Ishween Anand’s spacious living room is dominated by comfortable faux-leather sofas while the colours in the room have been kept muted

What does Ishween Anand, owner of the natural beauty brand Nyassa do when she is not creating magic skin and facial potions? She loves to engage in a bit of interior designing at her sixth-floor apartment in Mumbai’s upmarket Bandra area. “I get all my creative juices flowing when I am at home. Though I’m not a trained interior designer, I have an eye for detail and I really love to keep my home looking good,” she says.

Compared to most space-starved Mumbai homes, Anand lives in relative luxury. This 1,800sq ft apartment is spacious and she has carefully ensured that it’s relatively uncluttered.

Anand loves to play the piano in her spare time; (top) a porcelain vase, which Anand inherited from her mother, is a cherished possession

The apartment’s high-point is the gorgeous view of the Arabian Sea from her living room and bedroom windows. Anand has built her home around the windows and says: “It was the view which captured our attention when we moved in here three years ago. And everyone who comes home, just loves to hang around near the floor-to-ceiling glass window.”

Anand’s neighbours include actress Rekha and director Farhan Akhtar. But Anand is quick to add: “They also have sea views, but since I stay on the sixth floor, I get an unobstructed view of both the sea and the entire stretch of Bandstand promenade.”

Inevitably, her favourite spot in the house is next to the living room window. “Both my husband and I sit on rocking chairs next to the window in the morning and evening for 15 minutes and enjoy a cup of tea,” she says.

The predominant colour in her spacious living room is off-white and there are four large sofas in faux leather and one huge glass-top centre-table. Since both Anand and her husband Hrushikesh Kar who is the CEO of the JP Morgan real-estate fund are book lovers, there’s a tall book-stand on one side. “I had to scout for a book- stand all over the place and finally came across this one at the Crawford Market,” she says.

Next to it is the wall-cabinet that holds knick-knacks from their time abroad. There’s also an attention-catching family photo corner on a low wooden cabinet.

The dining area is also near the window and has a round teak table with six upholstered chairs. “We have placed the dining table next to the window so that even when you eat you can enjoy the outside view,” she says. The bar too is on the left hand corner near the window.

(Top) The large windows in the living room offer a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea; The window by the dining space also overlooks the sea; (below) this wine glass set with filigree work on it was gifted to Anand

Anand’s piano, which she loves playing, also finds pride of place in the living room.

One major change has been made in the flat. It originally had three bedrooms but the walls have been broken down to create a spacious master bedroom. The room has now been turned into a multi-purpose room with four separate spaces. First, there’s the sleeping area and also a den space for reading and relaxing. Then, there’s also an entertainment zone with a plasma television and music system. Another corner here is Anand’s meditation area with a small wooden cabinet hooked to the wall which is a mini-mandir.

The second bedroom is primarily her work area and has a bed next to the window. Since Anand and her husband lived in the US for a long time before returning to India three years back, they have several items of furniture and lots of knick-knacks which they bought there.

For instance, she has a neatly displayed crystalware collection consisting of bowls, decanters, dishes and vases in her living room. There are pieces strewn around the living room which add to the unique look. She also has a nose for aromatic candles and diffusers which have been placed in every nook and corner. “I love candles and have quite a collection,” she says.

Her other cherished pieces are the fine bone-china tea-set from Japan which she inherited from her grandmother and two porcelain vases from her mother. Adding dashes of vibrant colour are glass vases from France and some unusually realistic plastic flowers bought in Cincinnati.

You can’t miss this curio — a model of a ship inside a glass bottle — which was gifted to Anand

And how often does she change the look of the house? She says: “I don’t like to change and throw away things too often. I just keep adding knick-knacks here and there to have a bit of a variation.”