Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s Bandra Penthouse

As you move through the home, it becomes clear that this openness also allows for contrast. The house is loosely divided into two moods. One half is what Sonakshi jokingly refers to as the “Maldives side” with rounded forms, earthy finishes and an almost resort-like, boho-chic vibe. The other, influenced by Zaheer’s taste, has a sharper, more urban mood. Glass partitions, concrete surfaces and cleaner lines give this “New York side” its loft-like character. It mirrors the couple themselves who are similar in spirit but different in temperament.

Throughout the tour, Sonakshi and Zaheer interrupt each other mid-sentence, finish each other’s thoughts and keep breaking into jokes as they move from room to room. At one point, when asked what the house would say if it could speak, the answer comes without hesitation – it would tell them to stop laughing because its jaw hurts. It’s a joke that works because it feels so true. This is a home built on sound as much as sight with voices carrying across rooms and the comfort of knowing where everyone is at all times.

Style Guide: Designing a Home that Grows with You

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s luxurious Bandra penthouse offers practical lessons in designing a home that accommodates two distinct tastes while still feeling cohesive and comfortable. The details that make it work are worth paying attention to:

Pro Tip: If you’re designing for two people with different tastes, agree on a shared base palette first. Once that’s locked, allow individual spaces to diverge through texture, form or secondary colours. This prevents visual chaos while still feeling personal. Soft, grounding shades like Asian Paints’ 7691 Tree of Life, 7563 Dawn of Spring, L135 Sahara Dream and K130 Badal work well as a common base. They are calm enough to unify a home, yet flexible enough to support contrasting styles.

Upholstery and cushion covers lean towards linen blends, cotton-linen mixes and textured weaves that breathe well and soften with use, rather than showing wear too quickly. Fabrics such as those from the Dori Linen collection by The Pure Concept for Nilaya, woven from fine flax-spun yarns and offered in deeper, forgiving shades are well suited to everyday living.

Pro Tip: When choosing furniture, ask how it will look after five years, not five months. Scratches, patina and wear should add character rather than signal damage, especially in areas of the home designed for hosting. Solid wood furniture finished with durable treatments such as Asian Paints Woodtech Emporio Gold Ultra Luxury Wood Finish, ages better over time, developing depth and richness instead of looking tired.
 

Pro Tip: Before committing to a bold shade, live with it digitally or in sample patches for a few weeks. Tools like the Colour with Asian Paints App make it easier to visualise shades in your own space before taking the final call.

The most magnetic spaces in this home aren’t the most formal ones. They’re the ones that naturally encourage people to gather and stay. When planning living areas, consider how bodies gather, lean and relax. Conversation-friendly spaces don’t need to be expansive or grand. Just furniture that faces inward, at comfortable heights with enough room to encourage everyone to stay longer than intended.

Pro Tip: If conversations tend to migrate to one corner of your home, pay attention to why. That instinctive gathering spot often tells you more about successful layout than any floor plan.

Pro Tip: The deep blue travel wall, painted in Asian Paints’ ‘Twilight Zone’, demonstrates how a single, thoughtfully selected colour can be used as a backdrop and a statement. It allows personal objects and memories to take centre stage while giving the room depth and drama. For a similar effect with added surface detail, finishes like the coloured concrete wall texture from the Asian Paints Royale Play Meridian Collection create a structured background that holds visual interest without competing with what’s displayed on it.
 

Pro Tip: If a room feels visually impressive but emotionally cold, add softness at human touchpoints like seating, armrests, cushions and rugs, rather than changing the architecture itself. Warm lighting works in the same way. Pieces like the Haku Ceramic Table Lamp, Progression Fabric Table Lamp, or the Swiss Chalet Wooden Pendant Light by The White Teak Company work well because they replace harsh overhead lighting with focused pools of light that make the room feel more intimate and relaxed, without dulling its architectural edge.