I live in an apartment and a few years ago it was completely renovated. It was a special passion project of mine and I wanted a minimalist design with open spaces. Specifically I also wanted a cozy space for entertainment.

Since it is an apartment the space is limited. In order to make it feel spacious I made sure the furniture took little space. The ceiling height is 11ft and we have a false ceiling in the living room which I wanted to preserve from the old aesthetic. Our balconies had railings and grills which made them feel restricted. In order for the rooms to feel bigger we installed floor to ceiling windows and got rid of the railings but kept the grills in the balconies. This gave it a projector like dimension ensuring the entire room was well lit while being cozy and spacious.

In the living room the furniture is minimal but it keeps the space enclosed giving guests an opportunity to look outside the window and also sit close without feeling huddled up. I wanted a space to sit on the floor so I kept a small coffee table allowing me to sit in front of the TV on the floor. I have kept a cushion and sitting mats for those who don’t want to sit on the floor directly.

The bedrooms are similarly designed. My bedroom does not have a big space and the bed takes all the space but my balcony is large. My mother’s room is large and she doesn’t have a balcony but a large window for light and ventilation. The balcony in my room is also used to dry clothes. Since it is traditional in India to use only washers and instead of driers we hang dry clothes in the sun.

The kitchen is functional and consists of cabinets and all the appliances one could need. One change we made from the previous iteration was to increase the height of the counter to 36 inches. It was previously 30 inches. This increase in height allows for more space inside the cabinet and it also allows for a better working space. My mother used to have back problems in the past because she had to work on a lower surface hunching her back constantly. Now she stands upright and the work is done with ease. The window used to be a sliding style before now it folds open giving us access to the full frame which allows for proper ventilation when it gets too hot. The water supply is run through a filtration system also known as Aquaguard. Its a separate source for drinking water which is cheaper and better than purchasing bottled water.

In addition to all this we got rid of the gas supply and installed a dual burner induction cooktop in order to combat rising energy costs and reduce health hazards in one single move. It is true that if the power goes out we aren’t able to use the induction so we have a backup camping stove to deal with emergencies. Power outages are not as frequent as they used to be so we have little to no issues with using the induction stove.

We have three air conditioners installed to deal with hot summers. We also have good  ventilation since we live on the 5th floor. The heat does rise up and it tends to get hot but we have taken measures to dissipate it.

The bathrooms were also renovated. We do not have the space for a bathtub but we have two bathrooms. We have a storage water heater installed in one of the bathrooms. Aesthetically it has gold brass fittings with a white and sea blue background for tiles. The window can be opened for ventilation.

There is no particular style to the apartment other than minimalist. The colour choices are based on lighting of the room and to make to rooms feel different when we walk into them. The living room is bright and light and well lit to keep it entertaining and to manage a cozy atmosphere while keeping it spacious.

The bedrooms are painted dark to keep the light out. The curtains are light to contrast the dark colour but they are thick and prevent light from entering at night.

The dining room is a part of the living room so we have a folding dining table which we pull out when entertaining guests. It has two chairs and a bench seating up to four people. We have two more chairs in storage.

The entrance of the apartment was kept minimal as well. Right by the entrance we have a storage space which we also use to keep shoes as we don’t wear shoes inside the house. It has a safety door painted white and a large light on top which can look like the Sun or the Moon depending on our choice. The storage space is right beside it. Its labeled so the delivery guys don’t get confused.

Most of the furniture is made from teak wood in the living room and dining room. The rest is made from ply wood.

One thing I would like to improve in the next iteration is the painting work in the bedrooms and bathrooms. I am considering wallpapers or laminates to give them a better aesthetic.

Most of the work done was based on available budget, materials and skilled labour. The work took 3 months to complete and a lot of patience. Each room was given characteristics based on use.

The one rule which I feel is essential for any project is that form follows function. This way you can give a room a purpose and give it a unique aesthetic. Cheers!