Our studio is in Gamdevi, among some of Mumbai’s oldest residential streets. Many of the homes around us carry things worth keeping: thick walls, tall windows, arches, old teak, stone floors and the trees outside. Renovating them well takes a different mindset from a new-build interior.
our approach
- Understand before changing. We document what’s there, and why, before deciding what goes.
- Keep what has character. Original doors, frames, floors and openings are usually better than anything new we could buy.
- Repair with compatible materials. Old walls need to breathe. Lime plaster and lime-based finishes work with them, where cement and gypsum can trap moisture and crack.
- Hide the modern. Wiring, plumbing, air-conditioning and smart-home systems go in carefully, so the home works like a new one without looking like one.
- Don’t fake the past. New work should be honest and contemporary, sitting quietly next to the old.
materials we use
- Hand-applied lime plaster (read our guide)
- Local limestones and Indian marbles
- Reclaimed and repurposed teak, including Burma teak finished in linseed oil
- Traditional craft: rattan weaving, embroidery, brass inlay and handmade lighting
in practice: the seed
The Seed is a 1,050 sq. ft. family home in a heritage neighbourhood of South Mumbai. It’s shaped by the Kutchhi bhunga: hand-formed lime-plaster niches, rounded edges, local limestone, repurposed Burma teak and the family’s own Kutch embroidery, all looking out onto mango and jackfruit trees. More on that in bringing Kutch craft into a Mumbai home.
where
Gamdevi, Malabar Hill, Walkeshwar, Peddar Road, Breach Candy, Grant Road, Girgaon, Colaba, Fort and Bandra’s older lanes. We also work on old family homes and bungalows across Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. See where we work.
listed buildings
If your building is a listed heritage structure or sits in a heritage precinct, alterations to the exterior and common areas usually need approval from the heritage authority. We’ll tell you early what’s likely to need permission, and plan the work around it.
See also: apartment renovation · sustainable design · FAQ