“Light as foam, curvy as swirls, and calm like the sea breeze” – this poetic sensibility quietly anchors The Vanilla Swirl, a thoughtfully envisioned retirement home overlooking the Arabian Sea. Designed by Dojo Design Studio in collaboration with The Prop House as a place of return and repose, the residence captures a mood rather than a motif, where softness, light, and fluidity shape the lived experience of space.
Perched within a compact 2 BHK apartment in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, the home was conceived for clients who, after spending twenty-five years abroad, sought a sanctuary that felt emotionally grounding and visually weightless. Their aspirations were precise yet intimate: a clutter-free environment, generous yet discreet storage, and a palette of calm neutrals capable of holding both stillness and warmth. The design responds with restraint and sensitivity, allowing the breathtaking sea and sunset views to remain the home’s most expressive elements.
A monochromatic language unfolds throughout the interiors, favouring tonal gradients and tactile surfaces over overt colour play. Subtle variations of vanilla, ivory, and taupe glide across walls, cabinetry, and furnishings, producing an atmosphere that feels cohesive yet richly layered. Texture becomes the protagonist, from softly treated wall finishes to sculpted forms, creating depth without visual noise. In deliberate contrast, the bathrooms introduce spirited bursts of colour, emerging as moments of surprise and personality within the otherwise serene envelope.
The living area, though modest in scale, is resolved with remarkable spatial intelligence. Rather than fragmenting the room with visible functions, the design wraps the shell in a continuous, textured veil of vanilla tones. Storage dissolves seamlessly into architectural surfaces, while curves and softened geometries lend the space a gentle rhythm. A wall-mounted foldable dining table becomes a defining gesture, a custom intervention that recedes almost invisibly when not in use, liberating circulation and reinforcing the home’s ethos of quiet flexibility. Rounded furniture profiles, wave-inspired paneling, and softened corners collectively echo the fluid movement of water.
In the master bedroom, serenity is expressed through nuance and atmosphere. A woven, textured headboard evokes the cadence of waves, lending the space a tactile elegance. Behind it, an ombre blue wallpaper introduces a hushed sense of motion, referencing the sea without overwhelming the room’s neutral calm. An L-shaped wardrobe occupies one corner with sculptural subtlety, its curving language carried through custom handles and a concealed roll-out dresser. The retained window seating is reimagined as an intimate nook, a contemplative edge where light, view, and stillness converge.
The guest bedroom embraces adaptability as its central theme. Designed to function interchangeably as a home office, reading lounge, and guest suite, the room integrates a Murphy bed that folds discreetly into the wall. Opposite, a compact study desk establishes a purposeful work zone, while a curated artwork wall narrates the clients’ travels and memories. A restored window nook, layered with soft textiles and anchored by warm lighting and a library unit, transforms the space into a quiet retreat for reading or sunset-watching.
While the primary living spaces maintain tonal restraint, the kitchen and bathrooms emerge as vibrant counterpoints. Bold tiles, expressive accents, and playful colour infusions animate these compact zones, offering visual relief and sensory energy. Despite their livelier character, these spaces remain guided by the same discipline of concealed storage and spatial clarity.
The Vanilla Swirl ultimately reveals itself not through spectacle but through feeling. It is a home that whispers rather than declares, where light glides gently across curved surfaces, where storage recedes into silence, and where every design gesture serves the deeper pursuit of calm. The result is a residence that embodies ease, memory, and belonging, unfolding like a slow, luminous swirl.
Fact File
Project Name: The Vanilla Swirl
Location: Nerul, Navi Mumbai, India
Area: 750 sq ft
Typology: Residential – 2 BHK Retirement Home
Design Studio: Dojo Design Studio & The Prop House
Principal Designer: Nirali Mehta Gandhi
Photographer: Sagar Mandal – Studio Colourblind