A home is a cocoon and an emotion that is built by elements to reflect individual choices, varied personalities and house memories; all of which offer solace- tangibly and intangibly. Accomplishing the purpose is the Blanc Home- French for white, a 1500 sq. ft. show apartment for a leading builder, designed by Quirk Studio. Stationed in a high-end residential complex in central Mumbai, this home sets a refreshing example with white as the primary swatch in the visual palette.
Envisioned as the first luxury home for a young family, the Blanc Home is all about functionality that is blended with a contemporary and minimalist design language, portrayed through monochromatic aesthetics and is seamlessly executed through attention to detail.
This neutral abode manifests understated luxury, elegant quirks and balanced dramatics; all of which are showcased through conscious spatial planning. An array of materials are layered with playful textures and art pieces that are brought together to communicate a narrative that is custom made for a blooming family and befits their life in a metropolitan city like Mumbai. Spatially, the house accommodates an expansive living and dining space, a functional kitchen and three bedrooms.
Each area is unique, reflecting various moods and ambiences yet tied together as a single unit. In order to create a young vibe, the material palette explores cane, metal, suede and linen, all dominated by hues of whites, and is pronounced by blacks and greys in myriad textures. The warmth is added through variations of chestnut hued wood to manifest a home that resonates the vibe of a New York loft assorted with luxury.
A magnificent grey PU finished door opens up to a small foyer, where the rectangular moulding of the white wall frames a wooden bench in rugged finish proudly parades its royal texture in grain. Two lamps in alabaster border the setup, topped by an artwork of clouds with yellow accents in a black frame, add the required pop. Offering glimpses of the vast space ahead, the wall treatment converges into the luxuriously scaled living space through the dining on the right, all embellished in homologous aesthetics.
A circular dining table sits on a thick conical pedestal supporting a wooden top and is surrounded by lean white upholstered chairs with sleek metal legs in black. The composition is highlighted by a statement chandelier made with differently-sized light globes emerging from a black metal ring, oozing modern allure. Sitting aristocratically on the side, the jet-black console with arched legs becomes an illustrious contrast to the white panelled walls, anchoring an elite objet d’art in the body of a mirror pronounced by a black frame and a pair of obsidian wallchieres. A wall on the side hosts a series of three abstract art pieces befitting the overall schema, taking on the black frame that adorns all the art pieces in this home.
An extension of the dining is the living space, merging into one another to mould a large multi-functional space that is fit for hosting, entertaining and other activities for a young family. Light pours in from the wall to wall window which ascends the aesthetic of the space occupied by a pair of suede grey sofas sitting on black metal legs, a classic Chandigarh chair in the onyx shade, a pair of coffee tables- one in black and the other in an oak tone, both resting atop lean metal legs. Layers of textures are introduced through upholstery, such as the essentially black and white coloured cushions with vivid patterns, the ashen coloured rug and the grey toned curtains, all of which bind the space together. The star of the show is a piece of art depicting the sky in dramatic shades of azure, which proves to be one of the most important elements in the otherwise even-handed visual.
The corridor that spatially segregates the living and dining is transformed into a gallery-like space with the wall panels peppered with art frames in monochromatic hues, leading the pathway. The hearth on the left is a functional arena, simple and elegant in a neutral palette of taupe with black accents. A play of opacity is brought to life through the tall cabinet that frames fluted glass in black profile to add dynamics. Opposite that, the powder room has its fair share of flair and drama portrayed through the black and white chequered flooring popped with sanitary fittings in glossy brass.
A charismatic space, the kids’ bedroom stands out with its dreamy powder blue wall broken down in scale through a fine moulding detail in grids juxtaposed with a warm leather finished bed and wooden side tables. The play of colour is balanced with a life-adding plant and rattan sandwiched between glass panels in the partially moulded shuttered wardrobe with sleek black handles that take up the adjacent wall. Bringing back the Blanc is the minimalist study table, topped with a lustrous bookshelf accompanied by an elegant chair featuring wood and black metal accents. Art pieces, like that of this young girl in the neutral hues, complete the narrative of this space brought to focus by the bulbed lamp that hangs along the tall grey curtains. Finally, a rejuvenating contrast of pinkish nude subway tiles with grey terrazzo adorns the bathroom of this room.
The guest bedroom is a simple and subtle grey-hued space shaped by a fluted suede bed-back, the curtains and a rug in tints and shades of the hero colour. A textured wooden bed-back, broken by a pair of frames, fastened off-centre and framed by orbs of lights, brings the palette to an equilibrium. At the end of the aisle, the master bedroom is an austere space intercepted with understated luxury. A fluted bed back panel in veneer finish frames a stylish bed with a grey headboard that sits on a wooden flooring. Sleek and functional side tables in white, detailed with brass legs and handle finish the visual, made gorgeous by the contemporary chandelier. A tall wardrobe in white PU finish is endowed with an element of porosity by means of tinted glass and opulent by its metal detail. The room’s bathroom is a homogeneous space in marble finish tiles, including the vanity, where an elementary mirror in a black frame and a brass light on top creates a graceful aura.
Through the Blanc Home, Quirk Studio demonstrates how the achromatic hues, paired with a neutral palette, is wholesome enough to make a fun and young space that isn't boring. The home is a confluence of functionality with purpose, witnessed in each element and corner, which is experimental yet designed to elevate lives through experiential encounters.
