Located in central Mumbai, our client builds a 6 story building, 2 for each apartment, we simultaneously perform 3 interior design projects for 3 different clients, all from the same family; parents, (an older couple) and 2 families of young couples with children, each with different needs and personalities, this is how we address the same space with different distributions, each had a different reason on which interiors are designed, a concept far from typical housing in India, a space for living inside, contrasting with its urban context, with its social environment.
Specifically in the SDM apartment, after a talk with each member of the family, we got a well defined program based on the customs of each user and each space, the staircase located at the center of the apartment. It was designed as a sculpture in the space with more light and natural ventilation; with very subtle lines but protagonist of the space, it can be seen almost from anywhere in the public areas, it becomes the articulator of spaces and is replicated in other architectural elements such as blinds and ceiling; every space, every detail meets a special character of the users, every color, every picture, every kitchen utensil, every linen was specifically chosen to complete this project and to make it unique.
The pooja room or prayer room was the subject of a major investigation that is expressed in each element, color and lighting, the carving work for the board is a real craft, integrating these elements in a contemporary way was our way to achieve a space for contemplation, spiritual communion, peace and harmony. Each bedroom has a different atmosphere and they have been specially furnished with pieces selected from the furniture fair in Milan, we can see a wide variety of exclusive designs, artwork, rugs and tapestries, mosaics applications, arabescato marble and walnut wood contrasting with the white of the general area.
The living is a place where the ceiling is an important element and which subtly illuminates the area, the movement generated in it responds to the frame beams that form the structure, ie, we have taken advantage of the space between beams to gain the maximum possible height. The kitchen as element for family reunion has been designed on simple lines which together with the materials create a serene and elegant atmosphere.
About the stair Our client wanted this space to have a big sculpture, situated in front of a double-height window, the three-sided design features open treads to allow light to permeate the structure and fill the apartment. Treads of engineered walnut that form the bottom portion of the staircase swoop up as continuous elements to also create the steps at the top, the first three treads sit independently from each other and the rest of the structure, standing like a set of benches with curved corners that are each taller and narrower than the one before.
Step number four touches the ground on one side, then runs horizontally before bending up and extending the height of the void to form the final step in the set before the upstairs landing, as the staircase rises, the steps gradually get narrower and the connecting sections become less steep, treads that run between two small landings beside the window are sandwiched by a pair of sloping wooden pieces.
The wood is formed around a metal structure that is anchored to the walls that enclose the staircase on both sides, vertical steel cables that help support the upper portion of the structure also form a balustrade. A number of drawings and models were used to develop and refine the custom design, which was built by a local craftsman. The stairs can be viewed from most of the downstairs rooms, so other materials in the apartment, including Arabescato marble flooring and wooden panelling, were chosen to complement and contrast with the walnut wood.
