A Vibrant Spirit

With a careful focus on a cheerful colour and material palette, art and accessories collated from varied sources, and a detailed bespoke furniture line-up, architect Sandesh Prabhu creates a home with a soul in the busy suburbs of Mumbai.

- Sanjukta Nandy

Some spaces immediately connect with the word home — not lavish in scale but with a bright spirit at its heart — and the Mumbai home featured here is a fine example of the same. All the applause and full scores for this beautiful and warm apartment goes to architect Sandesh Prabhu whose forte lies in designing with a thoughtfully chosen colour palette (that is a mix of vibrant and demure), keen detailing of furniture and incorporating art and accessories painstakingly sourced from his various travels. It was this charming design sensibilities which got an admirer in Radhika Choksey (the client) when she saw Sandesh’s handiwork at a friend’s penthouse in Mumbai. Radhika, at that very day had resolved to work with the architect whenever a chance presented itself to her. So, when her parents’ 3BHK house underwent redevelopment, she immediately dialled his number.

“During our discussions, one line that really stayed with me was, ‘I want a place that my parents and I can call home. Radhika and her sister Preeti, who live in The Netherlands and the USA, respectively, were used to homes with neutral palettes but were ready to experiment with pushing the boundaries of the tried and tested. For both, India spelt sunshine and colour so they readily agreed when I proposed a design that was rich and vibrant,” explains Sandesh. Though the initial discussions were over video calls, it only took a couple of real life meetings for them to develop immense trust in Sandesh and he was given carte blanche.