This Summer is bright as White!

An Apartment with French Style decor having Reuse as a Design mantra.

Summer is here, & white is back! Do you believe white is meant only for one season, or are they evergreen? Have you ever dislike a house in white? We don’t think so. White is timeless and a universal colour that does not change identity but accentuates anything quirky around it precisely.

We all want to live a life king-size with peace, so did the client of SAGI Architects, a young & dynamic practicing firm based in Mumbai. While a walk around in this apartment along with Ar. Akash Dudhe, the founder of SAGI, despite having the tropical heat outside and being located in a sprawling part of the city, it was indeed serene. This colour palette did complete justice to the space. The client did approach few other architects to design their dream home, though they narrowed it down to SAGI due to the striking conversation they had when they first met. He did probe with questions to know them better before he could submit a proposal. It resulted in reminiscing about the city, where the clients first met each other and fell in love while pursuing their post-graduation study in France. Paris is truly the city of love! That’s what was wanted to be recreated to relive the memory forever.

With this as a driving factor for their design, he premeditated the spaces with a French influence in décor to pay tribute to clients’ love, as he believes a home is a place where a person feels composed & loved the most. The clients’ personality reflects in the Midas Touch injected with the quirkier elements in the décor. The overall palette is white, with a neutral tone and a bit of contrast by natural fabric in linen cotton, cheesecloth, which complement the space. Glamour is the key strength of any Parisian interior. With this in mind, he did design every room with a touch of antique gold in elements, like the gilded mirror frame hanging over the dining table and the vanity counter, legs of the side tables, hanging lights and wardrobe doorknobs. The harmony hymns together by the use of design features like mouldings, glass chandeliers, brass hardware, antique refurbished furniture and wooden flooring against the white textured walls.

The restriction in client’s budget and not wanting to part with their old furniture, the architect decided to refurbish & reuse to repurpose the old and bring the new from the local furniture curator. The lights, artefacts, hardware all sourced from the famous local vintage supermarket of Mumbai – the chor-bazaar, finished with touch up as desired.

As one enters the living room, the natural light flooding within did make the house appear large enough and enhances the composed beauty. The air gushing within, the green cover at the balcony, the green wall at sides, teal blue curtains & cushions, pinch of gold carved as a strip to the white centre table, makes one comfortable and urges a sigh of joy. The white refurbished dining chairs with their vintage look in detailing is being

repeated in other furniture too, one can never guess that it wasn’t a part of the new design. The theme continues into the niche vanity area within the living room, curated with an ornate brass frame mirror with chinoiserie pottery, a blue & white floral basin.

The kids’ room has the same nuances, with white bunk beds, a contrastingly vibrant upholstery against the warm wooden flooring. The unhindered mobility within the room with all furniture tucked in a corner, a wooden moulded wardrobe with mirror shutters at the passageway and the study table designed to unfold to accommodate the two, considering the current pandemic scenario, this space feels a blessing in disguise for the clients. The master bed is kept simple and with elegant furniture, a dramatic chandelier and hanging lights. The panelled wall with a hidden door to the toilet in the master bed and guest room emphasises the pattern and justifies the essence of the French style, being elite and expressing clearly.

Overall the white, even at night, made the space seem bright. So, don’t fear and do dare to go white!!!

Find SAGI at : https://instagram.com/studio.sagi?igshid=1wg0jbs6us9p0

In coversation with : Ar.Akash Dudhe, Founder at SAGI Architects | Mumbai

All Photos © SAGI Architects

• Fact wallet:

Project Name: The Midas Touch

Architect: SAGI Architects (Studio for Architecture, Graphics & Interiors), Mumbai

Location: Five gardens, Matunga, Southern part of Mumbai

Carpet area: 1200 sq.ft.

Completion Date: January 2020

Photographs by: Mr. Shivkumar Dhale.