An Elegant Apartment With A Dramatic Edge | Komal Sachdev Designer + Planner
This apartment with sweeping views of the Arabian Sea backwaters and mangroves exemplifies the saying “Black is beautiful”. Designed by Komal Sachdev for a business family, the apartment on the 23rd floor features almost exclusively a black and brown color palette. The large square footage and rooms filled with natural light from the big windows justifies the use of dark colors as it brings in warmth and makes it easy to maintain for a family with young kids.
There are many dramatic mind-blowing surfaces in this home along with refreshing pops of colors in the family’s favorite color – red – to break the monotony of black. Hint: powder room’s illusionary effect with black-and-white mosaic tiles.
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Layout
The foyer opens up into a huge living and dining with the temple, kids and guest bedroom to the right, and master bedroom, lounge, kitchen and powder room to the left.
Entrance & Lobby:
Stepping out from the elevator, guests are teased to a glimpse of the magnificent interiors that lies beyond. The large wooden framed glass door is flanked on either side by a fire brick-clad wall. A collection of mushroom-shaped wooden murals dots the wall on one side. The main door is fitted with horse-shaped handles as the horse symbolizes positivity as per Vaastu.
The doors open up to a public lobby area comprising two black shoe cabinets that mimic the chevron pattern in the wall behind and symmetric rectangles on the door leading to the main quarters. Illuminating the space is the smoked glass chandelier, a cluster of grey glass bulbs, that offers a counterpoint to the straight lines around the house. A similar chandelier finds a place in the dining room.
Komal reasons by saying,” I believe in continuity of design throughout a space to ensure harmony. They may be splendid individual pieces of art when put together, do they sing the same story?”
Foyer
A single 4-ft wide door with a part-chevron and part-line pattern opens up into the foyer. An antique wooden console in azure blue with intricate carving sits in front of an exposed concrete wall with a smooth finish. This piece of furniture works its magic in lifting the spirits.
It’s a beautiful contrast to the brick wall on one side. The exposed concrete wall with line grooves continues into the living room.
Living
Picture a place with sweeping views of lush green mangroves encompassed by a huge body of water; that’s the spectacular view the residents are treated to when the curtains framing the ceiling-to-floor windows are drawn out.
A deluge of natural light from the 22-ft long window in the living room is balanced by the warmth of the exposed concrete wall, the black Italian marble flooring, the nested center tables, and the veneer paneling behind the TV.
Two custom made sofas, one in suede fabric and other in cotton, comprise the seating. The dark nested tables contrast the light-colored fabric of the sofas.
A pair of orange accent chairs set against the exposed concrete wall brings a refreshing zing of color. The straight-line grooves in the concrete wall is again a pattern reinforcement of the concentric lines in the TV panel and the partition.
Dining
A large 6-seater dining table is juxtaposed with an Italian-marble clad wall. A mirror reflection of the partition between the living and pooja can be seen here, too. This is to partially hide the passage leading to the private quarters.
A wooden washbasin, that can pass off as a sculptural element, sits in a nook off the dining room.
Pooja
The pooja room is a snug private space located in a small enclosure outside the children and guest bedrooms. The serene space is a modern rendition adhering to the spatial principles of Vaastu. A floral mural on a warm brown veneer panel acts as the perfect backdrop for the wooden pedestal on which the deity is placed.
Lamps can be lit in the two arched niches and cuboid accents on the peach-wallpapered wall.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom mirrors the children’s bedroom on the other side of the living. A classic combination of tan leather bed and Venetian concrete textured walls lends a luxe factor to the bedroom. The iron-grey fluted panels on the side are finished in Duco. The pair of chairs upholstered in marble printed fabric look elegant.
The light-colored master bath has a modern vibe to it. The trendy rose gold accents paired with wall lights give a spa feel to the bath if you happen to look at the reflection of the sea in the mirror.
Lounge
The lounge comprises a seating area and an L-shaped bar counter below the window. Ample storage has been provided in the console. The burgundy red fluted pattern makes a dashing impact in an otherwise ceiling-to-floor black room. A gallery of psychedelic prints adds to the visual interest.
The finish on the wall hosting the project is a 3D MDF panel with Duco paints.
Kitchen
It’s a peninsula kitchen with Metropolitan grey quartz, acrylic shutters, and translucent black shutters for the unit housing the built-in oven.
Powder Room
The powder room has a dramatic delusional impact on anyone who enters. Komal explains, “the powder room is designed for guests to be accessible from the lounge / entertaining area. We wanted to use a concept that one would least expect to find in a residence but blows away your mind. “
The black and white mosaic tiles, which is actually a 9*9 tile, has that impact. The head-spinning effect is amplified by running the tiles along the walls. The icing on the cake is the framed art print with hints of black and white patterns in it. The black ceiling and pair of lights complement the theme.
Kids Bedroom & Bathroom
The kids’ bedroom shared by the three kids, a teenager and two really young ones, has touches of blush pink and baby blue. It is cleverly designed to age beautifully instead of wearing any over-the-top childish theme.
The custom-made upholstered bed has a contrasting baby blue duco painted wall panel above it. To the side of the panel is a back-painted glass with vertical lines and below it is a stack side table in lava grey. The bed faces a veneer wall with zig-zag grooves hosting the TV.
The bedding reflects the pattern and color scheme of the artwork hanging above the sofa.
The two doors of the room, one leading to the study area and the other to the passage, share the same design.
A study area has been accommodated into what was originally a walk-in closet. A floating desk finished in grey is complemented by emerald green chairs in the study area.
The bathroom was slightly modified to house a dresser and closet. The pouffe here is an amalgamation of emerald green and blush pink colors. The highlight of the kids’ bathroom is the Spanish angular shaped tiles. The pastel shades from the bedroom make their way into the bathroom. The flooring is wooden tiles while the ceiling is a composite panel with wooden print.
Guest Bedroom
The plush neutral bedding softens the tan-on-brown headboard and wall. The designer chose the classic combination of beige, cream, brown and tan for this room to bring in warmth for guests and visiting parents alike. This is a brilliant example of how to go bold with black yet not make it claustrophobic.
The guest bath wears a stone look shining in graphite gray with vertical lines of brass inlay.
FACT FILE:
Architectural Firm: Komal Sachdev Designer + Planner
Project Name: Black Elegance
Project Type: Apartment With 4 Bedroom And A Spa
Built-In: 2019
Location: Navi Mumbai
Who lives here: A Business Family With A Couple And Their Three Children
Size: 2500 sq. ft.
Principal Architect: Komal Sachdev
Photograph Courtesy: PHX India
Text Courtesy: Lakshmi Nagarajan
About the firm:
KSDP was formed in 2014, based in Navi Mumbai. The firm aims at creating spaces for a better living experience. Love for design permeates every project and often leads to innovative new uses for materials and processes. KSDP is known for it’s minimalistic yet elegant designs and concepts. They see interiors and design as vehicles for improving people’s lives and strive to find the best solution to any given brief.
About the architect:
Komal Sachdev, the principal designer of KOMAL SACHDEV DESIGNER + PLANNER has passed Interior Design from Nirmala Niketan Polytechnic, Mumbai in the year 2009. Her interest in art and craft since her early childhood has now taken shape in this profession. She is known for her ability to understand the Client’s taste and requirements. Knowing briefly about the client’s lifestyle and executing that in the form of design is what she has been appreciated for.
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