The large drawing room is cosy with its marble flooring, teak furniture and upholstery in warm tones

There’s no missing the star attraction in architect-entrepreneur Rupande Shah’s 13th-floor apartment. The sprawling 1,000sq ft terrace is the place where the family —her husband, Namit, and their daughters, 17-year-old Naomi and 10-year-old Chianna — get together for late evening tea and to watch the sun set.

Rupande — who runs an interior design firm that has large building projects in its repertoire — admits freely that the terrace was one of the main reasons they bought the apartment in 2005. “We had seen a number of apartments, but we bought this one because the terrace is an extension of the house. This is where the kids play, we do Yoga in the morning and also host our parties,” she says.

A Buddha statue on the terrace is placed on a rough wood console

The main entrance to the apartment is through a small lobby from where you step into the large living room. It’s obvious that Rupande has employed loads of space-saving ideas in her home.

The terrace can be accessed through sliding glass doors from both the entrance lobby as well as the drawing room. A four-seater dining table from Fabindia is placed under a see-through fibre-glass pergola (or shade) and it’s here that the family enjoys Sunday brunches. And the jhoola is where the couple chills out after dinner.

An outdoor cooling system that Namit acquired from Thailand is attached to the pergola. When switched on, it throws a gentle spray of water that keeps the terrace cool.

Inside, the huge living area (around 1,000sq ft) is neatly split into a family room, a dining room and a formal drawing room. “I studied architecture in Mumbai and then did my post graduation in New York. So, I have combined space-saving techniques employed by Mumbai builders with the clean, minimalist look of New York homes,” says Rupande.

Rupande’s younger daughter Chianna’s bedroom is dominated by a white loft bed

This is the area in which the family spends most of the day. The drawing room is done up in dark wood (mostly teak) that’s offset by Italian marble flooring. Two sofas are upholstered in cream corduroy jacquard with brightly coloured silk cushions thrown around. A teak centre-table can be unfolded and extended if required.

An oil canvas by Namit’s mother, Ila Shah, hangs on the wall behind the sofas. About 50 years old, this painting is accentuated by warm yellow lighting.

Rupande and Namit love spending time on their large terrace

You can’t miss the two Buddha statues in the house — one in the entrance lobby and another on the terrace. While one of them was picked up from nearby Puri, the other was bought in Sri Lanka. “The Buddha has a soothing effect on us,” says Namit, who’s the honourary consul for the Netherlands.

The family room or den is a cosy space that’s made private by a sliding door that’s clad in colourful silk screens. Here the children watch television and work on the computer. The shelves are filled with books, indicating that both Rupande and Namit are avid readers. The shelves are also packed with curios from South America, Europe and Australia.

In the den, the Shahs spend time reading, watching television and entertaining friends; (below) family photographs cover one of the walls outside the children’s bedrooms

The dining room — an extension of the living room — has a simple, four-seater table placed in the centre. The modular kitchen is adjacent to the dining area.

The kid’s zone comprises two bedrooms in the eastern side of the apartment. The airy bedrooms face each other and have a rather youthful colour scheme, bay windows and wooden flooring.

While Naomi’s room is a typical teenager’s hangout with laminated newspaper prints on the wardrobe, Chianna’s room has a white loft bed and bright wallpaper.

A sliding door opens into Rupande’s bedroom suite which has a walk-in closet, a dresser, a second wardrobe and an attached bath.

What Rupande and Namit love about their home is the fact that it’s comfortable and stylish. Says Rupande: “I wouldn’t change the way it is done up for anything.”