MY LIFE, MY STYLE

Actor Dia Mirza’s home in Mumbai is a sanctuary of sustainability.

- Radhika Bhalla

There is an old Japanese proverb: “Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so, learn about yourself ”. Actor Dia Mirza, who is a strong advocate for nature and conservation, has incorporated this wisdom and its truth in her very home. We are in her Mumbai apartment, which she bought at the age of 19, two decades ago...her sanctuary as she calls it. The sun-soaked space is a fine example of walking the talk, with every corner embodying principles of sustainability and repurposing. “The first place where you can act on your commitment towards sustainability is the home; it is the most personal of one’s decisions,” Dia tells Bazaar India, dressed in a bandhini kaftan that spells laidback luxury.

“Six years ago, I decided to renovate the space because I wanted it to reflect who I was becoming” says Dia. The intention behind this change was to free herself, and her home, to expand and evolve. “The walls are white, because it allows the room to grow and change into whatever it needs to... You can always play with other colours, right? What is fixed is what needs to be, which is one’s values,” she contemplates.

Rather than investing in new furniture, Dia decided to refurbish the existing ones to create new pieces. “I haven’t changed the woodwork at all!” Dia shares. “I just changed the look and feel of old pieces, with non-polluting paints.” So, the dining table was created from an old cupboard, and the bar and counters were repurposed from wooden furniture that was already in the apartment. The leather sofas are also vintage, bought from an exhibition years ago.