Vintage couches from Manhattan are paired with kitschy cushions that have been inspired by Indian street art

It’s a home that’s modern and liberally touched with design elements from across the globe. Rabindrasangeet singer Isheeta Ganguly — who spent most of her growing years in the US, Turkey, Japan and Indonesia — has filled her Mumbai home with furniture and curios picked up during her years abroad.

As a result, her ninth floor, 1,850sqft flat in Bandra is an eclectic hotspot of furniture bought from different places. Says US-born Isheeta proudly: “My mother is my biggest inspiration. She always created a beautiful ambience wherever we lived — New York, Istanbul, Yokohama, Jakarta, Bangkok or Taipei. She had a keen eye for design and made our home look warm and ornate.”

Isheeta Ganguly says that she inherited her keen eye for design from her mother; (above) inspired by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi’s works, these ceramic coffee mugs from Barcelona make for colourful curios

Since Isheeta’s father had a job that took him to different places she moved with her parents frequently. But on her vacations in India, she trained in Rabindrasangeet under the tutelage of legen-dary singer, Suchitra Mitra.

Isheeta shifted to Mumbai after she got married in 2005. Today she’s quite happy with the neighbourhood that she moved into two years ago with her husband. And that’s not just because actor Saif Ali Khan is soon going to be a neighbour. Isheeta adds that the three-bedroom, rented apartment suits her very well, location-wise.

The apartment’s high-point is the city-view from the living room balcony. “Both of us enjoy peaceful mornings on the balcony. The view turns magical in the evening,” she adds.

A harmonium perched on a wicker table in the living room is testimony to the fact that this is a singer’s home. “I do my riyaaz here,” says Isheeta, who has several albums to her credit and is also a healthcare management consultant.

The spacious living room is dom- inated by three big maroon couches bought at an antique store in Manhattan. The couches are brightened by Indian street art-inspired cushions. Her Manhattan buys include a coffee-table and a side-table that sit next to the couch. The side-table has photographs of Isheeta and her sons — two-year-old Akaash and Adarsh, three. The Persian carpet under the coffee-table is from Istanbul.

Ebony wood flooring in the couple’s bedroom is complemented by cheerfully done interiors

A sharp contrast to the couches is a round wicker table and four wicker chairs that are almost 30 years old. These are placed near the living room balcony and used as a breakfast table. “All the wicker furniture is inherited from my parents and is special as it was custom-made for our home in Jakarta,” she recalls. The furniture is also child-friendly and has no sharp edges.

The highlight of the dining area is a partially false ceiling with dark cedar-wood panelling

A voracious reader with a large collection of books, Isheeta placed wicker bookshelves next to the breakfast table. The main dining area next to the living room has a six-seater dining table and a wall-cabinet that holds knick-knacks. The modular kitchen is next to the dining area. Beyond the dining area is the children’s room with a bunk-bed piled with stuffed toys. A wicker bookshelf holds their books. She reminisces: “The bookshelves remind me of Jakarta where I completed middle-school.” Next to the children’s room is the guest room. The couple’s bedroom — with its dark ebony wood flooring — is spacious and simple. More a den-cum-bedroom, it’s outfitted with the TV and a CD rack. The couple also keeps their children’s cradle by their bedside next to the window. Along with the wardrobe there is also a bedside table from New York.

An Indonesian teak artefact is among the many interesting knick-knacks that fill Isheeta’s home

Having grown up in cities around the world, Isheeta’s home is a treasure trove of interesting curios. One can’t miss the two Wayang dancing dolls (dressed in traditional Batik sarongs) placed on the shoe-cabinet at the entrance. “These are from Bali and were presents from my parents. They are said to repel evil,” she says. The other treasures include two mother-of-pearl inlaid wooden stools from Taiwan in the living room.

There are other striking pieces: a Japanese Raku vase, a ceramic plate from Istanbul, a teak rickshaw from Indonesia and attractive South African cloth dolls. Since Isheeta collects glasses, cups and coffee-mugs she has Murano glasses from Venice, a Japanese Samurai cup and ceramic mugs inspired by architect Antoni Gaudi’s Art Nouveau design from Barcelona. However, she’s particularly fond of her mother’s eggcups and the Chinese treasure box which the couple got as a wedding gift.

Isheeta says with a smile: “Our house is a ‘work in progress’ and we love to add to our existing collections.”