When Prerak Kadakia first asked Kaviar Collaborative to renovate his apartment in Mumbai, he said that “storage was a big requirement.” It’s not that the flat didn’t have any—in fact, a walk-in wardrobe off the primary bedroom was a big draw—but it wasn’t quite enough for the whole family, which includes Prerak, his wife, Krina, his parents, and the couple’s daughter.

“There are three generations living in the house, and each person has their daily routine and their set of likes and dislikes,” says architect Kasturi Wagh, who cofounded the firm with architect Vineet Hingorani. “The idea was to find middle ground and design a home that catered to everyone’s needs.”

Before: Hallway and Primary Suite

The stock apartment had three bedrooms and three bathrooms spread over 1,200 square feet—and Hingorani and Wagh’s challenge was to bring in personality and storage without cramping the floor plan. They started by fitting out each bedroom with custom furniture that suited each occupant’s needs, and giving each room a signature color.

“Kaviar Collaborative are young and they experiment with colors, which is something we really wanted,” says Prerak. “We did not want something too jazzy or in your face, but simple, elegant, and playful colors to add a positive vibe and liveliness.”

After: Primary Suite

Multifunctionality was also a must—Prerak and Krina wanted their bedroom to be both a private respite and a space they could open up to guests if they hosted a party. To this end, the firm created a built-in window seat with custom chairs and a mix of open and closed storage. “Every inch of space is a valuable commodity,” says Wagh.

Before: Grandparents’ Room

After: Grandparents’ Room

In the grandparents’ bedroom, a soft blue is balanced by rattan accents for a calming scheme, while the daughter’s room takes a different tack. “We wanted to do something special for our daughter,” says Prerak. “The whole vibe of the room is like a castle.”

A bed nook in front of the window, complete with secret niches and cabinetry for books and toys, frees up the majority of the floor space for playing with friends. Custom curtains provide privacy when needed, and a circular motif is repeated in the mint, pink, and white paint application and closet hardware, as well as the arched alcoves for the bed and desk.

Before: Daughter’s Room

After: Daughter’s Room

In the common areas, the design team knocked out a kitchen wall and inserted a sliding window with fluted glass between it and the adjacent dining room, “to add some level of depth,” says Wagh. “This opened up the space and made the apartment look bigger than it was.”

Next, they layered in built-in furniture and storage with a mix of finishes—including painted brick, metal mesh, fluted glass, and colorful millwork. “We wanted to overlay a lot of different materials through the house to create a tactile space without making the apartment look heavy and cluttered,” says Wagh.

After: Dining Room

The family moved into the apartment in December 2023, and they’ve found that it fits their needs to a T. “The quality of life for our family has gone up due to living in this expansive place, which is made with all heart,” says Prerak.

After: Living Room

More Before & After stories:

An Art Deco Apartment in Mumbai Becomes a Couple’s Creative Headquarters

A Feral Terrace House Becomes a Magical Garden Home for $423K

A Breakthrough Renovation Reveals a Parisian Apartment’s Good Bones

Project Credits:

Architect: Kaviar Collaborative / @kaviar.collaborative

Builder: Gravity Constructions

Interior Design: Kaviar Collaborative

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Before & After: Savvy Storage Makes This Mumbai Flat Work for Three Generations