Asian Paints Where The Heart Is showcases Gaurav Kapoor’s breezy Mumbai home in

But iconic television personality Gaurav Kapoor, and his childhood sweetheart and wife Kirat Bhattal decided to go against the Mumbai norm. Instead of making the most out of every nook and cranny of their house, the couple believes in letting their home breathe. They wanted their home to be an oasis amid the hustle and bustle of the city, and an effective counter-balance to Gaurav’s hectic, noisy, and colourful professional life.  Well, they certainly succeeded, and how.

Let’s take a simple example. The couple’s living room is the perfect example of minimalism, with a lot of open spaces. It also combines both Kirat and Gaurav’s sensibilities seamlessly—  Gaurav’s love for natural light is reflected in the beautiful french windows while Kirat’s passion for greenery shows in the beautiful plants that she has handpicked.

And if you thought minimalism means that there is no scope for style, their living room is proof that this isn’t true at all. There’s Gaurav’s beautiful wooden chair, a piece of furniture that he’s extremely attached to and wouldn’t dream of changing in any way! Then there are some extremely unique pieces handpicked by Kirat that add little accents to the minimalist decor.  As Kirat herself says, it’s these little accents that add soul to the house.

Another perfect example of this approach is the master bedroom. Instead of sticking to the conventional format of a 3BHK, the couple decided to combine two bedrooms into one, allowing them to have a spacious master bedroom, complete with a luxurious four-poster bed. What’s more, the couple even have a walk-in closet exclusively for their shoes; with Kirat’s share of the closet much more than Gaurav’s! They even have beautiful windows in the bedroom; opening out to pink bougainvillaeas in the forefront and the skyline of Mumbai in the background. Now that’s what a dream bedroom looks like!

Another unique feature of the home is how beautifully it reflects the shared passions of the couple. Travel is one such passion they both share. And their home is peppered with memories from all their different travels — whether that’s in their extraordinary collection of fridge magnets, some beautiful black-and-white travel photographs framed on the walls, or even home decor pieces like the masks from Ghana and Liberia where Kirat lived for a while.

In fact, every part of the house is extremely unique, designed specifically to meet the varied needs of its two inhabitants. So there’s the kitchen, where Gaurav “innovates” and creates some whacky recipes. Then there’s the “den” where Kirat plays video games and Gaurav vegetates on his couch in front of the TV. There’s also a unique bookshelf that reflects the different tastes of the couple — there’s Gaurav’s autobiographies and sports books as well as Kirat’s sci-fi collection and books on spirituality. And then there’s the balcony— where both Gaurav and Kirat love to watch the sun go down with a cup of steaming chai.

With Gaurav living most of his life on the road, it was important for him to have a nest that he could come back to and unwind. A respite of sorts from the drudgery of day to day life. And Kirat’s sensibilities have made that respite come alive in the form of their home. As Kirat says, you bring your energy and aspirations to the home you inhabit, and that certainly holds true for every corner of this minimalist and breezy Mumbai home.