A star-studded dichotomy

Inside Sonakshi and Zaheer’s charmingly dualistic Mumbai lair

19 Jun 2026

A breathtakingly expansive apartment perched high above the blustery coast of Bandra Reclamation — this is an 18,000 sq ft lair of Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal. They did not only meld their lives together, but also their differing aesthetic sensibilities, which converge in a euphoric collision of architectural details and carefully chosen artefacts. Entrusted with the project was interior designer Payal Makwana of 7Nirvana, whose multidisciplinary atelier initially envisaged a Tropical Modern retreat by the shore.

It was important for the couple to have separate wings, where their distinct personalities could transpire. Flexing the deftness of a disk jockey, Payal remixed Sonakshi’s affinity for biophilic, organic textures with Zaheer’s Industrial Eclectic sensibilities.

She chose to imagine the apartment like two arrows darting outwards from the bull’s eye of a central living room and deck. One of these leads to Zaheer’s East wing: think his own living room, a den, a dopamine-flooded master suite, bathrooms and a modular kitchen. The other wing navigates to Sonakshi’s quarters in the West wing, including a TV room, a powder room, a flamboyant media room, an en-suite bedroom, a dry kitchen and, naturally, a conversation pit overlooking the Arabian Sea.

7Nirvana — The main characters in Zaheer’s den are the accent wall daubed a vivid cobalt blue by Asian Paints, the speakeasy-style furniture from Ashley Furniture Company, and the striped flooring from BeautexWoods; Photography by Prashant Bhatt

Divide and conquer

In its relative muscularity, captured vividly in the East wing, Zaheer’s design affinity leaned towards exposed white brickwork and sleek, loft-style concrete flooring; button-tufted leather sofas and steamer trunk furniture; a high-energy, cinematic use of electric cobalt blues and bombastic cherry reds. “For the East side of the home, Zaheer was very clear in his vision. Bold, solid, functional, and expressive,” Payal says.

While Sonakshi’s quarters in the West wing are an oasis of seaside living that manifest more like a boutique eco-resort: all herringbone floors and rugged stone feature walls, arched doorways and sweeping bouclé sofas, tones of sunburnt terracotta, warm alabaster, sandy beiges and mossy olive green and curvilinear silhouettes. “The West side unfolds through a softer and more fluid language,” Payal confirms. “The spaces feel calm, airy, and almost ethereal.”

A riot of colour

Step into this gloriously idiosyncratic home from the East wing and you’ll find yourself immediately grounded by the matte light grey concrete floor, which flows uniformly across the enviably spacious, open-concept living and dining areas, keeping them visually cohesive.

Oversized L-shaped sectionals, a low-profile wood-grained credenza and an assemblage of thick-ribbed accent pouffes soften the living room with layered textures, while a standout lounge chair positioned near the window jolts you like a jack-in-the-box, echoing the canary yellow of the sofa on the outdoor deck. This is a trick Payal draws from up her sleeve again and again: a sharp jab of colour or an eccentric statement piece that prevents a room from turning droll.

Graphic, feverish décor

The speakeasy cigar lounge vibe in Zaheer’s striking blue den, positively clicking its heels with an ecstatic joie de vivre, spills into the living and dining rooms through sliding partitions, allowing all these spaces to merge into one larger entertaining zone. An endearing mix of travel-inspired furniture sits atop the multi-tonal wood flooring. The royal blue wainscoting and richly knotted hardwood plank floors make an appearance once again in Zaheer’s 1,250 sq. ft. master suite. The minimalist platform bed sits plum in the centre of the room, with an atomic-red Smeg refrigerator perched cheekily in the corner. But if you think this is an uncharacteristically tarty choice of colour, prepare to be startled by the fire-engine red shower enclosure tucked into the master suite. Colour drenching aside, remarkably little was needed to blur the line between indoors and outdoors, as the shower opens into an open-to-sky jacuzzi corner facing the sea.

The poetry of softness

Anyone who has the chance to stroll through Sonakshi’s West wing will never forget the monumental arched double doors, creamy sofas with their serpentine, winding shapes, beaded chandeliers, and low-slung accent chairs in rust and sage green that dominate its quintessentially boho-chic living room. The walls are a rustic light beige hue that Payal conjured from split-face stone tiles, “which became more than just a wall finish and started behaving like an architectural feature throughout the space.” A series of structural wooden rafters run across the ceiling plane, resembling the ribs of a classic rowboat.

The TV room boasts a polished chevron hardwood floor, beautifully counterpoised by the tight-set timber slats behind the television. And yet, just as you would like to sit here, cajoled into submission by the nubby sectional sofa and upholstered footstools, you catch sight of the Boho-Baroque media room next door, with its glamorous checkerboard flooring punctuated by super-pink French-style patterned armchairs.

But nowhere, perhaps, has Sonakshi’s tranquil femininity been more ostensibly interwoven than in her retreat bedchamber. Here, the principal designer has conjured an inset arched headboard with fine cane detailing, ceramic table lamps and woven rattan ceiling trims, alongside acres of soft, rounded curves.

At one with the elements

The deck on the West side is the most meditative space in the house. The encircling pod-like design of the sunken conversation pit is anchored by weather-resistant terracotta-orange upholstery and built-in circular tray tables. Large-format sandstone tiles stretch underfoot, while stacked stone masonry rises behind, mimicking the rugged face of a cliffside rock. Overhead, a linear timber slat ceiling and a woven palm ceiling fan temper the sea breeze, while driftwood wall art subliminally reinforces the spirit of a beach retreat.

Here, the power couple can withdraw from the hubbub of their lives and contemplate the ever-evolving skyline. Boats totter sleepily beneath the Worli Sea Link, waves crash against the rocks, and at night, these sounds lull them into a peaceful stupor.