Originally finished in classical art deco reinforced cement concrete with Malad stone facing, Karfule blended gracefully with its Edwardian neighbours. Later, as petrol pumps across the city were being painted white for uniformity, much of Karfule’s character was covered up, hiding its otherwise distinct art deco details.
Daniel Sequeira
One of Karfule’s defining features is its central kiosk, with its octagonal, cantilevered canopy supported by eight hidden beams. Rising above is a slender, antenna-like tower adorned with art deco speed lines and a small circle that once held a clock and today, displays the HP logo. Inside, the terrazzo floor forms a dramatic eight-pointed star motif, a lovely reflection of the Caltex logo, while rich red marble and black Kadappa stone still stand strong after more than 80 years.
Ariane Shah
“Because we’re a family business and we care about preserving Karfule’s character, we’ve made numerous small repairs and restoration tweaks over the years.” Daniel points to the red arrows framing the garage bays, “With the general wear and tear of time, we only had one arrow left. So my dad and I made new ones ourselves from old wooden cupboards. We painted them red, and after nearly seven years, they’re still looking strong.” The metal ‘S’ was meticulously restored from the ‘Service’ bay sign, the brass grills—of which all but one had been stolen—were carefully replaced in the kiosk…“I even added speed lines at the base of the bays. Art deco design is so timeless and something simple can make a huge difference,” Daniel continues.
