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This Eclectic Apartment in Lahore, With Sorbet-Coloured Interiors, Was Designed for Entertaining

Cleverly concealed sliding doors open up the layout, allowing Pakistani designer Yousaf Shahbaz's guests to freely move around the space
By Mona BasharatPhotography by Nyel Nawaz
This Eclectic Apartment in Lahore With SorbetColoured Interiors Was Designed for Entertaining
In the sitting room, a sculptural floor lamp by Yousaf Shahbaz’s atelier Strata adds drama, while the Lotus coffee table anchors the space. Artworks by Mahnoor Tariq, Azhar Noon and Hammad Gillani frame the fireplace.

Located right above his Gulberg studio, architect Yousaf Shahbaz's charming apartment in Lahore sets the scene for his intergenerational collection of art and design, and his love for entertaining.

“I absolutely enjoy hosting,” says Shahbaz. “I love an intimate sit-down meal just as much as I love a full-on dance party that spills across every room.” The interior designer’s apartment in Lahore’s Gulberg neighbourhood – built directly above Strata, the design studio he runs with his interior designer mother – is shaped as much by his richly layered aesthetic as by his fondness for gatherings.

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A sculptural desk in steel and travertine holds court in the designer’s pastel-hued study.

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A nostalgic vignette of family portraits, silverware, and books atop a hand-painted writing table.

Having grown up in his grandparents’ homes, which range from colonial bungalows to Modernist marvels, and apprenticed with his mother, Shahbaz has deftly mixed a variety of design styles and eras in his own space to create something that’s exquisitely exuberant. “I always loved the idea of a Parisian townhouse, where the atelier is downstairs and life unfolds upstairs,” he says wistfully. “And now, here I am – my workspace just below, my home above.”

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A fringed bench in verdure fabric, paired with a painting by Annie Khakwani, is the focal point of the wood-panelled lounge. The sculptural pedestal on the right is an heirloom piece once owned by Shahbaz’s grandmother.

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A panel from a striking triptych by Rhode Island-based Pakistani artist Mahnoor Hussain.

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A whimsical spiral staircase leads up to the apartment from the Strata studio located on the ground floor.

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The gold-hued informal lounge leads to a balcony overlooking the lush backyard dotted with mango trees.

The apartment, part of a sprawling four-kanal (half an acre) property facing a lush public park, was formerly a boxy three-bedroom abode with dark rooms. Shahbaz gutted the space entirely, knocking down walls, opening up windows and reconfiguring the plan to suit his lifestyle. Now a two-bedroom residence, it has a series of connected rooms that can be closed off or opened up completely for large parties, thanks to folding doors which swiftly change the scale and mood.

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A custom extendable table anchors the dining area, designed to accommodate intimate as well as larger gatherings.

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Intricate wall mouldings, inspired by European homes, adorn the apartment.

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Mirror-clad panels in the corridor to the bedroom discreetly hide doors to the powder room and closet.

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“One of my favourite pieces is this mother-of-pearl inlay mirror I created for the powder room, inspired by Joan Miró's artwork,” Shahbaz points out.

“It’s a space that transforms,” says the designer. “It’s intimate when I’m alone and expansive when I host. I didn’t want a formal entrance, so I turned it into an intimate wood-panelled lounge – a quieter place where someone can slip away for a conversation.” The main sitting room flows into a dining area with a custom extending table, part of which lives under the bed when not in use. Elsewhere, hidden panels reveal powder rooms and walk-in closets. As Shahbaz puts it, the heart of the home is not one place, but many; his favourite hangout spots are the sage-green-tiled kitchen where he cooks elaborate meals, and the bar area, gleaming with pink onyx in the living space beside it.

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The bespoke pink onyx bar, a Strata design, is the star of Shahbaz’s soirées.

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The Necchi chair by Strata sits in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

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Shahbaz near the bespoke bar and a tapestry acquired on his travels.

Stylistically, the home is unapologetically eclectic; nothing is strictly matched, but everything works together. Blue hand-painted shutters glimmer with gold leaf; heirlooms passed down from Shahbaz's glamorous grandmother are dotted all over; and vintage fabrics collected on his travels have found purpose as upholstery or wallhangings. On the day of the AD shoot, music floats through the apartment. “My playlist is as much of a mish-mash as my home,” says Shahbaz. “It moves from French jazz classics to very Pakistani – somehow, it just works.”

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The bedroom makes a grand statement with a green canopy that adds drama without the need for a four-poster frame.

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Cherished intricately carved silver cases, once owned by Shahbaz’s grandmother, rest on the sculptural Lotus coffee table in the main seating room.

Many of the furnishings and interior details, including the intricate wall mouldings, are made at Strata’s atelier, where Shahbaz collaborates with local artisans to produce everything from carved-wood and brass furniture to inlaid mirrors and, more recently, experimental jelly-like resin lighting fixtures that are set to debut at Downtown Design in Dubai this November. “The materials are a mix of traditional and industrial, but the forms are mine,” he says.

Although Shahbaz's home is still evolving – rugs arriving, furniture being made – it already feels complete in one significant sense. “This is the first home I have designed for myself. It had to reflect all the places I’ve been, and all the versions of me.” @strataspaces; @yousafshahbaz

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