One part of the design solutions package that Discern Living offers is a visualisation process: Discern's team of talented interior designers help homeowners and renters to visualise the space they are looking to make over, through the use of technology which results in realistic 3D renders. Through a series of conversations (via phone, e-mail and Skype), the Discern design team receives a thorough brief on the client's style preferences and budgets, after which they begin the process of creating the renders. These images are created purely for representation, and greatly help clients visualise how their upgraded spaces could look. Once this process is complete, clients are able to actualise the look by shopping for the furniture and decor in the looks created, as suggested by Discern. If this service sounds interesting, Discern invites all you homeowners and renters out there to send in pictures and layouts of your current spaces to interiors@discernliving.com , along with a brief on what you're looking to achieve.

Using this service, Discern helped Vinati and Pierre Labail, a newly married couple, transform their one-and-a-half bedroom rental in Worli into a space that perfectly reflects their individual style and unique aesthetic. The transformation resulted in a beautifully charming home that is a daily inspiration for the young couple while still being practically suited to their needs. Take a peek into how Discern worked collaboratively with the couple to create this stylish and cosy home. Pierre grew up in France, moved to India to become an entrepreneur, and is currently the co-owner of Suzette, a quaint creperie with outlets across Mumbai. His wife Vinati is a freelance hairstylist who grew up in Nagpur and spent several years in Jakarta thanks to her family and work commitments. When asked what their vision was for their shared abode, here is what they had to say:



Vinati – “Pierre and I both grew up in large, two-floored, 4-5 bedroom houses, with terraces, car parks, and gardens in Orléans (France) and Nagpur (India), respectively. Knowing that eventually we will move out of India to settle somewhere abroad, we hope to someday have the same kind of home that we individually grew up in. Mumbai homes can be extremely cramped compared to what we are used to, but we knew we would be sacrificing space when we chose to live in this big city! Nevertheless, we are both very adjusting and have learnt to live within our means over the years, both independently and now as a newly married couple. Currently, we live in a cosy two-bedroom apartment that is more like one-and-a-half, if we're being honest! We would love to move somewhere larger, but we have our current place for at least a year. It's therefore important to us to re-decorate and make some changes to our love nest."





The couple's idea of their ideal home is a beautiful and spacious loft-like apartment. They are very inspired by Spanish and Mexican decor styles. The interior design team at Discern was given the following brief in the form of the couples' likes and dislikes. They used this as a reference for their design strategy, as they embarked on a journey to successfully marry the pair's individual style preferences into a cohesive living space.



Vinati Loves:

1) A modern home that is minimal, elegant, unique, and somewhat rustic.

2) White spaces with a few, stand-out touches - furniture, art pieces, bulb chandeliers, wall hangings, book shelves, paintings, lights etc. In short, lots of space, with statement furniture and accessories.

3) Abstract and/or geometric furniture and art.

4) All types of wood: wooden flooring, furniture, and platforms.

5) Striking black metal pieces against white walls.

5) Mirrors, abstract art, black-and-white photographs, rugs, vintage décor items, plants and stripes.

6) Space, space, and more space.



Pierre Loves:

1) Items from Chor Bazaar items, especially furniture and lamps.

2) Bookshelves, and a cosy lounging nook to read in.

3) Personalized items and a homely touch.

Dislikes

Vinati and Pierre were very consistent in their dislikes; they articulated that they both did not want a home that looked busy, flashy and loud. They wanted their home to have a personal touch and an inviting vibe. They did not want stuffy antiques, old carpets, predominantly feminine colours, or animal prints.



After running through this exercise on tastes and style with the couple, it became clear that a Scandinavian Industrial style would work best in their home, with an emphasis on white, minimalist decor with exposed bulbs, black metal and vintage items.



To begin with, the lighting needed to change. It was too sparse, overly yellow and uneven, making the space look instantly drab and dull. I n our suggested renders, we changed the bulbs to a warm white for a fresher and more natural colour temperature. We then added even more lights to further brighten up the space. The house was decorated in a way that started off in the right direction, but seemed to be getting diluted with random, haphazard elements that didn't end up telling a cohesive design story. We solved this by insisting on a purge. We then proceeded to make the following changes to create a more spacious, and cleaner appeal.



Bedroom

We began by removing the old-fashioned sill-length curtains and replacing them with wooden blinds. This helped to change the space and make it look more modern, while adding an element of warmth. Blinds are younger, more chic and trendy. Since we were keeping the original wardrobe shutters, we tried to maintain a uniformity in the wooden elements of this room.



We decided to keep the wall above the bed totally stark, apart from a mirror accented on the blue wallpaper and a clear glass wall light. A replica of the Bertoia Diamond knoll chair was placed in one corner, complete with a Knitted Pouf. The upholstered bed, which replaced the couples' original metal frame bed, gave a softer feel to the room. We proceeded to use the blue wallpaper with a slight denim-like texture as a canvas for the entire room so that individual elements stood out against the walls. Both Vinati and Pierre really like the solid colours and textures we used, which are neither too feminine nor overly masculine. A niche opposite the bed was highlighted by painting it a soft grey to connect it to the rest of the house. Since the couple needed both a dressing table as well as a worktable, and space was too tight to accommodate both, we provided the former opposite the bed and moved Pierre’s desk into the study.

Study

The smaller bedroom had become a literal no-mans-land: a dumping ground for odds and ends with no sense of style. Once we all mutually decided that this space would be Pierre's domain, we defined the identity by adding the Roswell desk, finishing the wall with a white brick-effect wallpaper, and accenting one wall with a stylish wallcovering from Andrew Martin. We made sure the furniture items here were kept light and easy to move in case the futon needed to be opened up. Like with every couple, even a designated male area sees some level of encroachment by his better half - this was no exception! In order to store Vinati's numerous (and very stylish!) clothes, we maintained the walk-in wardrobe that already existed in this room, and camouflaged it with curtains.



Living Room The living room was already a great space to work with, as it has no columns and obtrusions, and is just a lovely, clear space. We began by continuing the colour palette of soft grey from the bedroom into this room as well, as it helped add definition of space and volume. We are big believers in having different colours on walls and ceilings to help define the space a bit more, as otherwise rooms can easily end up looking flat. We accented the recess in the wall with a printed wallpaper. Since neither Pierre nor Vinati like anything that is too bold, the subtle wallpaper worked perfectly, while still doing its part to transform the room.

We re-did the doors, painting them in an off-white duco finish, and stripped a large storage unit down, refinishing it with a distressed ash grey laminate to go with the softer, subtle shades of the room. Most of the furniture in the living room was the couple's original furniture which we maintained, just adding a coffee table and side table. As part of a few finishing touches, we recommended a fabulous industrial hanging light from Ivanka Lumiere, and contemporary black and white photography, just like Vinati likes it. The rug was the pivotal piece in the room, making it a much warmer space while bringing the different furniture elements together. To create a feeling of greater brightness, we placed a couple of slim floor-standing mirrors between the two doors, which reflect the natural light.

