The corner: Saira Sheikh

Social worker and full-time mom Saira Sheikh invites us in to her home and in turn, her world. We look at her striking collection of accents, sculpture, and paintings from various parts of the world

Entering a house for the first time is exactly like meeting someone new – within a few seconds, you can determine whether you will like it or not. Saira Sheikh’s house echoed her taste right from the main gate of the house, to the very threads on her cushions.

“My house is full of things I have collected over a period of time. People used to ask me when I was going to finish furnishing the house, and now it’s finally done”, says Sheikh with a laugh.



The sand-coloured wallpaper bounces the bright light coming from the big windows, creating a warm, golden glow inside the room. The light brings out the best of her interiors, the browns merging with the beiges, the printed cushions, the twinkling chandelier and the deep-red chest contrasting against the almost yellow wall.

Sheikh is happy to share information about the various accents we admire, starting with the urns right behind her on the console. “I bought these blue urns and hand-carried them from Marrakech! I love to go hunting for treasures in antique markets wherever I travel.”

There is an interesting, dragon-faced object on a Thai-bed-turned-table she bought from Chang Mai on a trip with her close friends. Upon a closer look, we can see ivory in the middle – immediately giving away its time-worn status. Bought from an antique market in Manila, the dragon decoration is an ornate smoking-pipe. The other curious piece on the table is an ostrich-egg, turned into a decoration piece that can double as storage for sweets for visitors.



Directly above the table is a chandelier that commands our attention because of its low, drooping, deep-gold tassels. Sheikh says that the light fixture did not come as is; rather it just became what it is. “The chandelier was already a part of my room before the tassels were added, which I found from a Christmas bazaar, also in the Philippines. When we hung them, they looked cool since they added character to the otherwise simple chandelier.”

A sculpture stands in the corner of the room, tastefully present but not demanding. It is the first piece she ever purchased before her collection grew enormously. Named the Priest King, it was made by a man in Mohenjadaro and sold to her through the late Ali Imam’s iconic Indus Gallery.



In a room as beautiful as this, one wonders how people-friendly it is – we simply ask when Sheikh or the family to use the room. She answers in a split second, “Never!” Before we can protest at the injustice of denying this particular room regular use, Sheikh is quick to explain.

“I would love to say I lounged here but I have to be honest! Unfortunately, it’s the least used room in the house, because you know there is no TV here.”