No fixed formula — Olive Roof designs a home that brims with eclectic design ideas amidst The Trees locale in Mumbai

It is the end of a long day and all you want to do is be teleported to the wilderness but Mumbai’s noise and pollution is not the setting you would like to go home to. The Trees by Godrej Properties is a planned premise in Vikhroli connecting your hustle lifestyle to nature, art, leisure […]

12 Apr 2023

Suhaani Rai

It is the end of a long day and all you want to do is be teleported to the wilderness but Mumbai’s noise and pollution is not the setting you would like to go home to. The Trees by Godrej Properties is a planned premise in Vikhroli connecting your hustle lifestyle to nature, art, leisure and more, providing you a complete neighbourhood. And what makes it perfect is Shraddha Shah, Founder of Olive Roof , who designs a modern minimal residence in which is nothing short of a holiday home.

This 950 sq ft apartment inclusive of a 100 sq ft terrace with a double height ceiling is adequate for the designer to provide corners for time alone and for unwinding with your family with a soft palette setting the calm tone for the house.

The cane and wooden screen from The Madras Makers forms a partition when one enters from the corridor. The glass pendant lamp from Myntra hangs above the dining area and the bench here is upholstered with Bandar Log fabric from Toile Indienne and the dining chair and table are from Ikea; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

The beautiful entertainment unit from The Madras Makers gives an antique finish to a minimal living room. A coffee table tray from Westside lies atop a centre table with fabric from GM Fabrics. Dark wooden flooring from EGO Floors adds colour to a cream canvas; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

The curious brief

The homeowners’ prized possessions had to be displayed in a way they did not look out of place. The home was given a muted tone so that they complement the vibrancy of these elements. This apartment is the homeowner’s third investment, and a lot of furniture pieces are brought from the previous homes like the cane pieces used to make the entertainment unit is from their previous home in Chennai. They are reimagined to fit into the new contemporary designs without looking discombobulated.

“Understanding what my clients need from the beginning is very important for me and then I follow my instincts. You will find things lying around everywhere, but again in the most beautiful way. It feels very natural to be in this space.” says Shraddha.

The traditional four poster bed from Fabindia takes centre stage in the primary room augmented with a wall shelf from Ikea. Dark wooden flooring from EGO floors complements the bed; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

The neutral toned living space is sectionally divided into a small dining area, a lounging area and also leads you to the kitchen separated by the breakfast counter; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

Tour every turn of this home

A red front door welcomes one into a judiciously planned living room. The living room is bedecked with lime paint and neutral furniture completing the minimal aesthetic. The dark wooden flooring and quirky colourful elements from the owner’s collections add a pop of colour to the silent canvas making it dramatic and stylish. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf proudly displays the owner’s assemblage of books and creates ample storage in the front room.

The breezy living room houses a couch from Ikea with fabric from D’Decor. A Kanso pendant lamp from Length Breadth Height hangs above. Centre table fabric is from GM Fabrics and the canvas photograph features The Louvre photographed by the homeowner; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

Adjacent to the door is the dining room with a bench running into the corridor which is upholstered in a fabric by Toile Indienne. The corridor leads to a semi-open kitchen finished in black and oak wood. “Kitchen has to be the most challenging, since we had to accommodate a breakfast counter, a coffee station and all the other cooking essentials, every inch had to be carefully planned leaving a good amount of space to move around too” says the designer.

Behind the kitchen is the kid’s bedroom and has a soft palette accentuated with grey-painted cupboards and an ensuite bathroom in black, grey and wooden finishes.

The ‘Pondicherry Trail’ coffee table from Asian Paints sits atop a beautiful floor rug from Fabindia in the cosy reading room; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

The master bedroom is an opulent space with a traditional wooden poster bed that takes the spotlight. Built-in wardrobes separated by linen curtains provide for functional storage for the couple. The primary room leads to a unique addition— the reading room.

A traditional four poster bed from Fabindia with a black headboard sits lavishly in a soft toned primary room; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

The reading room is a cosy nook which also accommodates home offices for the owners. It is finished with a neutral palette of whites, greys and jet black and the dark wood flooring binds it to the rest of the house. A bespoke upholstered bench is fitted between two book racks in a homogeneous palette.

A colossal window connects the reading room to the terrace. This allows enough daylight into the reading room to make it appear larger. Landscaped with bougainvillaea, frangipani and heliconia is a small terrace which is a rare find in Mumbai bedecked with patio chairs to enjoy the beautiful evenings. One side of the terrace is covered with a small roof offering shade. The neighbouring building’s facade makes a great surface to stream the homeowner’s diverse collection using a projector.

Ideas to bookmark

Shraddha has taken into consideration various aspects required to make a complete home. The entire space pays attention to the demands of the natural light and is an astute congregation of the owner’s collections.

The terrace is enriched with plants from 7 petals, patio chairs from RoyalOak India, planters from Bonasila Planters and lights from Ikea; Photographs by Vineet Velandy

Another minimal home. Another neutral palette. But what makes it different is this house has a double height vaulted ceiling, reading room, coffee station, breakfast counter, a terrace and a floor to ceiling library. So many features yet all of them are seamlessly integrated without feeling overcrowded. There is no fixed philosophy of the designer, but she likes to keep it simple without any overly done elements, and this home echoes it completely.