Scaled to surprise

Nishita Kamdar makes the most of her 800 sq ft Mumbai residence

23 Jun 2025

Small spaces are one of the most notorious urban design challenges. In Nishita Kamdar’s apartment in Mumbai, she made sure that as an architect, she would make the most of it. The first clue lies in the red ceiling visible from the outside. “This is the first apartment that you see from the street,” she tells us, “The usual reaction is ‘Who on earth has done this red ceiling in the house?’ The curiosity it creates is amazing.”

Most people, when faced with the challenges of designing for small spaces, resort to two extremes: picture-perfect minimalism with no lived-in character or spiralling into superfluous clutter. If there’s a Goldilocks zone in design, Nishita’s apartment lands squarely in it, striking just the right balance between spatial intrigue and a warm, inviting energy.

SAME SPACE, DIFFERENT CHARACTERS

Inside the 800 sq ft house, each element has been crafted with intention. It was important to her to avoid any 90-degree angles or parallel directions, opting instead for curved walls that act as gestures of movement. What stands out the most is how the space feels unbound, with sightlines leading to the verdure outside (a treasured aspect not many are blessed with in the city) and the riveting familiarity of the sea being never too far.

"If you ask any architect, they'd always say that designing your own home is an absolute pain. You don't know when you stop as an architect and when you step in as a client" — Nishita Kamdar

“As spaces in the city are getting smaller, but expectations are becoming bigger, I feel the architect’s role is also becoming very crucial. How do you make the most of what you have? How do you maximise the space you have? How can you make the home more flexible?” asks Nishita. You step in through the dining space, separated from the living space by the study. Turn right, and you’re faced with an extra bedroom, the door to which is no less than a work of art with a patchwork of veneers. When she slides the four-foot door open, the room becomes an extension of the living area. However, when it is closed and the lights are dimmed, the space, which also sports the aforementioned red ceiling, takes on an entirely different character. “It’s really like a nightclub,” Nishita laughs, “When my husband’s guy friends are over, they’ll just shut the door and suddenly it’s like a bachelor’s party in a den!”

KNACK FOR KNICK-KNACS

The house is replete with curious knick-knacks and objects that make you stop and double-take. Above the pristine white sofa that looks dangerously comfortable, hangs Sri Lankan artist Krishan Kodithuwakku’s artwork representing two sides of the human mind, the dark and the light, chaos and calm. This serendipitous find on a trip to the island country became the pivot in the central living space. A bar cabinet stands seemingly inconspicuous, not giving away the nifty mechanism of retractable doors. Next to the sofa hangs a swing designed by Nishita for her studio Pieces of Desire. Around us, trinkets from travels keep catching you off guard. For instance, a Diet Coke can sculpture, “If it were up to me, I’d replace water with it,” Nishita confesses. Or a lamp from EDIDA winner Priyam Doshi’s Quarry Collection, to which the architect adds, “I was one of his first customers!”

It’s said that the unexamined life is not worth living. When you stay in a city apartment that is designed by yourself, every element becomes a point of introspection and deliberation. “If you ask any architect, they’d always say that designing your own home is an absolute pain. You don’t know when you stop as an architect and when you step in as a client,” notes Nishita. Just as we turned to leave, the door handle came into view. Carved in wood, it is moulded to fit right into the palm of your hand. A warm, snug departure.