I'm Sachi Shah, an interior designer and project manager with 5 years of experience. I've designed and delivered homes and hospitality spaces in India and the US, and I've recently moved to London. On most projects I look after both sides: the design itself, and the budgets, contractors and schedules that get it built.

I studied for my Bachelor's in Interior Design at Rachna Sansad in Mumbai, then moved to New York for an MFA at the New York School of Interior Design. Along the way I became a LEED Green Associate, and in 2023 I received an IDA Bronze award for Cultural Interior Design.

At Cabinet Plant I was lead interior designer and project manager. A kitchen I designed there for the Romano family in New Jersey was featured on NBC, and I worked with the Italian cabinet maker Astor Cucina on several projects. Most recently I launched eight hospitality properties, all on time and on budget.

What I enjoy most is getting to know the people who'll use a space and listening to how they want to live in it.

People before plans.

A good-looking room that doesn't suit the people using it isn't much use. So before I draw anything, I spend time understanding the household: how they move around, where everyone ends up in the evening, and what they need when they get home tired.

I pay a lot of attention to daily rituals. The first coffee of the morning. Long Sunday lunches. An hour with a book. Enough seats when the relatives come over, a corner for each person, and storage that fits what the family actually owns.

I spend a lot of time on how a space looks, because I think beauty really matters. A room only feels right to me when that beauty works hand in hand with functionality.