Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 12, 2017)

Earlier this year, Sushant Singh Rajput recommended celebrity architect and interior decorator Priyanka Mehra (inset), who had done up his last residence, a sprawling Malad apartment in 2013, to close friend and co-star Kriti Sanon. The actor swore by Priyanka’s efficiency and Kriti was quick to sign her on, making sure that no pictures of her pad found their way to the social media.

While Sushant’s had been a reflection of his personality with ample room for his books, Kriti was keen to use vibrant colours and memorabilia for her Lokhandwala house. The actress had purchased the apartment in 2014 and shares it with sister Nupur. She wanted the renovation to be a start-to-finish job over four months, which Priyanka recalls as the biggest challenge. “We consciously stayed away from feminine stereotypes like pink and similar colour palettes. It is a fun space with bright colours, chic and cool, aligning with Kriti’s brief,” Priyanka explains, adding that the bedroom was given a rustic look with antique-style wallpaper; the bathroom got a face-lift with sea-green patterned flooring.

“To make room for Kriti’s knick knacks from her travels, we added a partition in her living room with shelves. She loves picking up souvenirs from shooting locations and we made sure she has ample space to showcase them. In fact, she had kept sharing pictures of newer memorabilia while we were doing up the place. We added a classic touch to her living room with a bright blue door against a brown wall as an element of surprise,” Priyanka, who has also designed the homes of actors Kushal Tandon, Monica Bedi and singer Abhijeet Sawant, tells Mirror.

The priority was to take a small space and incorporate maximum room for a closet as well as a dressing area. “Like any actress, Kriti needed a lot of room for her clothes, shoes and make-up. We divided the work into stages and worked on the space while Kriti was at work. She was always open to more texture, elements and colour,” the designer recalls, adding that the actress’s parents visit the girls often and it was important to make room for them as per their tastes as well.

A Delhi girl, Kriti had initially struggled to come to terms with the space crunch in Mumbai. Since she had only rented properties before, the actress was particularly keen on having her first house done up stylishly. However, after the success of her debut film, Heropanti, which coincided with her locking the deal on her house, the actress had no time for designing the apartment and brought Priyanka on board three years later. During the revamp, Kriti purchased paintings and candles that would add to her personal space, but also keep it clutter free.

Kriti’s favourite space is her floor-to-ceiling sofa wall lined with photographs, reminiscent of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s Bandra residence, where rare pictures adorn the walls of the living room and the adjoining passage. “Kriti has a close-knit family. I also interacted with her mother for the photographs. Kriti was clear that Nupur’s opinions held equal importance in the designing,” Priyanka signs off.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 18, 2014)

Following the success of the Sajid Nadiadwala-produced Heropanti, the film's leading lady, debutant Kriti Sanon has decided to move out of her rented accommodation in Andheri to her own apartment in a tony locale.

Revealed a source close to the actress, "Kriti has been renting flats and moving to a different house every eleven months is frustrating. So, she has already started looking for properties near Juhu and will be finalising a deal this month."

Confirming the same, the actress, originally from Delhi told Mirror, "Heropanti has done quite well at the box-office. Things are looking up for me as I'm getting quite a lot of offers. So why not have a place of my own? It will be a gift to myself!" she says, adding, "I need a space which I can personalize and style according to my taste —something one cannot do in a rented apartment."

The actress has also signed a Telugu movie opposite Naga Chaitanya. "Now I feel more confident about my career, which is why I think that buying a home is the right decision. My father is coming down from Delhi to seal the deal for me," she said.