Disparity in Design

By Namita Nathani

Photography: Sebastian Zachariah; courtesy the architect

.

Using colour as a binding factor, Mumbai architect Kunal Barve harmonizes vintage aspects with contemporary decor to carve out a synthesis of old and new thought...

Refurbishing is one story; but refurbishing with diktats that match a passion for antiquity and modern and within set parameters of the Vaastu Shilpi philosophy of building design is altogether another story.

.

The residence in suburban Mumbai designed by Ar. Kunal Barve of Interface is an exercise in refurbishing that the client engaged in after a gap of twenty years. The gap also extended to the generation, where the elder folk aspired for vintage and the younger for avant garde.

.

Bridging relationships between people, objects, spaces and places, the home is designed as an eclectic mix of design elements and succeeds at oozing warmth via play of form, texture, pattern and colour.

.

.

One sees a combination of straight lines, clean and chic flirting with soft contours, introduced in some pieces of furniture, in lampshade patterns or jali-designs of partitions etc.

.

The selection of furniture in the spacious living area too seems disparate at first glance. However, it is a studied mix of contemporary furniture juxtaposed with that sporting a Georgian touch, like a chaise lounge juxtaposed with two differently styled sofas, the composition peppered with modern tables; and the combination tied together with a monochrome colour palette. A similar vocabulary follows through the rest of the home.

.

Details add a charming personal touch viz., the large delicate laser-cut screen that hints at a lobby entrance; an ornate hammered mirror in metal; centre table in black mirrors; art deco light fittings, matte metallic sliding doors, oversized sage fern wallpapers and the like that foster a sophisticated ambiance.

.

While a discerning use of colour binds such disparity in form and style, at places, the literal juxtaposition of classic and contemporary, though subtle, seems repetitive. Maybe a breaking away from a stereotype in every frame could have taken the compositions to a newer level within the framework. But there can be several maybe's. Overall, it is a commendable exercise in residential design, given the challenging client brief.