Upasana & Deb's penthouse in Gurgaon

This is a special home tour coz I am taking you into the spanking new place of my dearest friends, Upasana & Deb. The only credit that Deb gets in this piece is that he didn't get in the way of Upasana's decor sense, and happily (or so we'd like to believe) pulled out his wallet when required. She on the other hand went through the tedious process of dealing with carpenters, painters, upholstery guys and numerous furniture shops to get this massive 5,700 sq.ft. penthouse looking the way that it does now!

I shot these images when I went to spend a couple of days with them last month. They themselves had moved in just a few weeks before, so she wasn't very keen on me featuring the house while it was still 'half done'. I promised her that I'd do a part two once she finally settles in, but frankly I didn't understand what the fuss was about; as you'll see, she's already off to a fantastic start.

Let me begin by showing you around the downstairs section. Yes, that's what you get when you have 5,700 sq.ft. - a downstairs AND an upstairs! So be prepared for a long tour and a visual treat.
A corridor opens into the living room, and you are greeted with warm colours and relaxed, low-level furniture. Attached to the living room is a massive balcony, scattered with cute little pots in the shape of turtles and hippos and frogs! You can see that each plant is lovingly cared for and provides a green haven amidst the concrete skyline of Gurgaon.
I call this their 'green house'; not only does it have massive outdoor spaces filled with greenery, the colour scheme on the inside walls is also in earthy green tones. The result is naturally soothing and welcoming.

The dining hall has a six-seater with gorgeous green and yellow chairs and a long bench, mixed and matched by Upasana. The side board is an old piece that she and I had fallen in love with when we had gone looking for furniture for her previous house. But the special feature here is of course the massive walk-in bar...the scene of many a 'bottoms up' invariably followed by 'bodies flat'!

Wait, the fun is just starting - they have a Foosball table and a pool table in their house! It's something that Deb was quite passionate about. So here's how a typical day/ evening rolls when friends are around...lots of drinks, fabulous food, loud conversations and crazy bets around the pool table. No wonder we rarely step out of their house; there's enough here to keep everyone happy!

Ok, it's time now to head upstairs, past the lovely corner bench and around the picture frame wall. This is where the family area begins and you'll find them here with their feet up...

Welcome to the upstairs lobby which has been converted into a den. Rows of books are arranged by colour, providing a cosy backdrop to those moments of leisure; a giant TV and comfy couches complete the scene. An attached pantry works perfectly for the times when one wants to just grab a soda and pop some corn, without making a trek to the main kitchen downstairs.

Past the lobby is Kabir's room. This is the only space where Upasana has let her eight year old son's preference take over in terms of colour and style. In case you're wondering, the room was not tidied up for my shoot, this is how it normally looks! You know where he gets that from, right? A walk-in closet also provides ample storage and neatly stows away all that he needs for his activities and interests, ranging from painting to horse riding to playing cricket and strumming the guitar...our very own rock star in the making.

The master bedroom is large and airy with it's own walk-in closet (you can tell that I'm quite fascinated with those walk-in things, right? Out here in Bombay, we just call them the second bedroom). A rectangular bangle stand adorns the closet wall, almost like a piece of art. Upasana had it built to hold all her fabulous coloured glass bangles. The tall white frames that you spy in the image below were a house warming gift from me; they now hang proudly on the wall above the head board.

Finally, here's the upstairs terrace - a large, open deck with comfortable seating and lovely creepers to keep one company. This is the spot where they plan to have barbecues and jamming sessions during the winter season; I can't wait to go back in December!

I hope this was enough to whet your appetite. There is still a lot more that I haven't covered...a lavish kitchen, the entertainment room, two guest rooms and all those wonderful spaces in between. But I will just have to come back with a part two once Upasana has finished working her magic.

- to be continued.