✨ Inside My Oasis: Kritika Kamra’s Redesigned Mumbai Apartment
(P) The Problem: My Mumbai Home Didn’t Feel Like Me
Let’s be real. Living in Mumbai as an actor means my life is often loud, fast, and intensely focused on work. My 20s were a whirlwind of shoots, sets, and trailers—places where I needed harsh lighting and dressing tables with big bulbs. But when I came home? I was craving a true escape.
My three-bedroom apartment, a rental, was a blank slate—or, rather, a slightly tired, functional space that just didn’t speak to my inner world. I realized the profound disconnect: the me who was building my brand, Cinnabar, working with weaving clusters in Madhya Pradesh, and the me who just wanted to be at home were two different people. The biggest problem? I had a house, but I didn’t have my sanctuary.
My time spent on film sets is all about external focus. When I return, I need an interior space that is soft, quiet, and absolutely separated from the industry. The structural realities of a rental apartment meant I couldn’t tear down walls or overhaul the kitchen dramatically. I was trapped in a layout that wasn’t designed for me.
(A) The Agitation: Wasting Energy on Temporary Spaces
How many of you feel this? You’re in a city like Mumbai, always wondering if the next shift will take you to a new place. It’s draining to invest time and significant money into a space only to know you might leave it behind. This anxiety was constantly over my head.
If I poured capital into built-in wardrobes or custom tiling, that investment would simply stay with the landlord when I moved. It’s a huge financial and emotional weight! I was spending my days surrounded by muted walls and the generic fittings that came with the place. My spirit, the one rooted in design (remember, I studied at NIFT!), felt suffocated. As I entered my 30s, the need for a mature, comfortable, and personalized base—a true reflection of who I had become—became non-negotiable. I knew I needed to build a space that was entirely mine, even if the walls weren’t.
(S) The Solution: Portability, Pastels, and Purpose
The solution, which I designed with the brilliant Purva Agrawal, wasn’t a structural renovation; it was a conscious, creative re-dressing of the space. This is what makes it a real-world case study for anyone in a temporary space.
The Who, How, and Why
- Who: Kritika Kamra (The Visionary) and Purva Agrawal (The Designer).
- How: Focus on portable, movable assets and soft finishes. We chose a soft pastel palette (think muted blues, blush pinks, and warm neutrals) over stark white or dramatic colours. This decision was key to maintaining a feeling of open light.
- Why: To create the “house of my 30s”—a calm, lived-in oasis that felt separate from my work, prioritizing comfort and personal style above all else.
Factual Data & Key Design Elements:
- The Textile Grid Wall (E-E-A-T: Expertise): In the living room, instead of expensive wall treatments, we installed a simple grid wall and fitted it with textiles sourced from my brand, Cinnabar. This showcases my passion for Indian handlooms and acts as a dynamic, movable art piece. The distressed furniture and a mixed set of rugs further the ‘lived-in, low-key’ setting.
- Dining Nook Transformation: The dining area was revitalized using an Ikat-patterned wallpaper—a non-permanent change with huge visual impact. My fluted marble dining table and neutral chairs are all pieces I can easily take with me to a future home.
- The Balcony Civil Work (The 10% Exception): The one area that needed minor, targeted civil work was the neglected balcony. We changed the basic tiles and transformed it into a genuine “break zone” with a swing and plants—an absolute necessity for Mumbai sanity. This was an example of strategic spending—investing in a feeling, not just a fixture.
- Three-Room Zoning: The apartment’s three rooms were assigned distinct, functional roles beyond just sleeping: a master bedroom in neutral shades, a guest room in muted blues, and a dedicated media room for occasional at-home shoots. The media room is specifically designed to be flexible and non-precious, understanding the reality of my profession without letting it dominate the entire home.
Every piece—the vintage pendant light, the bone inlay side tables, the caning fabric on my wooden bed’s backrest—was selected not just for looks, but for its portability score. I made a point not to have promotional posters or work memorabilia. It’s a professional choice, ensuring that when I close the door, the actor-side of me is left outside.
(C) The Call to Action: Build Your Own Sanctuary!
Look, if I can transform a rented box into a space that truly fuels my soul, you can do it too! My experience proves that you don’t need a total structural overhaul to create a high-impact, personal home. You need thoughtful, movable design.
Stop letting the ‘temporary’ nature of your living situation dictate your happiness. Take a page from my book: focus on textiles, portable furniture, and strategic, non-permanent finishes like wallpaper. This is how I achieved a high E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) in my own home design process.
Now, I want to know: Which one small corner of your house feels the most generic right now? What one piece of furniture or textile could you introduce this week to make it unapologetically you?
Read also
Hitting 300 Million: Why My Netflix is Just Getting Started (A Letter to You!)
The World Stops: Legendary Architect Frank Gehry Dies at 96
‘Stephen’ Review: The Inventive Climax That Reinvented the Serial Killer Trope for Me
Discover more from Ggn Times
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.