It has been a year-and-a-half since we have moved to this house in Malad West. When I first came to Mumbai and started working as a model, I lived in Bandra. After Hiten (Tejwani) and I got married, we first moved to Andheri before coming to our current home.

We chose this particular house because the location was away from the crowd. It was spacious; it’s not that big really (laughs). It’s a normal three-bedroom apartment. I’m a complete home bird! I love every nook and cranny of my house. This house is a complete reflection of my personality! My friends keep teasing me about being so British and keep calling me ‘Britisher’. My house has British nuances — from the logs of wood at the bar to my ‘Rules of the Inn’ poster on the door of the den. Overall it is a combination of both British and Indian styles.

The decor and the theme was completely my idea, but the implementation was done by Vivek Popley. I was very involved while doing up the house. Even when I had a two-three hour break between shoots, I’d make sure I’d run back home and have a look. I bought most of the the furniture from Samnani in Goregaon, which has excellent wooden furniture. Some pieces, like the sofa, I got made.

Hiten would have to be dragged to the house while it was being done up; and even then he would only stand by the window. I think it was fortunate in a way, because he didn’t get in my way of doing up the house the way I wanted! I have picked up curios and other artifacts on all my trips abroad. My favourite curios are these masks that I bought from Venice.

My favourite corner in the house is the lounge. Hiten and I almost never get home in the evenings, it’s always late at night. This part of the house is the most comforting, because we just spend quiet time together, either with a drink or some dinner.

We have made a den from what used to be one of the bedrooms. I usually sit and read in this room, provided I get the time! Our bedroom has a more sombre setting compared to the rest of the house as the colour theme is mainly kept to the pastels. I think every girl’s dream is to have a walk-in closet! The space was actually a bathroom, but now it’s where I store all my stuff.

Our friends absolutely love the way our house is done up. If I were given three adjectives to describe my house, they would be cool, classy and comfortable. This house means everything to me. Wherever I am, I am always looking forward to coming back to the house and letting my hair down. There’s no place like home.