Plucked from the plumage

Neither the birds (nor can we) get enough of this vibrant New Delhi home by SAND and Lalima Chhabra

25 Jun 2026

Rogue peacocks, perched imperiously on a tree trunk. A green parrot attempting camouflage amidst the chartreuse leaves. Every morning, brand strategist Shagun Singh wakes up to unannounced yet flamboyantly dressed guests in the backyard of her 3,600 sq ft apartment in New Delhi. “I love documenting them through an ongoing Instagram curation called ‘backyard birds,’” she laughs. This abundance of plumage, coupled with the untamed forest that curls against the back of the home, was what convinced her to move in. And as fleeting as they may be, the vividly-hued birds proved to be a muse in more ways than one!

With the initial spatial planning and interior design being led by SAND, a Delhi-based design studio, Shagun later brought in set designer and stylist Lalima Chhabra to expand upon the space’s maximalist bearings: mixing colours and patterns with distinct joie de vivre. The result is a home that flits between references and hues as quickly as the shikras in the backyard: baroque gold against pink Moroccan terracotta, moodier palettes against bursts of florals and teals, and a tropical powder bathroom that, as Shagun quips, is “spacious enough to take work calls from!”

"I wanted to truly take the time to curate timeless things we would never tire of, and yet those that reflected the mood and the moment"

Shagun Singh

The dining room is anchored by a blue bespoke crockery cabinet by Arun Tandan, topped with an artwork from Harshil Patel's Pichwai series, all set against a beige limewash texture by VR Build. Landour Damask wallpaper by Sabyasachi for Nilaya lines the adjoining wall, framed by a baroque mirror designed by Lalima Chhabra. The dining table and chairs are from Lap & Dado, the runner from Translate and the chandelier and accessories from Good Earth; Styling by Shagun Singh, Afsara Begum and Devika Manghnani, Photography by Akshay Sharma

A PARISIENNE PARAKEET IN AN INDIAN NEST

Shagun is no stranger to design. She spent her earlier years working and studying in Paris, soaking in the city’s distinct design sensibilities up close. The decade to follow was spent deeply immersed in all things decor at Good Earth, working closely with Creative Director and Founder Anita Lal (whom she describes as “the veritable doyen of Indian style”). How does one sift their way through this enviable parade of references to build a home? As it turns out, the answer lies in proceeding with both patience and intention. While Shagun readily admits to lacking the former, turning forty helped her cultivate the latter and put it all into the home. “I wanted to truly take the time to curate timeless things we would never tire of, and yet those that reflected the mood and the moment,” she professes.

The emanating brief, thus, revolved around an iron-clad dogma: “nothing should even remotely look or feel ‘builder’”. As a result, the first step involved turning the four-bedroom layout into a two-bedroom plan, making space for both generous leisure spaces and a vast dossier of muses. Sidharth Khanna and Drishty Vaswani of SAND helped create a pared-back, timeless canvas, complete with fluted ceiling coves, walls with crown mouldings, and neutral-hued walls. With an armful of mismatched, richly patterned furnishings, decor and art sourced from across the country, Lalima helped piece the quintessentially Indian (but entirely Shagun) home together.

GLOBAL REFERENCES, INDIAN WHOLE

Shagun had always envisioned the living room as a beige haven underpinned by more colourful occupants, where the furnishings and decor do all the heavy lifting. The final result echoes the same spirit to the tee: anchored by an impressionist painting in vivid yellows, greens and pinks, paired with an assemblage of multi-hued accessories. Adjoining the living room, the gilded dining room is where her extensive crockery collection lies, placed within a custom cabinet in glossy blue. “We have a running joke that my will will bequeath nothing but cups and pasta bowls because that’s what I’ve spent my life’s earnings on!” laughs Shagun.

The further you step indoors, the bolder the colours (and references) become. The master bedroom, dubbed a new-age Mughal summer palace, is awash in a pink stucco texture overlaid by a Suzani from Bukhara (which, rather curiously, has been procured over WhatsApp!). The balcony whisks you away to Morocco, where black-and-white patang chaal flooring plays foil to the terracotta-hued walls. But even amid the flamboyance, each spatial intervention is practically considered, too: right from painting an ikat-inspired artwork to mask the awkward false ceiling edge in the guest bedroom, to a dimly lit study that, come sunset, moonlights as a moody bar.

All in all, the home’s penchant for pops of colour makes one thing certain — if the birds flitting in the backyard were to enter indoors, their plumage would be in well-suited company!