The new Gem Palace flagship store brings a slice of Jaipur to Mumbai. It’s a stunning space spread across 1,600 sq mts, and set in a heritage building in South Mumbai. The décor is vibrant with bright emerald green, pops of blue and vibrant yellow. “The idea was to maintain a heritage home kind of feeling, yet create a place that can entertain a jet setter,” says interior designer Marie-Anne Oudejans.
Oudejans moved to Jaipur from New York about five years ago, and this is only her second project in the country after the much-talked-about Bar Palladio (Jaipur). She had three-and-a-half months to complete the project with a team of about 40 artisans. “We worked through the monsoon, found our way around language barriers and – most importantly – worked within time restrictions, since this is a heritage building.”
The all-green ground floor has what Oudejans calls a “James Bond feel”. You barely notice the doors leading up to the second level – especially since they’re ornately decorated. The walls around the winding staircase are dotted with small arches, and feature 72 unique flowers.
She created an illusion of a grand tent with false ceilings and added bright pops of yellow by way of furniture brought in from Jaipur. How do you even convince someone to keep yellow sofas? “I just didn’t tell Siddharth Kasliwal (the owner) about it. It was surprise for him as well!”
D-8, Dhanraj Mahal, CSM Road, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai
