Minimalism in the Maximum City

Ali Baldiwala redefines minimalist luxury through materials in this Mumbai home

31 Jul 2024

What if your home could be unabashedly maximalist without really being maximalist? It makes you pause and ponder momentarily, doesn’t it. In a decadently white-hued home in Mumbai, the possibilities of layering and coalescing many design elements begin to tell the story of a newfound idea of maximalism. Courtesy the creative direction of Ali Baldiwala of Baldiwala Edge, the home emerges as a library of materials, artworks and details.

Dubbed the Still Stream, the home pirouettes on visual cues of still and moving. A minimal shell but with a soul of abstract maximalism. With muted colours but a rapturous canvas of textures. Echoing an area of 2,600 sq ft, the home envelops a foyer, a living room, a dining area, leading into a den, primary bedroom, the son’s bedroom and a mandir. Made for a young couple, Ali informs, “After a hard day’s work, they wanted a space to sink into that felt as luxurious as a hotel with the warmth of a home.”

Ali Balidwala — The living room features a floor lamp by Stem Design, textured TV console designed by BE executed by Wood’n Design, carpet from Mehra Carpets, centre table from Ditre by Aux Home, 3 seater sofa from B&B Italia by Aux Home, ribbon metal installation from MutationLab, side tables from TPC Home, 2 seater sofa from Ditre by Aux Home, cushions on sofas from H&M Home, ⁠architectural lights from Defa and Studio SOL; Photographs by Talib Chitalwala

Ali baldiwala home mumbai — The furniture features a mix of fabrics and leather that enhances the room’s serenity and quiet luxury which has carpet from Mehra Carpets, centre table from Ditre by Aux Home, 3 seater sofa from B&B Italia by Aux Home Photography by Talib Chitalwala

The secret is in colours

A softer, neutral palette may not be the first on the front when thinking of an uberly-layered home. But as evident in this Mumbai cove, it becomes a natural background to cradle the interior-forward nuances and the details. “All these colours paired together may pose the challenge of the space turning dull and flat. It’s tough to create layers and visual storytelling within a sea of white, but we’ve managed this with a mix of textures and finishes within a family of light colours,” emphasises Ali, who worked with his team of Manoj and Riddhi.

Sculpting the waves

In the living room, a soft-sculptural partition created with HDMR sheets flows with an uninterrupted tenor resembling a free falling wave — restating the equation of fluidity and stillness across the home. “This visual narrative is punctuated by quartzite shelving, while the waves ebb and flow into the wall with a white glossy finish reflecting light and the gentle flow of water,” explains Ali.

The dining room confines in it an entirely different visual but with a recurring mood of a slow spectacle. With food and conversations flowing incessantly, the design language stamps itself clearly and confidently. Think the dynamic lighting by Ashiesh Shah with the spilling greens swathing around as a reminder of nature onto the table, which also pairs with the geometric marquetry in four veneers on the side cabinet. Moving to the den, an air of casual artistry takes over with multifarious prints, patterns, arts and material works.

With marble, onyx, wood and gilded details, the primary bedroom is an entrancing retreat for a design savant, equally awash with natural light. As Amir points out, “Subtle curves throughout the room, from the bed back, walk-in room partition, the wardrobe near the TV unit and the false ceiling make the place feel softer and more inviting.” But unlike the overall canvas of the home, “The son’s bedroom speaks a more spirited visual language with bright pops of colours in blue, yellow and grey for mental stimulation and freedom in his growing years.”

Peace, variation, interruption and continuity — all embedded throughout the home in Mumbai culminate into a serene mandir, too. A central equation of the neutral vivacity, tones of ecru, off-white, soft brown meld together in the spiritual alcove, imprinting a sense of visceral persistence and the idea of living somewhere in better calm and cohesion.

As Ali Baldiwala says…

“In spaces where the family needs to unwind and find a sense of calm, there are cues of grounding; while in places where they need to entertain or kick back and have fun, there’s movement and fluidity.”