A balcony can be many things: a place for your morning chai, a spot for the one plant you haven’t managed to kill, or, in Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal’s case, a full-fledged outdoor living room.

The couple’s Bandra home has a sprawling balcony overlooking Mumbai, but it is the way they have designed the space that makes it particularly inviting. There is a large, curved sunken seating area, warm lighting, plants, textured walls and bright yellow-orange upholstery, creating the kind of corner that practically begs you to sit down and stay awhile.

And apparently, that is exactly what happens. The balcony features a sunken conversation pit that the couple use for everything from coffee to long conversations. In the home tour, Zaheer explained that plans for a quick evening coffee can stretch into hours because once they sit there, they don’t feel like getting up.

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Why that sunken seating makes such a difference

Sonakshi Sinha and her husband in their balcony (Screenshot from their home tour video)

In a conversation with indianexpress.com, Ajay Garg, Managing Director, E3 Group, says the biggest thing that stands out is that the balcony has been treated as “a true extension of the home rather than an afterthought”.

In designers’ language, it is a “resort-inspired outdoor living experience”.

That is perhaps the easiest way to understand Sonakshi and Zaheer’s space. It doesn’t feel like furniture has simply been placed outdoors. The low-height seating, sunken layout, and restrained material palette make it feel like a deliberately designed room—just one without a roof.

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Jason Samuel, Managing Director, House of Swamiraj, echoes this and says the design works because the view remains the hero.

“Instead of competing with it, every element, from the sunken lounge to the low-height furniture and muted colour palette, helps frame it,” he tells indianexpresscom.

The low seating is particularly clever. It keeps the sightline open while making the whole setup feel relaxed and informal. Add the soft lighting and textured surroundings, and suddenly a balcony becomes less “step outside for some fresh air” and more “let’s cancel our plans”.

Samuel describes the finished look as “calm, well-balanced and, most importantly, lived in.”

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“I also liked how the materials, textures, and lighting have been layered. Nothing feels loud or decorative for the sake of it.”

Balconies aren’t just balconies anymore

The sunken lounge trend spotted in Sinha’s balcony is becoming increasingly popular in premium homes (Screenshot from their home tour video)

Sonakshi’s balcony also reflects a larger change in how people are using outdoor spaces at home.


Both experts confirm that balconies have moved well beyond their old utility-space reputation. In crowded cities and high-rise homes, they can be one of the few places where residents get access to open air, natural light, and a sense of greenery.

“Balconies have evolved from being overlooked spaces to becoming one of the most valued areas of a home,” Garg says.

That means homeowners are increasingly treating them with the same seriousness as living rooms. Weather-resistant furniture, ambient architectural lighting, deck flooring, vertical gardens and curated landscaping are becoming part of the package.

 

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“In fact, a Ficci-Anarock Consumer Sentiment Survey found that 75 per cent of property seekers now look for homes with balconies,” Samuel says.

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And it isn’t just about making them Instagram-friendly. The experts say functionality and longevity are becoming equally important.

“Earlier, a balcony was largely seen as a utility area. Today, it has become a place where people work between meetings, enjoy their morning coffee, spend time with family, meditate, or simply disconnect after a long day,” Samuel notes.

As per Garg and Samuel, buyers are becoming more selective and particular towards their balcony interiors. Besides aesthetics, sustainability, “transition between indoors and outdoors” (such as sliding doors, jali panels, bamboo partitions, etc), smart lighting, and flexible furniture.

The best balcony is no longer the biggest one. It is the one that makes you want to use it. And that may be the secret behind Sonakshi and Zaheer’s balcony too.

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It has the view, yes. But instead of simply putting a couple of chairs in front of it, they have created a place around the view—a low, cosy, comfortable little escape above Mumbai.

Which explains why that “quick cup of coffee” can so easily turn into an entire evening.