Cloud Nine

Architect Ashiesh Shah creates a tranquil haven with a chic contemporary air in the heart of the city that never sleeps.

- Aneesha Bhadri

When the clients approached architect, Ashiesh Shah, their brief was simple — they wanted something young and contemporary; a place that was spacious, minimalistic and filled with natural light. The apartment is on the second floor of a building in Mumbai and the clients wanted to maintain the feeling of open, airy environs. This gelled with Ashiesh’s design ethos. He instinctively arrived at a white theme, where different shades of white were used throughout the house and it evolved into a great space to host art. Young artists were commissioned to create the collection of art. “I love the feeling of curated art and design pieces that we have collected from around the world for the space,” says Ashiesh. The Tree by Chennai-based artist Benitha Perciyal is a lovely splash of colour on the wall near the dining table. Ashiesh worked with the gallery, Nature Morte, to commission the work, which he had seen a long time ago at their art fair. What adds to its beauty is that it is painted with natural pigment and dyes.