A Neo-Classical Dream

December, 2016

Priyanka Mehra, Principal Architect and Founder P S Design Mumbai.
About Monica Bedi’s home and designing smaller spaces, she says, “The biggest challenge of designing smaller apartments is the shortage of storage and tendency to feel cramped. We needed to address this issue and make sure the apartment looks and feels spacious and breezy. The apartment originally was a 2.5 bhk. We opened the 1/2 bedroom and combined it as a part of the living space. This tremendously opened the living room and allowed us to create three separate areas out of one. The room feels open also due to the abundance of light from floor to ceiling windows and the colour palette.”

Actress Monica Bedi’s Mumbai apartment combines elements of old-world charm with modern-day sensibilities to create a space that is both functional and pleasing.

This beautiful suburban apartment belongs to actress Monica Bedi, who stays with her mother and her three pets. While planning the home, she assigned Priyanka Mehra, founder of PS Design, to create a space where aesthetics played a very important role, but comfort and ease were equally important. The design house has created a home that is functional but also looks simply stunning. Mehra tells us about the project and how she went about designing the space.

A feature wall with accessories sourced from across the globe, in the living room.

The guest bedroom has a lot of natural light and a touch of greenery.

The floral wall and pastel shades make the master bedroom a haven.

The powder room uses a combination of bright tiles and vibrant wallpaper making it very artsy.

What was the brief given to you in terms of interior design? As a designer, how did you coalesce your design philosophy with the client’s vision?

The apartment needed to have a European aesthetic. Monica has grown up in Europe and has fond memories of her childhood. She needed similar materials and looks. While I understood her choice, I felt that since the space was in India, it needed to match Indian sensibilities as well. Monica was convinced and hence we used a lot of fabrics, especially from Sarita Handa, which were designed in India but spoke an international language. We further reinforced this with accessories from local stores and Chor Bazaar.

What were your biggest inspirations while designing the space?
I always feel the client’s personality must be reflected in their homes. It has to be an extension of their personas. That’s where I start from. Understanding their needs and them as people. The house had to be a comfortable space with lots of understated glamour, an extension of how Monica is herself.

Could you tell us about the colour palette used?
I committed to a subdued colour palette, with white and beige dominating most of the space. However, several colour accents have also been played with throughout the house. While the living room is a playful combination of orange and blue, pink dominates the master bedroom. Monica’s mother’s bedroom is painted in pale yellow colours. The colours are mostly in the form of soft furnishings, cushions and rugs. It allows a change easily whenever required.

What in your opinion is the most revolutionary space in the house?
The feature wall! It is the life of the house and speaks a lot with every piece that adorns it. Each piece was sourced from various places across the globe. While some were Monica’s own, some we bought together. The fun was bringing it all and filling in the missing pieces to form a complete picture.

Did you face any blocks or challenges while developing the space?
Several actually! Like I mentioned, the aesthetics were important to Monica, so were her pets. She has two dogs and a parrot, who are like her children. She told me her dogs were quite naughty and might pee all over the house! While both of us wanted to use wooden flooring throughout the house, this would have posed a problem. Hence we had to use wooden finish tiles, which we laid in a herringbone pattern to have a similar feel as wooden flooring. She also wanted a more open space since her mother needed support while walking, hence the furniture layout was designed keeping that aspect in mind. The doors had to be a certain size to allow her walker to pass through.

GET THE LOOK
Priyanka Mehra has sourced from a variety of places to bring this home together. Here are some of the specifics for you to replicate or be inspired by.

• The lights above the dining table are from Viya home and are called Flame of the Forest www.viyahome.com
• The feature wall has limited edition prints from Artist Sameer Kulavoor and Sarita Handa. www.sameerkulavoor.com, www.saritahanda.com
• Accessories are from Cellar Door, Sidewalks of the world, Apartment 9 and Chor Bazaar. www.apartment9.in, www.cellardoorcompany.com 
• The powder room has a customized sandstone basin. The tiles are from Bisazza combined with a cork wallpaper. The lights and accessories are from Chor Bazaar and the mirror from Apartment 9. www.bisazza.com, www.apartment9.in
• The master bathroom features tiles from Bisazza combined with a custom-made basin in Corian. The flooring is from Marca Corona. www.bisazza.com, www.marcacorona.it/eng/
• The artwork in the mother’s bedroom is an untitled series from artist Datta Bansode.