(From top) The dining room has a pleasantly personal feel with family photographs combined with a stylish dinner table and chairs; A large canvas by artist Paresh Maity is the centrepiece in Divya and Amit’s drawing room; Wooden sculptures from Bali

Amit Burman and his wife Divya follow a simple rule : a home must radiate warmth. It doesn’t have to be trendy with the latest furniture picked up from fashionable home stores. And as for the minimalist look, “that can be stark and rather cold,” says the lady of the house, Divya.

Nevertheless, it’s instantly obvious that heaps of effort have gone into the home. And that the couple has tried to do up the home so that something about them is apparent the moment you enter.

Divya has potted herbs growing on the balcony and she helps herself to few leaves and sticks whenever she’s whipping up exotic dishes (she loves cooking). She’s also a clubwear and candle designer and some of her handmade candles and candle stands are on display in a corner of the drawing room.

And what about Amit? The young businessman — he’s vice-president of Dabur India — is famed for his bartending and cocktail juggling skills. That’s on display in a framed photo on the dining room wall in which he’s tossing bottles and cocktails. And a 6ft-high wine rack is testimony to the fact that he’s an experienced oenophile.

Divya, Amit and their two children live in a 4,500sq ft apartment on the third floor of a building in Vasant Vihar, one of Delhi’s smartest neighbourhoods. Amit’s mother occupies the two floors below them. The lift leading to their floor has been artfully painted with rough brushstrokes in brown.

The entrance to the Burman home is eye-catching. One wall has been done up in a shade of green and a painting of the Buddha in a similar shade hangs on it. Just below the painting is a wood and iron bench. This entrance serves as a junction of sorts for the house from where you walk towards the different rooms.

There’s a difference in tone the moment you step inside the drawing room. The hallway outside has wooden floors but the drawing room has an off-white Italian marble floor. The drawing room also has big windows that let in lots of light.

The well-stocked bar is Amit’s favourite spot when he is entertaining guests; (Above) The entrance of the Burman home is striking with a large painting of the Buddha

Here the predominant tones are brown and white balanced by colourful Paresh Maity paintings. The central piece of the drawing room is undoubtedly a large Maity painting which Divya bought two years ago.

The drawing room is large and has two sitting areas and a well-stocked bar. Both the sofa sets are in muted browns and one wall is also painted in the same colour. The bar is a colourful contrast and just above there’s a dome-shaped, stained glass skylight. What’s more, the living room is filled with artefacts and metal sculptures.

The Burmans have put a lot of thought into their bar though Amit insists that he doesn’t get much time for juggling — or his passion for wine — any more. A lamp bought from Brazil gives the entire bar an orange glow. The wood and leather bar stools were bought over a decade ago.

The dining room is just next door and it has a pleasantly personal touch. There’s a collage of family photos on one wall — and the picture of Amit demonstrating his bartending skills. Other attractive pieces are a mirror with a funky, petal-shaped frame and a chandelier in a muted rust shade.

Divya insists that she has allowed the house to grown organically. They didn’t hire an interior designer and went about doing up their home slowly. The furniture comes from different stores in Delhi. And many small artefacts were bought during trips abroad. In the living room, there’s a chair with a high back that once belonged to Amit’s grandmother. “Buying new things is an ongoing process and we pick up things every now and then,” says Divya.

From the dining room, a large door leads to the balcony. The balcony is dotted with potted herbs. You’ll find lemon grass, basil, celery and mint in pots. “During the season, I also grow beans and eggplant,” says Divya.

Two barbecue stoves are kept in one part of the balcony. Unusually, the balcony even has a fireplace that’s put to use as soon as winter rolls along. In fact, with winter just a couple of months away, the Burmans are already looking forward to more barbecue nights around the crackling fire.