5 of the most beautifully designed Mumbai homes under 1,000 square feet

By AD Staff

While we at AD have had the privilege of wandering through several sprawling ancestral homes and airy bungalows, it's often matchbox apartments in the city that have held the most surprises. These Mumbai homes, for example, are testament to the transformative power of design. From multi-functional furniture to clever paint hacks and thoughtful storage solutions, they're packed with smart design ideas to maximize compact spaces and are yet each distinct in style and personality. Take a tour of these Mumbai homes under 1,000 square feet that prove that bigger doesn't always mean better.

This 370-square-foot Mumbai home enjoys an enviable location—it stands right next to Jijabai Udyan, the city zoo in Byculla, overlooking its lushness. "We took an approach of introducing fun colours and materials like speckled terrazzo flooring, warm WPC panels, pops of powder blue that made the space look young and inviting," says Mariyam Pardawala, founder of fledgling design studio Capeesh. "The living room is devoid of furniture except the window seat. This was done to make the living room feel spacious and to allow enough room to laze around and for their kid to play."

In a strategy that combines form and function, the window in the living room becomes a statement thanks to the bracketing of powder blue storage units. The room has no furniture. The carpeted floor invites people to relax in a casual fashion.

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

By Bindu Gopal Rao

By Avantika Shankar

Overhead units, consoles and cupboards are concealed neatly behind panelled expanses.

While the view from the window was beautiful, the same could not be said for what lay within. The spaces provided by the builder in the bare-shell apartment were very compact. "We broke down the walls and included more space in the kitchen and common areas, even replaced walls with ply partitions to create more storage," the young architect reveals. To claim every precious inch, the architect created concealed storage behind the fluting panels in the living room by breaking down the wall. The back of this cabinet functions as the wall of the bedroom. The window seat in the living room has plenty storage on the sides and cabinets below. "All of it was kept the same colour so it doesn't look out of place and instead becomes a statement piece," she points out. - Rupali Sebastian

Though dubbed the "Man Cave", Chrisann Rodrigues’ latest project—a 450-square-foot, bachelor pad in Khar—is refreshingly devoid of stereotypically masculine accoutrements such as bulky leather chairs or a larger-than-life entertainment centre.

The furniture in the living room was all custom-made in keeping with the minimalist theme of the home.

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

By Bindu Gopal Rao

By Avantika Shankar

The wall dividing the living area and kitchen was taken down to create an open-plan space. A custom-designed breakfast counter in Canadian pine divides the two zones.

The Mumbai home was a "typical 1BHK" when it was handed over to Rodrigues. The architect began by tearing down the wall dividing the living room and kitchen to open up the space. Next, clean lines, a neutral colour palette, and sparse but carefully curated decor accents were chosen as the foundation of the design language. "We had to create a space that was clutter free, easy going and yet sophisticated. The client's love for plants and natural materials was definitely the jumping off point for us," explains the founder of Eight Degree Design House.

The furniture in the bedroom is largely functional with a custom-designed bed comprising two wooden slabs, a floating shelf, and a suspended shelf that doubles as a desk.

Dark-toned SPC wooden flooring runs across the home, lending a sense of continuity as well as a certain homely warmth. The brightness of the living room is swapped for a moodier atmosphere in the bedroom, induced by walls clad in concrete finish paint. In keeping with the minimalist theme of the home, this space too prioritises functional furniture: primarily a custom-made, low pinewood bed illuminated by a pair of slender black pendant lamps, a bookshelf, and another suspended shelf that doubles as a work desk. - Nicole Newby

Also read: This Vadodara home maximises vertical space on a tight 900-square-foot plot

Crafted for a family of three, the compact, 683-square-foot Mumbai home had to reflect the clients’ personalities: "Blissfully radiant, amusingly poetic and tastefully Indian," says Anam Taufiq, founder of AT Studio. "They wanted their home to be a peaceful cosy nest—which is where the name is derived from. With an affinity for art, colour, craft, and all things homely, this house was an absolute treat to design," she reminisces fondly.

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

By Bindu Gopal Rao

By Avantika Shankar

The primary bedroom is enveloped in a material palette that is inviting of nature. A combination of sage green, wood, rattan textures and floral prints brings a soothing vibe.

The child's room is filled with light-hearted touches such as silhouettes of mountain peaks, a pitched roof of a house, and an effervescent U-shaped shelf.

The quaint Mumbai home is neatly spread out into two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living area. The layout came with its own set of challenges—the angular walls and corners invited creative elements to be woven into the design. "We used the compactness of the spaces to our advantage," states the designer. "For instance, we transformed a nook in the kid's room into a unique sitting area adorned with colourful decals and plush peach upholstery. Similarly, as the family did not want an elaborate dining given the compactness of the space, we designed a collapsible dining table hanging from a yellow arch painted on one of the living room walls." Even the smallest of elements—such as the bottoms of study table drawers in the primary bedroom—was used as a tool to optimise space and add to the overall comfort. "By shaving off the perpendicular edge, the desk became visually light," elucidates Anam. - Rupali Sebastian

Also read: Inside a Tollywood actor's soothing, sea-facing Mumbai home

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

By Bindu Gopal Rao

By Avantika Shankar

"For this 500 square-foot apartment in Mumbai, we maximised every square foot possible. The home tells a story of local craftsmanship, artisanal works, natural materials and minimalism through reverential tones of nature—without making spaces cluttered. The intent was to take a road less travelled and let local art, craft and workmanship take centerstage while keeping the grammar simple and sublime," says Kshiti Shah of KSD Studio.

A compact window seat attached to the bookshelf acts as a highlight of this space. It's a great spot to enjoy the outdoors, read a book or even catch a snooze. The seat also offers built-in storage.

The corner dining table is an inviting spot to hang out with friends and family. The furniture is sleek and clean-lined to conserve space.

Earthy, neutral colours reflect light and create the illusion of a bigger and brighter space. In this home, the living room highlights handmade terrazzo flooring and breathable lime plaster walls with ample natural greens completing the earthy design language. A compact window seat attached to the bookshelf acts as a highlight of this space. The seat includes built-in storage as well as open shelves to display artefacts, books, etc. Shah also used sleek and clean-lined furniture to conserve space. The dining table, for example, is made from quartzite and wood and exudes a raw appeal. In addition, horizontal lights suspended from the ceiling expands the area visually. - Rashmi Haralalka

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

By Bindu Gopal Rao

By Avantika Shankar

Also read: This jewellery designer's South Mumbai home is inspired by the city's coastline

"The overriding design concept here was to envelope the otherwise small home in the lovely colours of nature taking inspiration from the lush green landscape of the park along with hues from beige to sometimes yellow, salmon, and even pink," says the architect.

When one is presented with a 13th-floor apartment that overlooks the sprawling Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai, inspiration is close at hand. The architect Chrisann Rodrigues began by tearing down walls that divided the balconies from the living areas to open up the 650-square-foot space to the surrounding views and light. Then, she handpicked shades of green, yellow, pink, and beige that are characteristic of the park's foliage to inject some outdoorsy gaiety.

The dining and balcony spaces are seamlessly integrated through the clever use of colour, and open into a balcony that welcomes an abundance of natural light.

By Nivedita Jayaram Pawar

By Bindu Gopal Rao

By Avantika Shankar

An arched bar unit showcasing the owners’ glassware collection stands behind the white marble top dining table. This was designed in keeping with their love for cooking and hosting.

The primary challenge of this project was to optimize storage in such a compact space without making it feel stuffy. The designer had to employ ingenuity to capitalise on the limited space in different ways. In the dining area, for instance, a bronze mirror behind the bar cabinet lends an illusion of expansiveness to the room. It was important to create a functional kitchen as the client loves cooking and runs a pickle company. Rodrigues concealed the narrow kitchen behind fluted glass sliding doors and used printed floor tiles to detach it from the living area to create a private albeit small space. - Swareena Gurung