It’s loud. It’s dramatic. It’s radical. This abode in Mumbai is anything but a usual home. With Karan Desai helming the design of the space, the outcome had to be edgy. Crafted for 36-year-old Karan Singh Thakur, a globe-trotting fashionista, this 3,300 sq. ft. sea-facing bachelor pad is here to turn all eyes.
“The owner is very much with it when it comes to a trendy lifestyle. However, he expressed no particular demands vis-à-vis the interior style. So, it was up to me to envision the interior concept. Going by his dashing personality, it was not difficult to gauge what suits him the best,” says Karan Desai.
A fashion parade!
The debonair demeanor of the home immediately connected with the owner. In the living room, gray flows from the floors onto the walls, slowly diminishing as it reaches the roof. Anything even slightly bright stands out. This space of the abode was divided into two distinct units: one formal and another informal, facing the TV, and a deck towards the window. The furniture is the art here.
A home need not have straight lines; curves are just as perfect. With all the walls and furniture not ending with straight lines, there is no exact start and no precise end, just like an ouroboros. Everything is art in this space—the furniture, the furnishings, the lighting, and, of course, the artwork!
A bright yellow bar by Karan stands out, paired with Moooi bar chairs, creating a focal point. Next to the bar is a relaxed TV lounge with patterned couches. Rarely does one get to see an assortment of patterns—distinct and bold—in one single space. But this space master’s it.
The Monster console, a pet design of Karan, has been placed between the two living areas, commanding much curiosity with its strikingly unusual design. “When the client heard about the design, he was keen to include it in the project if I didn’t make it for anybody else. So, it remains here as an exclusive piece,” says Karan.
The design for the carpet in the formal living room draws inspiration from a historic piece dating back to the 12th century. Commissioned for Shaykh, a Sufi leader and founder of the Safavid dynasty, this ancient carpet served as the basis for Karan’s contemporary interpretation. Crafted in an 18 ft by 12 ft hand-knotted amoeba shape, the carpet features a central medallion and four lanterns, one intentionally smaller to symbolise imperfection—a tribute to divine perfection. Karan’s rendition faithfully honours the original, even incorporating Arabic inscriptions paying homage to his spiritual mentor, mirroring the tradition of the original creator. It took 10 months to complete this masterpiece.
The deck overlooking the vast and serene sea is quite the opposite. Where the living room makes your heart beat faster, this space offers a pause. A pause from all the hyperactivity inside. The space is fitted with a colour-changing Vondom outdoor furniture. Yet again, the curves remain constant.
Labels or Love is the anthem!
The plan involved keeping one of the four bedrooms as a master bedroom while converting two others into a walk-in closet connected to the en-suite bathroom, a dining room, and a gym. The fourth bedroom was designated for guests.
Separated from the living space with a colour block glass partition, the dining room is altogether a different world. You shift continents in this four-step voyage. The dining space is a fantasy world—the cherry red dining chairs and the mystical floral wallpaper on the ceiling. There are riots of colours and prints atop, but beneath the space is pacifying.
A caveman’s nest
On entering the master bedroom from the dining room, there is a walk-in closet on the left fitted with Molteni and Dada wardrobes and an en suite bathroom on the right with an Antonio Lupi Ghost shower and bathtub. The designer uses the elegant shapes of the fittings in a flattering manner against the stark background to create a peaceful yet charming atmosphere. In a faraway land, slender, golden stems crown the huts. Similarly, at the heart of the man’s cave, nestled amidst curved walls, rests a primitive hut-inspired Edra bed, making its debut in an Indian home.
Fact File:
Project Name- Project 86 — Bachelor Pad
Design Firm- Karan Desai: Architecture + Design
Area- 3,300 sq. ft.
Location- Versova, Mumbai
Photography by- Ashish Sahi
Styled by- Sam Wade
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