India Houzz Tour: An Architect's Pet-Friendly Mumbai Flat
Stone cladding, easy-grip flooring & slim-fitting furniture make this 65-square-metre flat a paw-some, pet-friendly den
When architect Jude D’Souza – founder and principal architect of JDAP Design – and his wife graduated from being long-time renters to homeowners, they knew that their new apartment had to be tailored to canine needs as much as human ones. “Animals have a distinctive way of relating to space, and our seven-year-old Labrador rescue, Aazad, needed locations from where he could enjoy uninterrupted views of the territory he ‘guards’. We might be labelled one of those ‘multi-species’ families and, therefore, considerable thought was put into how the house may be comfortable for Aazad, as well as for our friends who visit often with their pets,” D’Souza says of the home he designed himself.
Aazad welcomes visitors
The living room has a tactile, lived-in feeling, with wood and white dominating the palette. White-marble cladding forms wainscoting along the lower portion of the walls – a maintenance-driven decision, D’Souza explains, for a home with a pet.
Love how this small space has been designed? Find a clever interior designer on Houzz
Love how this small space has been designed? Find a clever interior designer on Houzz
On one side, a mahogany veneer library-cum-bar counter, with overhead cupboards, doubles as a storage space and seating area, defining the length of the room. Behind the unit’s timber-toned cladding is a concealed television that pops out on demand. A bench upholstered in a soft beige fabric underpins the unit. The bespoke seating, composed of lightweight and modular sofas, features slim backing frames.
“These slim pieces ensure that the home retains a sense of lightness and flexibility, with heavier units aligned to the peripheries. Seating arrangements can be reconfigured with ease, depending on the events and activities within the living area,” says D’Souza. “A subtle language of flush timber pulls, camouflaged storage spaces, stone counter tops and artworks – comprising indigenous collections from across South Asia – finds expression here.”
“These slim pieces ensure that the home retains a sense of lightness and flexibility, with heavier units aligned to the peripheries. Seating arrangements can be reconfigured with ease, depending on the events and activities within the living area,” says D’Souza. “A subtle language of flush timber pulls, camouflaged storage spaces, stone counter tops and artworks – comprising indigenous collections from across South Asia – finds expression here.”
A drop-down table is wall-mounted adjacent to the seating layout, affording the option of folding up to expand the living space. The counter is embedded into a teak-toned storage unit. Grey river-washed granite flooring, softly textured to be easy on both feet and paw, defines the living and dining areas.
A large window that stretches to accommodate the corridor, offers visual connection between the kitchen and the living room. A polished-teak frame defines the window, extending outward to form a serving shelf at the bottom. Two parallel counters, with overhead storage units featuring lacquered glass and aluminium shutters, create a semi-open galley layout in the kitchen.
“The first move was to knock down the kitchen wall, to facilitate a visual link to the living room. In order to accommodate more storage, we flipped the original kitchen layout,” says D’Souza.
“The first move was to knock down the kitchen wall, to facilitate a visual link to the living room. In order to accommodate more storage, we flipped the original kitchen layout,” says D’Souza.
A central corridor connects the living and dining areas to the bedrooms, sweeping past the kitchen on the left.
A false ceiling crowns the corridor, “a functional necessity for masking the internal air conditioning ducts and fire sprinkler piping”, says D’Souza. Framed artworks from the family’s personal collection of commissioned South Asian artworks highlight the walls.
A false ceiling crowns the corridor, “a functional necessity for masking the internal air conditioning ducts and fire sprinkler piping”, says D’Souza. Framed artworks from the family’s personal collection of commissioned South Asian artworks highlight the walls.
Powder blue and white conjure a coastal-chic air in the main bedroom. A storage bed, backgrounded by a cream tufted headboard, takes centre stage. On either side of the bed, a dado of light-blue ribbed panels dresses up the wall. The wardrobes (not pictured) are a combination of sliding glass panels and timber sliding doors with elongated timber handles set flush in the doors.
“We paid special attention to creating comfort within a compact footprint. Aazad is pleased with his new home, and has taken to all of the planned locations and surprise spaces with a joy that only animals know,” says D’Souza.
Your turn
What adjustments have you made in your home for the animals in your life? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Read more about interesting architect in India with Lessons From Earth Architecture in Auroville, India
Your turn
What adjustments have you made in your home for the animals in your life? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
Read more about interesting architect in India with Lessons From Earth Architecture in Auroville, India
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jude D’Souza and his family, including Aazad, a rescued seven-year-old chocolate Labrador
Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Year built: 2020
Size: 65 square metres; two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Principal architect: Jude D’Souza of JDAP Design
The front door opens into a petite foyer, anchored by a wooden console. The space acts as a breather before guiding visitors further into the living room.