Screened Off

A contemporary apartment in Mumbai by Arvind Associates uses screens as a functional device which segregates yet combines spaces, even as their decorative presence adds a shot of colour to the home.

- Devyani Jayakar 

A contemporary home for a young couple which required very little maintenance, since guests frequently visited…also child-friendly, since they had two young daughters. This more or less defined the brief followed by Arvind Associates in their design for this flat measuring 1,600 sq ft carpet area. Originally a four-bedroom one, it was converted into three bedrooms by amalgamating two rooms to create a large master bedroom.

Arvind Shah, Hansi S, Bhakti Harshad Pote and Amit Shah of Arvind Associates put their heads together to incorporate all the requirements. At the entrance, the eight symbols of Jainism on the wall adjacent to the front door create an ‘ashtamangal,’ announcing the religious affiliation of the owners. The door itself has two vertical jaalis in stainless steel on both sides, permitting ventilation without having to open the door. Safety is also looked after, as visitors are clearly visible even before letting them in.

Within, a sliding floor-to-ceiling screen forms a barrier between the door and the living room. ‘The client wanted it to be movable, so that it could be pushed to one side during a party,’ says Arvind. Its pattern includes geometrical compositions as well as lotuses, lending it a comfortable combination of a contemporary and a traditional aesthetic.