For Lara de Rooij, partner and principal architect at LMC Architects, designing a home is a psychoanalytical game, a coordinated dance of understanding the homeowners’ personality and translating it to tangible space. “I analyse who my client is and what they want their house to represent. Right from the beginning, it is extremely clear to me that I am ultimately designing for someone else, so the space needs to give life to their wants,” she elaborates.
The rhythm of wooden slats that governs the parametric wooden wall element is certainly eye-catching. When it came to discussions about this feature wall, it was hard to capture and convey the organic nature of it through renders. But the homeowner’s trust in Lara was astute. “I find it difficult to imagine this design but I trust you will make this into a masterpiece within the project,” she averred. And thus it became the ‘project within the project’. “In almost all of my works, there exists a design element that becomes a complete project in itself, almost akin to a piece of art. And wooden slats are our signature detail,” Lara explains. Here, this designed feature ebbs and flows, carving out niches to house the homeowners’ art collection. It also serves as an acoustic element, minimising echoes in the expansive space. With light fixtures peppered throughout, it creates a visually dynamic interplay of light and shadow across the entire stretch of the public zone of this Mumbai abode.
Having designed the client’s office, Lara De Rooij, partner and principal architect at LMC Architects, was keenly aware of their need for a fluid and functional layout. The other part of the brief was for an elegant home that would remain timeless for the next 25 years.
Inside the home, an oak wood veneer wrap serves as a unifying element that guides and leads one into an array of semi-private, seamlessly interconnected spaces. Flanked by the Arabian Sea, the apartment offers the ultimate amalgam of panoramic views of the city, unhindered natural light, and waterfront views. By opening the apartment to a vast stretch of the northern façade, the living and dining areas are swathed in natural light. “We designed the common spaces such that the entire north façade is opened for its views and so that the house is flooded with natural light. The north façade has views of the sea and Mahalaxmi Racecourse. The southwest overlooks Marine Drive with views extending up to the eastern waterfront,” De Rooij explains.
Sat against a grey backdrop, the headboard made of wood and cane is an amalgamation of minimalism and sophistication. With matching side tables, the light colour of the wood contrasts the dark blue chair and accentuates the beauty of the room.
The master bedroom is a handcrafted haven, built in tones of blues combined with wood and cane. As you walk into this cleverly curated space, the room is divided into two distinct private spaces. A TV unit creates a seamless partition between the closet and the bed. This unit cleverly transforms into a walk-in wardrobe space for the clients, designed in elegant hues of blue and wood.
The all-female design team strongly believes in tangible building forms of design. The architects and interior designers are all dedicated generalists with an eye for detail and bring a fresh approach to every new project. For LMC, sustainability is created through thorough analysis of the client’s requirements, meticulous detailing and consideration of the longevity of the design with the required maintenance for many years.
The large living area accommodates a single seating arrangement with two centre tables. An ottoman, which is used as a two-way seating, cleverly fragments this scheme into two. An MDF laser cut screen hides the main entrance, while an openable wooden wall panel covers a large TV. A load bearing column has been used to great effect by including its form in this storage. Unsightly switches lie concealed behind it. The concrete-like backdrop is been rendered with textured painted and grooved MDF panels.
Both, the public (living – dining) and private (bedroom) zones take full advantage of the linear terrace by turning into spaces whose boundaries between the inside and outside are blurred when the windows are open. The underside of the overhang features engineered panels by Fundermax whose pattern beautifully echoes the “L” of the public zone. There are floor-to-ceiling glass windows, whose lower panel matches the ledge seating in height.
In stark contrast to unreliable planning is the trust and loyalty that clients place in me and the company, especially after the first project. Most of our clients are repeat customers. Some even go so far as not wanting to work with other architects but waiting until we have the capacity to take on their new project.
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