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Houzz Tour: A Stylish Flat Designed for People and Pets Alike
Stone cladding, easy-grip flooring and slim furniture make this home perfect for its canine resident and his family
When architect Jude D’Souza – founder and principal architect of JDAP Design – and his wife graduated from being long-time renters to proud homeowners, they knew their new apartment had to be tailored to canine needs as much as human ones.
“Animals have a distinctive way of relating to space, and our seven-year-old Labrador rescue, Aazad, needed vantage locations from where he could enjoy uninterrupted views of the territory he ‘guards’. We might be labelled one of those ‘multi-species’ families and, therefore, considerable thought was put into how the house might be comfortable for Aazad, as well as for our friends who visit often with their pets,” Jude says of his self-designed home.
“Animals have a distinctive way of relating to space, and our seven-year-old Labrador rescue, Aazad, needed vantage locations from where he could enjoy uninterrupted views of the territory he ‘guards’. We might be labelled one of those ‘multi-species’ families and, therefore, considerable thought was put into how the house might be comfortable for Aazad, as well as for our friends who visit often with their pets,” Jude says of his self-designed home.
The living room has a tactile, lived-in vibe, with wood and white dominating the palette.
White marble cladding forms a wainscoting along the bottom few feet of the walls – a maintenance-driven decision, Jude explains, for a home with a pet.
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Take a look at the Houzz Professionals Directory to find a range of renovation pros in your area, see their projects and read client reviews.
On one side, a mahogany veneer cabinet with overhead cupboards doubles as a storage space and seating area. Behind the unit’s timber cladding is a concealed television that pops out on demand.
A bench upholstered in soft beige underpins the unit.
A bench upholstered in soft beige underpins the unit.
The bespoke seating, composed of lightweight sofas, features backing frames less than one inch thick.
“These slim pieces ensure the home retains a sense of lightness and flexibility, with heavier units at the periphery,” Jude says. “Seating arrangements can be reconfigured with ease, depending on the events and activities within the living area.
“A subtle language of flush timber pulls, camouflaged storage spaces, stone counter tops and artworks – comprising indigenous collections from across South Asia – finds expression here,” he adds.
“These slim pieces ensure the home retains a sense of lightness and flexibility, with heavier units at the periphery,” Jude says. “Seating arrangements can be reconfigured with ease, depending on the events and activities within the living area.
“A subtle language of flush timber pulls, camouflaged storage spaces, stone counter tops and artworks – comprising indigenous collections from across South Asia – finds expression here,” he adds.
A drop-down dining table is wall-mounted adjacent to the seating area, and can be folded up to expand the living space. The counter is embedded into a Burma-teak-toned storage unit. Grey river-washed granite flooring, softly textured to be easy on both foot and paw, defines the living and dining areas.
A large window that stretches to accommodate the corridor, offers visual connection between the kitchen and the living room. A polished Burma-teak frame defines the window, extending outwards to form a serving shelf at the bottom.
Two parallel counters and overhead storage units with lacquered glass and aluminium shutters create a semi-open galley layout in the kitchen.
Two parallel counters and overhead storage units with lacquered glass and aluminium shutters create a semi-open galley layout in the kitchen.
“The first move was to knock down the kitchen wall to facilitate a visual link to the living room,” Jude says. “In order to accommodate more storage, we flipped the original kitchen layout.”
A central corridor connects the living and dining areas to the bedrooms, sweeping past the kitchen on the left. A false ceiling crowns the corridor. “It’s a functional necessity for masking the internal air conditioning ducts and fire sprinkler piping,” Jude says.
Framed artworks from the family’s personal collection of commissioned South Asian artworks are hung along the walls.
Framed artworks from the family’s personal collection of commissioned South Asian artworks are hung along the walls.
Powder blue and white conjure a coastal-chic air in the main bedroom. A storage bed with a cream upholstered headboard takes centre stage. On either side of the bed, a half wall of pale blue ribbed panels helps to define the sleeping area.
The wardrobes (not pictured) are a combination of sliding glass panels and timber doors, with elongated timber handles set flush in the doors.
The wardrobes (not pictured) are a combination of sliding glass panels and timber doors, with elongated timber handles set flush in the doors.
“We paid special attention to creating comfort within a compact footprint,” Jude says. “Aazad is pleased with his new home, and has taken to all of the planned locations and surprise spaces with a joy only animals know.”
Tell us…
What do you like most about this home? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like most about this home? Let us know in the Comments.
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Who lives here? Jude D’Souza and his family, including Aazad, a rescued seven-year-old chocolate Labrador
Location Mumbai, India
Year built 2020
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms; 65 sq m
Principal architect Jude D’Souza of JDAP Design
Photos by Sameer Tawde
The front door opens into a petite foyer, anchored by a wooden console. The space acts as a breather before guiding visitors further into the living room.