “Opting for an all-white kitchen can instantly make a space feel bigger thanks to the shade’s light-reflecting nature,” adds Vidhita. The best part? The bar on the island comes alive at parties and hides away for sneaky sips when not needed to be displayed in its full glory.

Metal and glass panes section off the kitchen from the living room without blocking conversation; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

Many shades of repose

Following a design style completely distinct from other rooms, the primary bedroom hosts an island bed with a headboard finish in two bright-coloured velvet fabrics. With black tinted and cane-sandwiched glass shutters, the wardrobe sits atop the white terrazzo step-up area behind the bed. A dusty rose pink couch is tucked away in the curved corner of the TV panel, creating a cosy nook in the bedroom. 

The monochromatic colour palette with a hint of deep blue on the back rest, curtains and throws bring in the perfect amount of colour needed in the room; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

A Parisian-inspired TV room with muted tones doubles up as a guest room, with a green Murphy bed set against the artwork panel. 

The TV panel dozes a minimalist appearance with a layered look of white curved panel against the grey textured paint; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

In the son’s room, the space is highlighted with a grey-dominated colour palette, livened with just the right amount of blue and followed by an all-black ceiling to enhance the feeling of looking at a starry night. 

The wardrobes are finished in black tinted glass and the overhead shutters along with couple of shutters below are partly finished in cane from Suveneers sandwiched glass by Bharat Glass Arch Designer Studio. The light fixture is from V-Lights India. The upholstery and fabrics are from Pride Furnishings. The terrazzo step-up is by Classic Marble Company and the white Italian marble flooring is by Royale Impex; Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

A neoclassical montage

Following the theme as elaborated by Vidhita, the home is an “Amalgamation of modern and neoclassical elements.” Each room has its identity but is still connected through the use of design elements and hues of pink, green and blue. The inspiration behind the home and its name, the pillar is initially taken up as a challenge, which now poetically stands as a convincing design outcome for the home and the homeowners. 

 

Now read: An ensemble of Japanese and Scandinavian interiors reveals at Mumbai’s Seaside home by Studio Urban Form + Objects