Design & Interiors
Intelligent Makeovers, October 2007
Gallerist Durva Gandhi has cleverly solved space issues and created a calm oasis in her seaside apartment in Mumbai
Tall glass windows effusively welcome the sunlight and warmly embrace the sea view in such an unaffected manner that it is difficult to imagine that the expansive space that graphic designer Durva Gandhi of I Design calls home was once two cramped flats! You might label the decor Oriental, thanks to the low furniture and commanding presence of a serene Buddha in the living area... but the owner herself is not guilty of such pigeonholing. "I wanted to optimise the sea view and the greenery, and tried to bring in as much of the outside as possible-so I pictured the space being very natural, organic, free-flowing and calm," reflects Durva.
MEDITATIVE CORNER
Durva wanted to have an area where she could just sit and be... and her "altar" evolved from that yearning for a quiet, meditative zone. On a trip to Kandy in Sri Lanka, she was overwhelmed by the positive vibrations of a large 40-feet statue of the Buddha on a mountaintop... and she began actively looking for a similar diety. She found it at a lifesyle store called Paradise Road in Colombo. Made out of sandstone and weighing 20kgs, it is now part of her daily meditation. The polished framework of a 14th century temple door that she picked up from Kerala, proved just right to house it. A Tibetan bell from Dhoop store in Mumbai along witha wooden urli and a floating candle complete the picture of tranquillity. This is her favourite corner.
TURNING THE TABLES
While the frame of the antique temple door was used to set off the deity, the door itself was in danger of being discarded completely... as the architectc considered it too heavy for the minimal feel of the contemporary apartment. Durva came up with the brilliant idea of using the unfinished leftover part of the door on the floor with a glass top to creaye a coffeee/center table that ties together the seating around it and doubles up a low dining table. She and her husband love to lounge on the cool limestone floor for their evening meal and they even serve buffets on it for their guests, who have a choice of rugs, cushions or low chairs as seats.
WHAT'S IN STORE
Durva wanted a warm, Asian ambience for her home and she ensured that the furniture in all the rooms is no higher than a foot from the floor. Veering away from fancy beds, the creative designer came up with the traditional Indian idea of having the bed on the floor with a raised platform that allowed a sea view whilst longing on it. The space underneath is used as a storag which can be accessed by lifting up the floor boards. While enjoying her morning cuppa accompanied by a refreshing view of the sea, Durva is content that she has made the best use of the space above and below!
ISLAND IN THE SUN
Durva tried to use as much as glass as possible to lend transparency and provide glimpses of the ocean outside from every corner of the house. But there is one spot in the bright sit out of the Mediterranean-style guest room which is surrounded by water on three sides (the endless horizon of the sea in front, the pool of a neighbouring hotel to the left and a smaller water body built within on the right), creating the effect of being surrounded by water as if you are on an island. Floating candles and flowers add up to a truly refreshing zone that enhances the feelings of peace and calm. This mini-pool can be even enjoyed through the thread curtain of guest bathroom.
STROKES OF GENIUS
Durva visualised a pristline white shell for the interiors with the only colour being brought in by the warm, natural Burma teak and the paintings. Backed by her curatorial experience, the aesthetic consultant who helped set up Bodhi in Mumbaihas always tried to look at functionality in a new way- so she decided to add an artistic element to what would otherwise have been just a practical door separating the bedroom from the meditative zone. Her decision to commissioner senior abstract artist Prabhakar Kolte to do a site-specific work this is his personal interpretation of peace and what felt in the space, turned out to be a stroke of genius- for the 12 separate works on paper sandwiched in glass (three on each side of each door) are a moving masterpiece that effectively fulfills the function of privacy yet adds to the Zen-like feel of the area.
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