Designing zen in Mumbai

Open Atelier reshapes minimalism for everyday living in a Mumbai home

29 Jul 2025

At a home dubbed Kiyoma Crest, silence is the core language of its design. Tucked in a quiet lane in Chembur, the home spans an area of 1,600 sq ft. It reads less like a basic blueprint and more like a feeling shaped in confident visuals. Designed by Principal Designers Rahul Mistri and Anju Mukhi of Open Atelier Mumbai for a young family of three, they followed a simple brief: no clutter, no chaos. Just a space to live, grow and be.

What emerged was a space that speaks the quiet language of Japandi minimalism blended with the soulful imperfection of Wabi-Sabi.”Every corner reflects a mindful balance of luxury and warmth,” say Rahul and Anju who worked alongside Mayur Sharma and Nakul Saroj.

"This blend of Wabi-Sabi principles with Japandi style is more than a design aesthetic. It adds a profound functionality and ease of movement within the space, signifying pure balance."

Rahul Mistri, Principal Designer, Open Atelier

The lobby with a custom sliding screen sets the tone as serene, minimal and designed to reveal each space with quietly; Photography by Ankush Maria

Slide into a new world

The space unfolds with an almost meditative grace. A concealed sliding screen greets you at the entrance, offering privacy and, at the same time, a promise of anticipation for what’s next to unfold.

Walls are mere suggestions as the living, dining and entertainment zones flow into each other until they tumble out onto a balcony framed by a sweeping eleven-foot glass panel. The view is a cinematic sprawl of golf greens that appear to be softened by light and time.

Suite dreams and pastel scenes

Gone is the powder room. In its place, a sleek television wall which doubles up as a secret-alcove conceals a hidden bar. The kitchen, wrapped in travertine and sealed with a sliding door plays shapeshifter.

But the story deepens in the private quarters. The master suite was once two rooms and a corridor. Now, it unfolds like a retreat with a steam shower here and a dual vanity there along with a walk-in closet that wraps you in 20 feet of quiet luxury.

Through a sliding dorm-style door the child’s room breathes life back into the palette. Soft pastels, two tropical murals and a terrazzo bath with a little tub invites splashy giggles.

Soft-edged furniture, graphic wall art and a muted palette come together in this Japandi-inspired living room; Photography by Ankush Maria

The dining space is an effortless extension of the living room, grounded by natural textures and gentle light; Photography by Ankush Maria

Lime, light and the art of floating walls

The lighting moves with the day. Soft and golden in the morning, cooler and clearer by night tuned to the rhythms of nature and to the mood of the home. In quiet gestures appear copper accents that shimmer as the light shifts, lime-plastered walls that proudly wear their raw, earthy texture and slim metal trims that give the illusion of walls gently floating.

Rahul adds, “This blend of Wabi-Sabi principles with Japandi style is more than a design aesthetic at Kiyoma Crest; it adds a profound functionality and ease of movement within the space, signifying pure balance.”

This is the kind of home where Sunday mornings stretch a little longer and textures shift from room to room like chapters in a gentle novel. A space shaped by the lives within it, not the trends outside it.

Sourcing details
Furniture: Excella Experts
Furnishings: Bndoo Décor, FlawDesign
Lighting: Plus Light Tech
Art and Decor: Excella Experts, H&M Home
Flooring: FCML, Classic Marble Company
Fittings: Gessi
Paint: ICA Pidilite
ACP/Glass/Concrete: Saint-Gobain