DESIGN PATAKA # 19 – The Penthouse Get Away – Kunal Shah
27Oct'12
6:59 ambyCrew
Landscaped Terrace
Penthouse created by Kunal Shah for a couple who wanted to use this space as a get away from the bustle of Mumbai city. Set amongst the Andheri mangroves, the couple also wanted to entertain their friends here. Kunal Shah wanted the house to be practical and easy to maintain. So he decided to create a blend between the plush and coastal feel.
Taking you through the space, starting from the terrace and then moving down. The terrace has been landscaped beautifully. Large banana leaves have been etched into the granite. Looking like they are shooting off the deck wood The water body has been built with a flamed granite base. Burning off the shine from the granite to give a more matt finish. A single beautiful frangipani plant sits in between. Giving a lovely fragrance and at the same time low on maintenance being a hardy plant. A backdrop of floral caricatures in the far behind. A caricature artist was brought in to add an art element in. Drawn on bison board sheets skillfully used to cover the number of pipes running on the wall.
Terrace
Flowers & Leaves Caricature
As we move down the light from the terrace has been allowed to illuminate the staircase. The staircase has been cantilevered with exposed fittings. A barrier between the staircase and floor had to be created to avoid people from hurting themselves. Serving as the perfect opportunity for Kunal Shah to create a stunning installation. Made of solid brass studs the massive piece of art weighs close to 300 kgs. The studs are at uneven levels to depict the cityscape view from the house. The solid mass of gold color looks fabulous. Kunal tells us that suspending the piece from the ceiling was a big challenge because of the weight. A boat shaped bench to stare out at the view is near the balcony. It has six legs to add a little tribal effect. On the far back a 3D wall with large waves looks at you. Its a lovely champagne colour and not an obvious blue color attack.
We ask him why the balcony is so bare, Kunal says, “I wanted to make it an honest place. Where a person can step out for a moment of solitude. Away from the paraphernalia of the house. Though I have used different shades of granite in random sizes only on the balcony to distinguish the area.”
Lastly we reach the landing area to the house where 2 simple chairs await us.
