Maison Sia – the ultimate house of luxury, is a one-of-its-kind multi-brand home décor store that makes exquisite limited-edition décor items, brands and sculptures available to Indian consumers from across the world.
At Maison Sia, you will find unique artefacts, exclusive centrepieces, distinctive sculptures and more that reflect refined taste. With a market as wide as that available in Mumbai, Maison Sia is already receiving an overwhelming response as they strive to address the conundrum of sourcing luxury artefacts & object D’art from global artists in India. “Maison Sia’s goal is to solve the limitation of access and availability of international artists and coveted European brands such as Leblon-delienne, Assouline, Guardarte, Pinetti and Giobagnara to create a unique buying experience,” explains Vratika.
The Sia saga
Their standalone, flagship store situated in Mumbai’s popular commercial locality of Lower Parel is designed to transport you to a modern European street while you scout for magnificent home décor pieces that have the power to elevate interior spaces. With minimalistic design that provides a sense of space, this store is anything but regular. Vratika Gupta, Founder, Maison Sia, explains, “Monumental arches, textured walls, ambient lighting and roman sculptures resonate with all things luxe creating a unique buying experience for patrons.”
Inclined and fascinated by the house of luxury across the world such as the house of Valentino, Dior etc. Vratika put her energy into recreating the luxe feel at her Maison or house. Sia on the other hand was a name she had shortlisted for her baby girl if she ever had one.
Rightfully described as the ultimate house of luxury, Maison Sia strives for excellence in aesthetics, design and creativity through a curated collection of the world’s most exquisite home décor brands. From the latest innovations in interior design and décor to the classics that never go out of style, Maison Sia will enable you to redecorate your space as per your style and mood.
Coveted connections
The showroom is a 3,000 square foot space that is located in Mumbai’s well-known commercial area of Lower Parel. The client brief was to create an environment in which the home décor products could speak for themselves and customers could visualise and connect with them. Also, as an Indian startup brand making its foray into the luxury market, the store design was crucial as it was a representative of the brand’s ethos.
The brand’s owner had a very distinct vision for her products and aspired to bring the best designs from around the world to Indian homes on Indian turf. The design team understood this to mean only one thing: that the product line would constantly change and that the potential customers would be individuals who appreciate design and have an eye for detail. Additionally, as store designers for the brand, they had to make a fashion statement to showcase these products with style and panache for an Indian luxury store that would fit in anywhere in the world. “This was the underlying thought when we began working on the store design”, explained Niyati Jagirdar.
Maison museum
From the beginning, the design team had the concept of providing the customer with a museum-like experience with the one difference being that they could take the design they liked home. With the use of design elements like arches and museum wall glass, the designer aimed to evoke a sense of timelessness. The lighting design was crucial in telling the story of this store. The balance of darkness and light, as well as the way the products are highlighted, appear to be effortless in the store, but with hours of meticulous planning. The designer believes that lighting is significantly vital for the impact it has on the customer’s journey, how the store’s atmosphere affects the customer, and how the customer connects with the brand through the store.
The interior was designed in a muted, rich grey primary colour scheme with some interesting materials, like gold and a reception table with a texture resembling rock. Gold accents were used as skirting to draw attention to the textural play. Furthermore, the mirror has been strategically placed to enhance the product display.
The biggest challenge was figuring out how to best showcase the diverse and stunning product line so that the products themselves would take centre stage. The goal was to provide enough space for the customer to imagine how the product would fit in their own homes. Therefore, as part of the design, various methods for strategically displaying the products were developed, ensuring that each style and method of display appeals to the customer and allows them to interact with the product.
Fact file:
Name of the project: Maison Sia – Luxury Showroom
Location: Raghuvanshi Mills, Mumbai
Design firm: Abhikrama Design
Lead designer: Niyati Jagirdar
Founder/Owner: Vratika Gupta
Area: 3,000 sq ft
Photography: Fabien Charau
