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    Nostalgia in making: Mumbai home by MJ Architects reveals a curious play of subtle colours and classic materials

    AUG 18, 2022 | By Pratishtha Rana
    The dining space is characterised by a teak wood dining table paired with chairs from Cottons and Satins; Photographs by Sagar Mandal
    The dining room is highlighted with a custom-made teak wood table with chairs from Cottons and Satins. De Gournay's wallpaper adorns the walls; Photographs by Sagar Mandal
    The living room hosts sofas from Gulmohar Lane with custom centre table made of dried flowers pressed on the surface. A sisal rug from palm fibre compliments the space with a wooden finish fan from The White Teak Company; Photographs by Sagar Mandal
    The parent’s room features a bed from Gulmohar Lane with customised side tables and bedding from House of Ekam; Photographs by Sagar Mandal
    The primary bedroom features a poster bed from palm fibre Kerala and rug from Jaipur Rugs. Ancestral teak wood console table adds a touch of nostalgia with bedding from Altrove; Photographs by Sagar Mandal and styling Priyanka Aggarwal
    A sofa cum bed from Gulmohar Lane makes the guest room adaptive in nature along with a Sisal rug from Palm Fibre completes the space; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    A home is not just its walls, nor is it just the people living in it. A home transcends function, form, emotions and all that makes and builds its boundaries. Perhaps, it is nostalgia in making in the present…

    Meenakshi Jessani, Founder and Principal Architect of MJ Architects traces a similar thought, shaping up a home in Mumbai’s neighbourhood of Bandra, dubbed Epitome, styled by Priyanka Aggarwal.

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    Sofas from Gulmohar Lane and a custom made coffee table with pressed dried flowers decorate the living area. A White Teak Company fan with a wooden finish and a palm fibre sisal mat create a comfortable, chic combination; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    The curious brief

    Meenakshi reminisces, “The client’s vision of their home was a place that is simple, peaceful, minimal and open.” The many spaces at this 2,700 sq ft abode dive into the finer charm of materials, the flow of light from one space to the other and storyboarding. 

    The main door to the home is crafted with clear glass and black metal framing; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    The family’s personal travel photographs are decked in the entryway setting the mood of the whole house further in; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    Tour every space of the Mumbai home…

    The home was completely replanned. Originally, what was a 5BHK as per the builder’s layout was recreated into an all-embracing 4BHK with three bedrooms, walk-in wardrobes, study room, balcony and even a steam room in the bathroom!

    A clear glass door leads one into the entryway, visually and functionally, allowing sight of the homeowner’s travel photographs adorning the front wall. 

    The dining room is highlighted with a custom teak wood table with chair fabric from Cottons and Satins, and de Gournay’s hand painted wallpaper adorns the walls; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    de Gournay’s hand painted wallpaper adorns the walls of the dining space; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    Trailing the mood of the living room, an open, airy environ along with its meticulously placed furniture beholds the eyes. Sprinkling a curious warmth here is the custom coffee table made of dried pressed flowers. 

    The balcony features Burmese teak wood antique chairs with Concrete wall panels from Nuance Studio and floor tiles from Bharat Floorings and Tiles; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    Look on the other side, the dining area poses as an inviting section to discover with every part soaked copiously with sunlight pouring in through the arched forms around, reflecting on the handmade wallpaper from de Gournay as it dances freely with the day passing by. 

    Where all the culinary magic takes shape, the kitchen fashions a clean gray tone in the company of cement floor tiles, and the fluted glass sliding door.

    The bright-hued yellow tiles are from Bharat Floorings and Tiles and the modular kitchen from Morbiwalas; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    This home rings synonymous with the idea of joy and indulgence, thought-free. As Meenakshi says, the primary bedroom just lets you be. Besides this, it hosts valuable pieces of decor and smartly created interiors – from the ancestral console table, rattan shutters to the sprawling walk-in wardrobe, and bathroom with a steam room.

    The primary bedroom is outfitted with a Palm Fibre Kerala four-poster bed with bedding from altrove, console table made from reclaimed teak wood and rug from Jaipur Rugs; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    The primary room features a Palm Fibre Kerala poster bed, Altrove linen and handcrafted nightstands, along with rattan-decked drawers; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    A sense of vintage grips when one ambles into the parent’s bedroom modelling a solid wood bed paired with classic molding patterns on the walls.

    While the daughter’s room mirrors excitement with muted pink accent wall, underrated minimalism. Meenakshi says, “The walk-in closet done for her is right out of a Carrie Bradshaw scene – lavish, open and all things dreamy.”

    The daughter’s bedroom is furnished with a bed from Gulmohar Lane, linens from Rearrange Home, rug from Jaipur Rugs and two handcrafted side tables; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    The guest bedroom spells multifunctional in its design language, where its accent wall stands as the perfect zone for candid pictures along with a TV that doubles up as wall art and a strikingly shaped arched glass partition in the washroom!

    The four-poster bed in the parent’s bedroom by Palm Fibre brings a traditional-modern charm in with Altrove bedding and coordinating nightstands; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    The parent’s bedroom has a handcrafted four-poster bed made from Palm Fibre in Kerala, as well as Altrove bedding and nightstands; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

    Ideas to bookmark – colours, materials and inspirations!

    A timeless but fit for contemporary homes design intention blooms in this Mumbai home. Use of teak wood from the family’s vintage Kerala home teamed with classic wainscoting is seen across spaces. 

    The master bedroom features West Elm coffee table topped with Sisal rug from Palm Fibre and a Jaipur rug as its base; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    Bathroom in the primary bedroom outlines a classic appeal with custom storage with rattan shutters and concrete washbasin from Hey Concrete; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

     

    The versatility of the guest room is enhanced with a couch that converts into a bed from Gulmohar Lane, along with Sisal rug from Palm Fibre; Photographs by Sagar Mandal and styling Priyanka Aggarwal

    Singing tunes of nostalgia, rattan, wood, muted colours, ancestral decor, creatively used cement for washbasins, marble floor borders and a neat, elegant furniture arrangement sows the seed of design inspiration. 

    As Meenakshi muses, “We have intended to let the distinct characteristics of all these materials do the talking within the space.”

    Founder of MJ Architects Meenakshi Jessani posing against the background displaying concrete wall panels from Nuance Studio, flooring decked by Bharat Floorings and Tiles; Photographs by Sagar Mandal

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