An Amalgamation Of Textures And Hues

Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani

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The Mumbai residence is a happy combination of the modern and the ethnic.

Fearlessly bringing together colours and bold patterns enhanced by exquisite detailing, MuseLAB Design Engine instils a home in Mumbai with an uber chic contemporary aesthetic.

A five-bedroom home for a couple with four grown-up children came to Huzefa Rangwala and Jasem Pirani of MuseLAB Design Engine with a one-word brief, “functionality.” That the 2,750 square feet home belonged to Jasem’s parents, meant freedom as well as responsibility.

The earlier home was a white one, so Huzefa and Jasem decided to move towards colour this time. In the foyer near the entrance, a cabinet displays all the colours used in the house, butterfly handles contributing to the playful note; a cantilevered bench to seat one person is an extension of the cabinet.

The space is a happy amalgamation of opposites: ethnic and modern, neutrals and vibrant colours, and textured and smooth.

“The flooring and the baths were provided by the builder, which we didn’t want to rip open, so we concentrated our energies on vertical surfaces and the ceiling,” Jasem says.

The living-dining room is a 900 sq ft expanse, in which a sofa functions as a linear island to organise the space; the dining table folds into a 10-seater to face the television. The adjacent kitchen has shutters in teal, with black mosaic tiles for a back splash. The focus in the living-dining room is provided by a Corian clad unit.

Every piece of fixed and loose furniture has been customised with conscious detailing and various construction techniques being employed. The walls are in one of three finishes: veneer, Spanish tiles or a concrete finish. Only the ceilings have paint, the halo lights on them being customised, with dimmable LEDs.

The bedrooms have a corridor lined with wardrobes at the entrance. The son’s bedroom has sprinkles of orange as an accent; while the daughter’s room is in fuchsia and black, the pattern on the wardrobes an abstraction of a plant leaf.

There is a combination of digital designs and handcrafting. The aesthetic is tied with craftsmanship, but explored with colour. Clearly, juggling apparently incompatible colours and patterns insouciantly and very successfully is child’s play to Huzefa and Jasem.