Tucked away in Chandigarh, Yuvraj Singh’s home bears the imprint of his sporting spirit, and a deep love for open skies and shared memories.
“Chandigarh is a very special place in my heart. I wanted my own space where every time you come, you don’t want to go anywhere,” Yuvraj says at the beginning of the tour, standing in a sunlit courtyard. “These are my roots and this home will always be very special to me.”
This wasn’t a one-and-done architectural plan. “When we started building it, we didn’t like how it was coming up. So we broke it completely and made it again,” the sportsperson told Asian Paints.
For Yuvraj, a home is nothing without the people in it: “You might build a big house, put in everything you want, but if it’s empty, there’s no point living in there. I believe your family is your home.”
The sentiment echoes throughout the home. From laughter around the table tennis zone to sunlight filtering through long curtains in the garden, every space invites connection. “Everybody, when they’re here, it makes a very homely environment… they should have a certain kind of memory every time they leave my home.”
At heart, it’s a sportsman’s home, and Yuvraj embraces it. “We start with the table tennis… Just for the record, nobody’s ever beaten me at my home ground,” he grins, his boyish charm intact. Nearby, a snooker table sits as a nod to his childhood: “that’s been my growing up sport.”
With golf now taking up more of his time, Yuvraj chips in his backyard. “It’s a fascinating and great sport. So good to leave everything behind, play with your friends, forget about everything.”
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Even the gym is beautiful, bathed in the light of a setting sun. “I train about two to three times a week. I try to keep myself fit. And you should also do that.”
Yuvraj’s “Wall of Fame” feels sacred. “It has my six sixes bat… I scored a 150-run score after I beat cancer. It’s a very special memory in my life.” His voice softens when he speaks of pain and struggle. “See all these memories have come with a lot of pain and struggle. It’s a feeling of never giving up… I believe nothing can break me now.”
Open skies and sunlight were essential to the design brief. “There are mountains here, and I love mountains… I don’t like closed places. The energy of the house has to be positive.” The interiors reflect that; double ceilings, large windows, natural light, and a palette of light greys, whites, and teak wood that gives warmth and elegance.
His wife Hazel and his mother had their say too. “I told Hazel that day, I said, look, what we need to do is hire an architect, let him choose the colours, and then let’s both say yes or no. Everybody gives their inputs, and that’s how houses are made.”
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“My idea of designing a house, if you have two floors, you decide one floor, let your mother decide the other. If you have only one floor, half you design, half your wife. But if you have only one floor and you have mother, wife, and you… then good luck to you,” he joked.
