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    Little red riding hood meets pied piper in this Mumbai home crafted by Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani of kaviar:collaborative

    NOV 15, 2021 | By Kashish Kaushal
    A singular wall is converted to a gallery-esque feature with the help of Abha Patil of The Fourth Seat. The minimal 2D line work provides a guide of reference to hang the client Bhumika Desai’s colourful art work while also being a conversation piece. Nizara Chevron Lumbar Cushion Cover from Nicobar and Chidiya cushion cover from Abodedressstudio lend an understated glamour; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Disclaimer: Before you start rattling your brains intrigued by the title, let me put it out there—this home has nothing to do with fantasy fiction! This is just my way of highlighting its essence. Read on to know more…

    Nestled in a high-rise overlooking the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, in Mahim, Mumbai, Colour Me Happy is the maiden fruit of partners and principal architects Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani of kaviar:collaborative. Spread over 1,200 sq ft this three bedroom apartment thrives as a fun, bright and mood elevating space. 

    Home to a family of four— a young couple, their son and his grandfather, the brief was straightforward and simple. “We were not to change anything that was provided by the developer such as the kitchen counter, flooring, bathroom tiling and fittings and avoid civil work. Always having lived in a classic wood-heavy apartment, the clients wanted something light, vibrant and something that reflected their individual personalities,” elaborates Wagh.  

    At the entrance, the bright red metal console perfectly complements the overhead red pipes and sets the tone of the house in a single frame. Round mirror from Casa Gold, LIXHULT Storage from IKEA and China Doll plant from Plant People are great conversation starters; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Aiming for a clutter free, functional and easy to maintain space, the designers endowed it with an emotion of cheer within the confines of a home. The dominating theme of Colour Me Home encapsulates individualistic colour schemes, personalities and breaking monotony via patterns, prints and textures. 

    Time to reveal the idea behind ‘the red riding hood’ and ‘pied piper’ reference! Stepping off the elevator, one cannot miss the large red fire hydrant pipe floating above. The pipe seems to branch into smaller ones which flow down to become a safety door of an apartment. Having such an interesting element in one’s home, Isn’t that such a piping hot dream!

    Artwork by kaviar:collaborative with Chien Balloon dog from The Golden Triangle impart an artsy character to the entrance area; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    The story, however, doesn’t end here. Sharing the twists encountered to accomplish this never-seen-before entity in a home, Hingorani reveals, “Although it was fun experimenting with pipes and turning them into functional elements, our first challenge lied in getting all the family members on board to not only keep these otherwise industrial live fire fighting pipes exposed but also add a couple more to them”. 

    Pinky The Flamingo and Pachy The Elephant Metal Planter from FreedomTree with plants from Plants People add verdure to the space. Amargo Roman Wall Clock from The Golden Triangle, Winnipeg Floor Lamp from Urban Ladder and rug from The Home Talk act as showstoppers; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Upon entering, one notices the red pipes from the safety door flow onto the ceiling. A few of these branch out and spread over the living and dining spaces to end as light fixtures that inhabit delicate filament bulbs. 

    To the left, some more of these red pipes bend down from the ceiling to form a kind of vertical shelving unit with free floating wooden storage boxes between them. A larger, central box defines a bench seating for the six-seater live edge wooden dining table that doubles up at times as a cosy reading nook.

    A bit of quirk and colour is brought into the living space via two large refurbished armchairs with a customised zebra print red fabric that complements the overhead red pipes; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    A look straight ahead reveals a long red metallic entrance console with three circular mirrors of varying diameters hung above it that reflect bits and pieces of the house as one meanders through it. 

    Mirrors strategically placed around the house emphasise the bits and pieces of the design which otherwise go unnoticed in the bigger picture. Stripe black white ceramic vase from Freedom Tree and Diell Mirror from Home4u reflect brilliance; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Moving ahead, a sleek wooden refurbished swing with brass chains separates the living and dining spaces. 

    Squiggly lined wall art by Abha Patil of The Fourth Seat brings in a slight whimsical character to an otherwise refined colour and material palette to create an intimate yet fun setting. The wall was intentionally kept monotonous to enhance the colourful artwork created by the client Bhumika Desai; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    A bit of quirk is brought into the living space via two large refurbished armchairs with a customised zebra print red fabric that complements the overhead red pipes. 

    A deep red Pichwai art work adorns a wall within a curved arch as a memento from the old days. Along with the hand-crafted wooden chairs, hand weaved jute multi coloured rug from Sanskruti Homes and Raas Red wallpaper from Kalakaari Haath induces old world charm in the space; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Time for another stunning discovery—mid-way into the design process revealed the client to be a closet artist. This propelled the idea of setting up the living space as a canvas to showcase her art.

    Plants and planter from Plant People, artwork by kaviar:collaborative and upholstered chair from Bharat furnishing constitute this snug reading nook; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

     The wall behind the grey sofa is converted to a gallery-esque feature with the help of an artist. The minimal 2D line work provides a guide of reference to hang the client’s colourful art work while also being a conversation piece. 

    The headboard of the bed, which was once the backrest of a swing has been upcycled along with the elephant bedside table that once was a lamp; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    The bedrooms, although individualistic in colour schemes and personalities, stay true to the overarching emotion of joy and cheer. Here the proportionality of colour to whites is inversed in comparison to the common spaces which aids in creating a moody and comforting environment.

    Numerous old pieces are upcycled to create new furniture and decor in the grandfather’s bedroom, thereby preserving the emotional attachment to items gathered over decades. Cushions from ALTROVE and hand block printed quilt from Myyra make the space comfortable; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

     

    Bricks, metal and action figures dominate the kid’s room to create a robust and a raw palette. Aqua rug from Jaipur Rugs, RANARP lamp from IKEA and action figures from Marvel add quirk to the room; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Bricks, metal and action figures dominate the kid’s room to create a robust and raw palette. The brick wall acts as the piece de resistance of the room and provides the perfect backdrop to all the crime-fighting action figures and posters. 

    Delicate brass elements add a touch of glamour to an otherwise bold primary bedroom; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    The primary bedroom is surprisingly not the biggest room in the apartment. Mirrored full height wardrobes help add visual volume to the room while enhancing the light quality. 

    Bed back fabric and ottoman fabric from Bharat Furnishings along with Paradise yellow bedspread and pillow cover from Soosi adorns the primary bedroom; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    Colour Me Happy unapologetically thrives as a sophisticated blend of colours and textures. With its exposed red pipes, printed fabrics, colour block walls, the doesn’t shy away from being unconventional and eccentric.

    Scroll down to see more glimpses of the space— 

    The grey and chevron patterned backsplash keeps the kitchen largely monotonous with pops of vibrancy via wooden storage cubbies; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

     

    Building on grandfather’s likeness for the view from his bedroom, a seating with fabric from Bharat Furnishings which spans the length of the window is created; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

     

    A customised head board suspended from a black metal pipe, floating boxes for side tables and a perforated metal “J” makes the space just the right amount of fun for a pre-teen boy; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

     

    Keeping the playful element intact, the full height wardrobe unit doubles up as a blank canvas for doodling or solving a mathematical problem. A puncture in the wardrobe unit inhabits the all-blue study desk. FORSA Table Lamp from IKEA and wooden hand from DEZIINE lend depth and quirk to the room; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

     

    Robusta Terracotta cups from Nappa Dori and Inissia coffee machine from Nespresso are the perfect addition to any kitchen; Photographs by Ishita Sitwala

    If this home motivated you to try something new with your home decor, make sure you check out this home designed by Eshita Marwah of /e !!!