Art Deco Gem: Mumbai Apartment by Atelier Varun Goyal.

The thing about designing a home with a sea view, of all places in a concrete megacity like Mumbai, is that the view trumps all else. No one stops to admire the decor or compliment the art or ooh and aah at that century-old lamp, rumoured to have been owned by a long-ago maharaja but in reality scavenged from Chor Bazaar (one of India’s largest flea markets). Architect Varun Goyal had none of those problems (nor, for that matter, did he scavenge a lamp from Chor Bazaar).

“He had a unique vision,” says Varun, founder and principal of Mumbai-based Atelier Varun Goyal, of the client, a discerning liquor baron who commissioned a redesign of his apartment, housed inside an Art Deco building in Mumbai’s Colaba, as a wedding gift for his son and daughter-in-law.

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The couple’s minimalist sensibilities meant that they wanted a space none too rich. “The main inspiration was the sea view,” shares Varun. “We were captivated by the opportunity to seamlessly merge the natural beauty of the coastline with a spirit of understated luxury.” His goal wasn’t just to create a space that celebrated the picture postcard vista, but to reflect that magic indoors, in a way that gave the interior equal pride of place.

The interior unfolds in phases, each one more serene than the last. A foyer cocooned in wood makes way for limewash-finish walls, while great glass collapsible doors in the living room open out to plenty of sunlight and a soothing sea breeze.

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The calmness is counterbalanced by curiosity, with a mixed bag of antique and vintage decor, none more extraordinary than the blown glass pendant in the dining area. At 105 years old, it’s perhaps as old, if not older, than the building it inhabits. Other novelties include sculptures from Phillips Antiques; finely handwoven natural fibre baskets by tribal craftsmen in Nagaland; an artwork, titled Lord Krishna with Cow, by Manjit Bawa; and another by Shivaji Tupe.

For Varun, there’s no greater triumph than knowing that the indoors and outdoors take the spotlight in turns. In this home, there’s beauty on either side of the threshold.

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[Images courtesy of Atelier Varun Goyal. Photography by Talib Chitalwala.]