Why nothing but an ‘embroidered home’ will do for this fashion designer

A breakfast counter with ethnic motif tiles. Sliding doors separate the kitchen from the living area. Photo courtesy Saniya Kantawala Designs

A fashion designer is obviously madly in love with all things fabric, tailoring and needlework, so when Mumbai-based Yogita Kadam wanted a virtually immersive experience with embroidery, she knew just one person who could pull it off for her.

Saniya Kantawala of Saniya Kantawala Design (SKD), Mumbai, who had worked on Kadam’s boutique earlier, was roped in to make sure that the new design of her Goregaon house reflected the owner’s aesthetic sensibilities, priorities, and love for natural materials, especially rattan and cane.

Work cut out

After visiting the site in March 2022 Kantawala knew she had her work cut out. “The apartment looked like any tasteful, luxury dwelling, but a signature look was missing. Since Yogita’s professional persona was so flamboyant, she knew at the very outset that her residence needed to reflect who she was as a designer and her creative work,” says Kantawala.

The child's room with terrazzo flooring extended to the walls. (Photo courtesy Saniya Kantawala Designs)

Going with the flow

The focus was on creating an efficient layout with generous internal volumes and to connect the common areas without architectural barriers.

The key design elements in the project, which was delivered to the client in February 2023, included embroidered fabrics as well as waste cloth from Kadam’s atelier which were repurposed as wallpaper and upholstery.

The colour theme extends to the washrooms. (Photo courtesy Saniya Kantawala Design)

A pared-back approach was taken in terms of the material palette and muted colour scheme for that open space feel, with more focus on form, texture and light.

Rattan was woven into the design scheme as a key element in the custom-made temple and arched mirror in the living area and the headboard in the main bedroom. Natural and biodegradable materials, rattan and cane were used extensively in the furnishings.

From furniture to accents, curvilinear lines instead of sharp edges were adopted to maintain the “flow of space.”

The dining space was brightened up with a floral mural by Mumbai-based Zahabiya Gabajiwala’s visual space design studio ZA Work Design. Embroidered artwork framed in teak went on the ceiling, doubling up as a light feature above the teak dining table. Teak was also chosen for the furniture for its strength and durability.

MDF-clad thick lime plaster formed the base of the dining table and complemented the grey concrete tiles. A breakfast counter was set up with ethnic motif tiles from Bharat Floorings. Sliding doors separated the kitchen from the living area. Kadam’s craftspersons were also given a place of honour with their embroidered artwork customized for the counter.

Leftover rattan was artfully turned to lamps over the counter by Harshita Jhamtani Designs, Mumbai.

Making the connection

Access to the bedrooms was enabled through a corridor next to the dining area, with rectangular doors giving way to arched ones for a ‘softer touch.’

The master bedroom with a rattan headboard and wallpaper on cabinet doors and walls. (Photo courtesy Saniya Kantawala Designs)

Designed as a sanctuary away from the hubbub of city life, the master bedroom was given embroidered and handcrafted accents. Instead of paint, wallpaper from lifestyle store and interior design studio The Pure Concept went on the cabinet doors and walls behind the bed. A rattan headboard by The Wicker Story was customised to give a light and airy feel to the room.

Like the rest of the house the guest bedroom was done up in earthy colours with a custom wardrobe in natural wood finish and a teak side table. A rich blue lamp from Cottons & Satins and an open book with an exciting quote flanked the bed.

Parquet floors and a headboard with ethnic print fabric from Kadam’s boutique completed the picture.

The fashion designer’s young son’s bedroom was all about “childhood zest.” Customised terrazzo flooring in geometrical patterns extended to the walls to create visual interest and break the monotony of patterns. Neutral whites and muted hues offset the energetic blues in this space.

Kantawala has attempted to enliven the house with a “schematic material and colour palette, reusing and salvaging leftover materials and adding personalised touches.”

It’s her homage, she says, to beautiful embroidery and unfolds like a graceful woven fabric, handcrafted with love, warmth and emotion.