In the Larvotto district of Monaco, overlooking a curve of the Mediterranean that catches the first light of morning and the last glow of dusk, Bay House stands as a new definition of residential luxury. With just 56 apartments and five villas, it is among the most exclusive developments ever built in the Principality. These are homes that stretch laterally across full floors, with sea-facing terraces and interiors that reflect the ambitions of a clientele used to discretion, space, and permanence.
For one of these rare residences, the design brief was entrusted to Charu Gandhi and her studio, Elicyon. Their mission was to transform a vast base build into something with soul – a contemporary Riviera retreat tailored to the lifestyle and tastes of an international client with whom they had already completed two previous homes.
Reflecting on her early architectural career, Gandhi tells me, “The thing I loved about architecture was the rigour, precision, and speciality of it, and I like to think I still carry those with me today.”
That background gives her interiors a distinctive clarity. But it was only when she entered the world of interior design, while working at Candy & Candy, that she found the freedom to fully explore aesthetics for their own sake. “I felt there was a need in architecture to always post-rationalise through a lens of practicality. There wasn’t the ability to do something just because it was beautiful.
“I found the world of interior design refreshingly frivolous. You could pick up something and say, ‘Isn’t this pretty? Isn’t this beautiful?’—and you could just put it in. You didn’t have to have an intellectual rationalisation for it.”
It was the combination of these two modes – architecture’s rigour and interior design’s emotional response – that led her to found Elicyon, a London studio that operates comfortably at the intersection of structure and decoration.
Curves, craft and calm in one of Monaco’s largest apartments
This Bay House residence spans more than 885 square metres (9,500 square feet) across a single floor. With no stairs or architectural breaks, Gandhi faced the challenge of sequencing the space – creating clear zones without losing fluidity.
“While is is amazing in many ways – to have that lateral space – creating a sense of moments and sequencing, and identifying what is a primary focus and what is secondary, can be harder when you don’t have that sequence of moving up through a stairwell and arriving at floors that speak for themselves.”
The solution was to introduce what Gandhi calls “moments of arrival” – areas that establish their own visual identity without disrupting the overall flow. These are created through curved joinery, carefully layered textures, and shifts in palette.
“We love a curve. Behind this joinery is a very hard space. I wanted the curve to flow in through the corridor and embrace you into the space, and soft tones here were important.”
The sculptural joinery is not simply furniture or cabinetry. It becomes a defining architectural language throughout the apartment.
“The client very much wanted this to feel like a home on the sea, but very apartment-like. You’ll see there is a nauticality to the joinery. And that’s because the apartment has this incredible view of the water. Bay House itself has these beautiful curves in its exterior architecture, so there was a sense of bringing that into play in the space.”
A Riviera retreat, not a showroom
Gandhi describes the apartment as a “contemporary Riviera retreat”. The client’s vision was central from the start: to create a home that felt connected to the water, with restraint and openness as guiding principles.
The colour palette is quiet – soft azures and aquas, pale woods, gentle neutrals – supported by light, custom furniture. “There are some clichéd manoeuvres – we bring in soft azures, aquas, soft curtains. Then the joinery has these very yacht-like curves.”
The intention was always to avoid excessive decoration. “I think our designs tend to stay within the curated and measured. We are not afraid of empty spaces and empty surfaces, and that is because we are very privileged to work in a space where every surface has a finish to it, a texture to it, something of interest.”
And with time, she has grown more confident in that approach. “It’s something I’ve become more comfortable with as my capabilities have matured. I’m less scared to leave things out and leave gaps, because I feel that only when you leave enough space around things do you allow the piece itself – or the collection of pieces – to sing.”
Texture, tone and the art of leaving space
There is a constant dialogue in Elicyon’s work between the macro and micro – overall layout and atmosphere balanced against material and tactile detail. This is where Gandhi’s background in textiles and architecture come together.
“I think it’s about constantly zooming in and zooming out – you’re looking at the detail, then stepping back and seeing how it all comes together.”
In one part of the apartment, a corridor opens into a space defined by the curve of a joinery piece. Gandhi described the effect of the texture: Materiality is key. “We wanted an applied textured finish because we didn’t want to have the same finish that lacked depth and movement — so it’s about finding that balance.”
This balance extends to the restraint she builds into every design. “I always feel that what you leave out is sometimes as important, if not more important, than what you put in.”
From global clients to crafted spaces
Gandhi’s clients are often international, and many are increasingly looking to Monaco as a long-term base. “We personally have had many clients move to Monaco, and I think they’re bringing their global expectations with them, which is very exciting,” she said.
That discerning, worldly perspective is something she actively channels into her work—not just in terms of aesthetic ambition, but through the way homes are conceived and experienced. At the heart of her studio’s philosophy is a deep respect for craft, which she believes is too often overshadowed by art in the design conversation.
“I am really passionate about craft. I think art gets a lot of airtime—and craft is the poor cousin,” said Gandhi. For her, design is more than form and function; it’s a bridge between the client and the artisan. “People don’t know how to engage with craft; they don’t know where to begin… So we have a real opportunity, and I think a responsibility, to a) showcase that to clients and give craft a platform through our work, b) show clients how craft can be incorporated, and then c) actually do the work for them so that we make the accessibility less of a hurdle.”
The result at Bay House is not just a finished apartment. It is a reflection of how contemporary luxury is shifting, towards homes that are tactile, sculptural, and deeply personal.
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Photos credit: Nick Rochowski
