During Jay Thakkar's last job before dedicating himself to J-Architects full-time, his colleague Pratiksha Surve approached him to handle the interiors of her newly acquired 3BHK apartment. Pratiksha was familiar with Jay's freelancing projects and sought his guidance on how to proceed. After few months of discussions, we were commissioned to start the project according to the established requirements.
Initially, no specific design philosophy was communicated to us, except for a preference for the style we typically work with. Thus, the primary design approach focused on intelligently fulfilling all furniture requirements while balancing neutrals with a refreshing color palette.
Given their preference for an abstract representation of a deity rather than traditional idols or frames in the foyer, we had Ganesha hand-painted by 'The Tinted Stories,' managed by Kinjal Mistry. In the living room, which had an adjoining balcony, furniture placement posed a challenge. We opted for a lounger sofa in a dusty rose color to create a more spacious and functional area. The TV unit was veneered, and the sofa was custom-made by a local vendor.
The kitchen and dining areas, planned together by the builder, presented a challenge in accommodating a six-seater dining table. To address this, a bench was introduced on one side, which could be conveniently pushed under the table when not in use. The kitchen underwent reconstruction in quartz to meet standard size specifications, featuring tandem drawers for storage with an acrylic sheet finish. Despite the absence of a common washbasin, we strategically planned it on the service platform, maintaining aesthetic appeal.
The master bedroom adopted a two-colored palette of neutral beige and sage green, complemented by tropical hand-painted monstera wall art by 'The Tinted Stories.' To conceal an oddly placed column in the center of the wall holding the headboard, we created a multipurpose niche using Ply + MDF, finished with satin-finish paint.
For their son's bedroom, inspired by a space-themed design, we crafted furniture that would remain functional as he grew into his teenage years. A corner bed, study desk, and two wardrobes were designed and finished with a light powder blue satin-finish paint. The lower part of the wardrobe shutter was painted with charcoal color for the child's random doodles, complemented by quirky doodles by 'The Tinted Stories' throughout the room. The initially planned 3D textured moon was made in vinyl print to adhere to the budget.
The third room, designated for multipurpose use, served as both a puja room and a guest bedroom. We planned a puja unit with storage in one corner, along with a corner bed and two wardrobes, all finished with veneer.
