This Designer's Home Is Layered with Riotous Jewel Tones
There’s a certain cruelty in giving Krsnaa Mehta a sterile, 1,100-square-foot apartment with nary a cool architectural feature to be found. “It’s not like this exciting, Alice in Wonderland situation,” says Mehta, the founder of the vibrant textile company India Circus. “So I had to create that with product, with plants, with lights, to give it the feeling that everywhere you look, you’re going to discover a sort of new space.”
Despite its basic bones, Mehta was first drawn to the Mumbai building eight years ago due to its verdant neighborhood, Malabar Hill. “Across the living room, you’re straightaway looking at 10 to 15 large old trees. And behind those trees is a former palace, which is now a design school,” he says. Flanked by potted palms, wall-to-wall windows in the living room and bedroom give the apartment an airy lift. From the terraces, one can glimpse the Arabian Sea.
The jewel-toned pad, which Mehta shares with his partner, is a case study in the principles of India Circus: bold hues and South Asian influences punched up with contemporary flair. When founding the company, the designer sought to respectfully recast the traditional styles with which he grew up. He points to the block-printed window treatments in the study and bedroom: The pattern nods to Islamic architecture, Mehta notes, but he eschewed a typical maroon-and-gold scheme. “By making it an ocher and white, it transforms to being very modern,” he explains.
In true creative form, Mehta is constantly reinventing. Lately, he’s contrasted neutral furniture with his bright accessories, but the exuberance remains. Says the designer, “I believe that one’s home should shout out loud their personality.”
Den
“I believe that one’s home should shout out loud their personality,” says designer Krsnaa Mehta. Lamps, chair and sofa fabrics: India Circus. Bird-print shade: Russell Street fabric, BARO. Art (left): a Gond painting, a regional form originating in Madhya Pradesh, India
Entryway
The apartment’s vibe is dependent on “elements from all over the world coming together,” he says. Wood table: IKEA. Blue table: custom. Cat lamp: purchased in Paris. Art: traditional piece found in Rajasthan, India.
Living Room
Mehta aimed for a salon feel for the heart of the home, with a “sangria”-and-blue palette. Sofas and chairs: custom by Srila Chatterjee at BARO. Table: passed down from grandparents. Art: Krsnaa Mehta for India Circus. Lamps: found in Mumbai market. Shade: custom by Red Blue & Yellow. Rug: vintage, from a shop in Mumbai.
Study
Shade and table: BARO. Chair: custom by Srila Chatterjee at BARO. Lamp and pillows: found in market in Thailand. Art (on pink wall): India Circus. Photograph (center): Raja Deen Dayal.
Main Bedroom
Mehta was attracted to the neighborhood for its greenery, mirrored here in the room’s oversize plants. Quilt: block-printed Razai from Jaipur. Lamps: purchased at a market in Mumbai. Art (above window): Krsnaa Mehta for India Circus. Rug: India Circus.
Dining Room
The bountifully patterned area is “my favorite spot to have my single malts in the evenings,” Mehta says. Wallcovering (left): Birdwatcher Dreams wallpaper by India Circus. Chairs and table: custom by BARO.
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