Ikigai House: Custom Interior Design & Adaptive Layouts in Mumbai
In Mumbai's dense urban fabric, we created a home that breathes. Ikigai House is a study in adaptability, where teak wood, brass, and hand-painted artistry come together to form a living, layered space.
The main living area of Ikigai House, showing the interplay of different seating arrangements, custom furniture, and art. The space is designed for both large gatherings and quiet family moments.
A video tour of the dining and living areas, highlighting the suspended brass shelves and the custom dining table. The design focuses on creating a sense of lightness and openness.
The master bedroom, featuring a custom four-poster bed and wardrobe panels with a subtle, elegant pattern. The design creates a serene and restful retreat.
A view showing the sliding panels partially open, connecting the living room to a more private study. This demonstrates the home's ability to adapt its spatial configuration.
A wide view of the living room, showcasing the custom Channapatna-inspired coffee tables and the elegant, suspended shelving that acts as a subtle divider from the dining area.
A detail of the dining area, with custom cane-back chairs and a heavy stone-topped table. The modern light fixture and artwork complete the sophisticated look.
A guest bedroom featuring a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with an integrated television and a rolling ladder. This bespoke unit provides immense storage while becoming a strong design feature.
About this collection
Notice how the space changes—we designed sliding partitions that allow this Mumbai apartment to shift from an open, social floor plan into intimate, private zones. If you are looking to balance grand hosting areas with secluded corners, this is the kind of spatial fluidity we prioritize in our design process.
For the Ikigai House, our goal was to resolve the constraints of a large Mumbai apartment through precision joinery and honest materiality. We moved away from standard, static wall configurations, opting instead for sliding and pivoting panels finished in rattan and fluted glass. These elements allow the residence to act as a living canvas, expanding for large gatherings or contracting for quiet, solitary moments.
Craftsmanship and Materiality
The interior palette is deeply rooted in tactile experiences. We utilized reclaimed teak hardwood for the flooring, providing warmth that grounds the space. To counter the scale of the apartment, we introduced custom-designed furniture—notably the Channapatna-inspired coffee tables and four-poster beds—which inject a subtle, nostalgic artistry into the modern environment. The walls are treated with Venetian lime plaster, offering a textured, monolithic backdrop that captures light differently throughout the day.
The Role of Custom Joinery
Every storage unit, from the kitchen cabinetry to the bedroom wardrobes, was fabricated on-site. The suspended brass shelving in the dining area serves a dual purpose: it provides storage while functioning as a semi-transparent divider that connects the dining and living zones without visually boxing them in. This project demonstrates how thoughtful interior architecture can turn a standard apartment layout into a deeply personal, adaptable sanctuary.
Studio Motley
I’m Studio Motley. I don’t believe in trends; I believe in conversations. My approach to a project like Ikigai House starts with listening to how you live, then translating those needs into a space defined by honest materials, local craftsmanship, and a deep respect for how light and air move through a room.
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