The Corner House

Design Firm: Vcreate Designs
Principal Architect: Vibha Saraf
Location: Mumbai, India
Project Typology: Residential
Photographer: Yadnyesh Joshi
Styling Credit: Shraddha Nayak

The Corner House by Vcreate Designs etches to life a nuclear family’s residence in the heart of Mumbai while welding together neoteric sensibilities, colour, and stated opulence.

A sequestered two-bedroom Mumbai apartment lends its canvas to a nuclear family in the plush residential neighbourhood of Lokhandwala. The home creates a picture window into the upscale cosmopolitan’s beating heart for the residents, while they find their refuge in this quaint dwelling.

“The clients Gautam and Neha Nadkarni have been expatriates settled in London for close to two decades, and recently made the permanent move to India with their five-year-old son, Vivaan in October 2020. The Pandemic posed challenges on the site’s functions and between the impacts of a multitude of lockdowns, the home was pieced together over seven months in the face of unpredictable circumstances,” shares the Architect.

With a compact area of 750 square feet at hand, the family’s needs emphasized the meshing together of pragmatic utility balanced against the backdrop of a design sensibility; packed with function yet an honest reflection of their aspirations as a family within the walls of their new abode. The design studio received an amorphous brief, one that allowed it to be interpreted and moulded in myriad forms. The binding thread in the client’s inputs shed a light upon their desire for a modern home, which was simple to maintain in terms of upkeep, yet laced with a touch of opulence that may celebrate its subtlety.

“The design narrative at The Corner House has evolved at every juncture, this has been possible kudos to the client’s being open to the process of experimentation. We have been able to welcome incessant transitions into the overruling design narrative, paving the way for spaces to come alive,” adds Vibha. Steering clear of a limiting design theme or any fleeting trends, the home is an amalgamation of the client’s requirements, muted hues, doses of bold colours and an interplay of light and shadows that create the design scheme indoors.

In its primitive form, the bare shell of the apartment was the driving form of inspiration as it was reeling with potential, only awaiting discovery! The home’s name pays homage to the core design ideology that presided over the spatial planning process — the spaces conceptualised focus on maximising the utilisation of the apartment’s corners and nooks. It contorts the stereotypical perspective of visualising corners as negative spaces that lack dedicated function, and in turn conceives them as opportunities to offer the clients a gamut of spatial experiences. In a city wherein real estate by the square inch is a luxurious commodity, these corners become vessels to rethink designing in compact spaces, making them valuable appendages to the designed volume. “These interstitial spaces bear themselves as spots within which functions can be incorporated to serve a purpose-driven design motive. From adept storage to picturesque window seats, the corners are the protagonists in this home,” explains Saraf. 

The notion while designing the apartment has been to weave together a blueprint that represents a sense of spaciousness within the petit expanse of the home. Individual zones have been curated, transporting one into an immersive experience while iterating the harmonious eclectic yet modern design sentiment.

An unassuming foyer area unfurls into the rectilinear living space via sleek black metal and fluted glass sliding doors, opening into a light-flushed communal space for the family to convene in. The linear space has been envisioned as an open-plan concept wherein the living space and the inconspicuous dining nook come together immaculately. Shades of teal, timeless black and white, and undertones of wood dot the living space. An accent wall framing the lounging space embedded with indirect lighting crevices dapples the space with warm illumination. A lofty gridded wall mirror behind the console reflects the light in the living area, multiplying it visually in its spatial volume.

The nook by the fenestrated wall transitions into a snug unperceivable family dining spot. A bench sits perched by the windows, allowing the space to be used as an extension of the living room when needed. It is complemented by the duo of monochrome geometric framed pieces of art. One of these very frames inventively folds down to reveal itself as a cantilevered dining ledge fit for the family of three. It is a versatile design intervention that functions as a diverse solution to promote the availability of free floor space.

A neoteric brass-legged and marble top high table poses as an adjunction to the dining nook and can harbours various functions ranging from being a bar table while entertaining, a work-from-home desk with panoramic views of the surrounding neighbourhood, or the quintessential place to enjoy a piping brew overlooking the lively street markets that grace the lanes over the weekends. A favourite of the homeowners, the custom geometric-shuttered bar unit swathed in an ivory white, bleeds into warm tones of a rich tan on its interior. The sinuous copper mesh pendant crowns this alcove, riffing well off the black fluted wall panelling.

The kitchen was formerly disconnected from the primary layout via the means of an internal wall that created a closed space. This internal wall was taken apart in order to integrate the circulation passage into the kitchen’s renewed floor plan, allowing it to assume a far more prominent and engaging presence in the home’s scheme of spaces. The open kitchen makes for a striking vignette in monochrome accented by sunshine yellow. The bold geometric-patterned black and white tiles add graphic dynamism to the kitchen’s focal wall, allowing it to take on a life of its own! A peninsula island stands at the threshold of the kitchen, dividing the space while contributing as an additional surface for culinary preparation, dining, and concealed storage.

Headlined by nuances of black, white, grey tones, blush leatherette, umber detailing, and metallic touches in a compelling equilibrium, the ensuite master suite’s demeanour is the epitome of elegance and comfort. The various zones anchored within the bedroom, find their rightful place within the space sans any physical demarcations as the resting space blends into the study nook and vanity by the Venetian blinds clad windows.

The sepia leatherette upholstered bed rests against an accent wall laden with a light terracotta-blush panelling with brass finishes and segments in mirror that cast reflections, visually amplifying the space’s physical spread. The wall-mounted vanity bookends the room, creating a bijou space.

A study nook by the windows has been provisioned to offer the clients a moment of quietude that is laden in minimalistic grace. Wooden fluting panels caress the wall, introducing a sense of geometricity and height in this corner. A suave black top and brass-legged console stands against the textured fluted wall creating a sharp contrast of materials. The drawer fronts of the console echo the same fluted surface finish, heightening the pattern’s dominant presence in the study nook. An oasis of tranquility, the master suite embraces its inhabitant’s every need with a keen eye for artisanal details.

A desirable pandemonium of hues layers the child’s bedroom, transporting one into a locus of sheer imagination, fitting for the exuberant young mind. “One of our most loved spaces, this bedroom hosts a spectrum of activity zones within the confines of this colour-hewn space! It truly is an escape for the child, a design journey interwoven with hues, tactile textures, custom furniture, and sensorial experiences for its young end-user,” quotes Vibha.

Bright jewel tones of red, blue, yellow, and green make a cameo in the bedroom, juxtaposed against soft white walls and textured herringbone wood flooring that lets these colours assume centre stage in the form of upholstery, bric-a-brac, and curated furniture. The berry red suede bed pairs playfully with the green and yellow statement nightstands (that can double up as stools), sharp gooseneck black sconces, and the modish name-bearing neon sign.

A reading nook has been imagined in the form of a window seat with ochre yellow upholstered cushions and wall niches for the young bibliophile to relish. The unit also houses additional under-bench storage for his toys and curios. A brilliant blue wall-mounted cabinet floats in the adjacent corner and is embellished with a gallery wall of art prints that enliven this space.

Most of the floor space has been kept deliberately devoid of fixed furniture to offer the child umpteen space to play. A chalkboard wall has been introduced for him to utilise the same as a tangible surface of expression; for his doodles, art, and craft experiments — an extensive and limitless canvas in its own right! An L-form wardrobe is tucked into a niche and has shutters that depict a city’s skyline, nodding at the riot of imagination that dwells in young minds, which allows them to escape into make-believe worlds of their own. This bedroom has been designed keeping in mind the child’s growing age; it bears the potential to keep pace with his morphing needs, allowing it to be a sanctuary for his growth.

“In a time and age where the definition of normalcy has seen a seismic shift, The Corner House has been envisaged to become a haven for this family. From grappling with a cross-continental move to calling a new residence ‘home’, this space from the get-go aimed at offering the inhabitants a montage of experiences to commemorate their new beginnings,” concludes the Architect. When all else in the world around us changes, it is ultimately a home that remains constant with its warmth and sense of familiarity which allows one to feel rooted — The Corner House aspires to achieve that very intention with its entire being.

This piece was published on InteriorLover.in (August 2021) and Housethome.