On the 46^th floor of a high rise building in Mumbai, the grey house is the abode of a young couple, their daughter, and their shih tzu Mango. Being prior clients, they came to us with a lot of trust and faith that we would be able to give them their vision of a stark, minimalistic home. Open spaces, white walls, and only the bare necessary furniture.

Editor’s Note: Located in the heart of Mumbai’s bustling skyline, this home is meticulously crafted that embodies tranquility amidst urban chaos. From its double-height living space adorned with striking artwork to innovative features like concealed kitchen panels and bespoke furniture, every detail reflects a commitment to elegance and functionality. It’s a testament to how thoughtful design can transform living spaces into havens of peace and inspiration. – Shagun Shah

This Grey Abode On This High Rise Building Has Only The Bare Necessities | GA Design

Spatial Planning

The planning stage of this home in a high rise building took a while. We wanted to give space to the living and dining area.

The double-height living room is followed by the dining area, a corner dedicated to the bar unit and the opposite corner to the mandir, whose location was determined as per Vastu.

As you enter the flat of this high rise building, a short passage leads you to the double-height living room with the double-height wall in black texture. Holding pride of place is the art by Yusuf in an off-centred setting.

For this project, given the minimalistic look we wanted to achieve, we decided to treat the doors in a different way, where we only see a minimal groove instead of the full door frame.

These specialised door frames and shutters were supplied by WALTZ Doors. When finished, it provided a seamless look to our white and black walls.

To the left is the open kitchen, which is open most of the time, except when entertaining. The kitchen can be enclosed with 10′-high’aluminium sliding panels with fluted glass. In its open form, it slides behind a panel and is completely invisible.

Sky Balcony

The living area in this high rise building opens out to the open-to-the-sky balcony. The balcony has very interesting chevron-patterned black and white tiles. A favourite place for sundowners and morning yoga for the family.

From the living room, we move on to the dining area. This area is peppered by very interesting pieces.

The dining table, designed in-house and specially customised for us by RIZO, has amber-coloured crystals embedded in a carbon platform with a black metal cylindrical base. The bar unit is also unique. Cladded completely in brass panels of varying sizes, where the metal has been oxidised to different levels in a chemical solution and then PU coated to prevent any more oxidisation, the unit is a statement piece!

On the opposite corner is the mandir. Resonating with the sliding kitchen doors, the mandir also has pocket doors, which, when in use, slide inside, leaving the space open without any obstruction for prayer. The doors are made of black frames with fluted glass panels. When in the closed position, it escapes the eye as the outside is in the same grey concrete texture as the walls around it.

Simple Combinations

The dining unit is a simple combination of open shelves and storage (for crockery and miscellaneous items) finished in black pu colour with a natural finish of teak veneer.

Textures and Materials

Another interesting feature of this house, which is normally barely noticed, is the skirting. The normal procedure is to use as skirting the same material we use for the floor, in this case, concrete finish tiles.

Not wanting to break the seamlessness of our walls, we decided to go outside the box and change the skirting material for each wall as per need and color. So, the white walls have a white tile skirting, whereas the black walls have a black tile skirting. The concrete texture walls have concrete finish tile skirting.

The kitchen is completely modular from FCML Ernestomeda, an Italian company. The look goes with the overall look and blends with the outside look and feel. The furniture from Minotti Italy and the carpet from OBEETEE complete the minimal look we wanted the house to reflect.

To the right side of the dining area, is a glass door leading you to the study area. With natural light flooding in throughout the day, this space is apt for working from home, Zoom meetings and classes, and accounting!

Concrete Textures

One wall is designed with shelves from edge to edge to house the countless book collections of the family and organised with colour coding! The concrete tiles flow into this area as well as the concrete texture paint on all walls.

Staircase

Leading from the lower level to the upper level is the staircase. Space constraints and a good slab height led to various permutations and combinations on how to fit the staircase, which is comfortable, sturdy, and timeless. A metal plate was embedded inside the circular wall, from which came the metal treads, which were clad in real teak wood.

The metal plate was camouflaged with Plaster of Paris cladding, making the treads appear to be floating from the walls. A simple railing was made in white Corian to adhere to the simplicity of the house. The staircase is also the starting point of the transition from concrete tiles to wood on the floor.

Upper Floor

As you reach the upper floor, the transition of the flooring, which started in the lower level from the stairs in wood, continues to the upper level, where the whole upper level is in real wood flooring from HAVWOODS.

Here we have the family room, overlooking the double-height living room, the master bedroom, and the daughter’s room. The family’s private space.

Many Saturdays are spent lounging on the Blazer-Minotti sofa in the family room, watching whatever catches their fancy on the huge projector screen. With a full pantry upstairs and a coffee machine, the need to venture down on weekends is only for the big meals. Also very prominently displayed is artist Sanjay Kumar’s representation of the Buddha.

Powder Bathroom

The powder bathroom which opens from the dining area,  is completely made of concrete finish tiles on the floor and wall cladding as well. The counter stands out in live edge wood with a black stone wash basin. The mirror design here takes on an amoeba shape, adding fluidity to the rigid structure of this space. 

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom on this high rise building is extremely bare and minimalist, with just the Reeves-Minotti bed in dark blue fabric. All the walls feature a concrete texture, while the cupboards boast a white matte finish with back-painted glass. 

The bed backdrop conceals ample storage space behind cleverly camouflaged fluted panels that slide open when needed.

On the left, the fluted panel also camouflages the duct shutter behind. This panel slides for easy access during maintenance.

Master Bathroom

Grey matte tiles from Nexion and a black artificial marble counter completely outfit the master bathroom. A large space with a bathtub and shower area, the bathroom is luxurious but minimal.

From the dining area we enter the guest bedroom with a murphy bed. This room is a multipurpose room, where kids have their play dates, read a book, and listen to music.

When the family has guests, they pull down the bed to use as a proper king-sized bed for visitors. With ample storage space, this wall housing the Murphy bed also holds travel memorabilia from the family’s vacations. Lego pieces, which the family is fond of making together, stone collections, and of course, books! 

Seamless Design

The look becomes seamless when the Murphy bed is closed, with the façade interspersed with veneer and teak wood flute cladding.

The attached bathroom is a special favourite with guests visiting their home. In terrazzo and concrete-finish tiles, it carries on the overall theme from the living room but with a dash of vibrancy provided by the terrazzo. The mirror, designed in a black frame, adds to the drama of the bathroom.

Daughter’s Room

The daughter’s bedroom, reflecting her young age of 9, features her favourite shades of colour. With a single bed against the wall, the room stays open for the space children need for their various activities. The wall behind the bed has custom-designed and printed wallpaper, giving the room a gentle and soft look.

The study table and the vertical storage have ample space for her individual book collection! The bathroom is again in soft pastel-coloured tiles in varying shades of blue and green, as is her room, with a terrazzo counter and beige matte tile flooring.

Contemporary Chic

This home in a high rise building is for a family of three plus a very lovable dog is very contemporary and chic, minimal, and serene. But though the look is minimal, the attention to detail and fruition of simplicity are at their maximum.

Fact File

Designed by: GA Design

Project Type: Residential Interior Design

Project Name: The grey house (The Serene Home)

Location: Oberoi Exquisite, Goregaon – east

Year Built: October 2022

Project Size: 3000 Sq.ft

Design Team: Akshita ,Manoj & Bhushan

Principal Designer: Ritu Goregaoker

Photograph Courtesy: Prashant Bhat

Clients: Manushi and Anand Baldawa

PRODUCTS / VENDORS: Carpentary: RC Interior / Electrical – Omkar Electrical Works / Paint / Texture paint – Mahesh Chandra Decor / Plumbing- Himani Enterprise / Lights – Hive lights / White teak / Loose Furniture – Minotti – Italy, Rizo / Wallpaper – Elemento / Soft Furnishings – The Pure Concept Home Curtain Tracks – NBT Curtain systems / Curtains – HC Curtains / H.V.A.C- Nova / Tiles – Glittorium Carpets – Obeetee / Artist- Yusuf / Sanjay Kumar / Art Gallery – Aura Art / Marble – CMC – Kalinga

The Firm’s Website Link: GA Design

Firm’s Instagram Link: GA Design

Firm’s Facebook Link: GA Design

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