Minimal designs create an aura of peaceful ambience

It also gives a nice neutral canvas for occupants to decorate with items or art which reflects their character, says Niraj Doshi, Principal Architect, Niraj Doshi Design Consultancy.

When it comes to interior design for homes/offices/retail spaces, what are some of the changes and innovations that have taken place over the years?
In recent times, mass customisation is gaining momentum. It is nothing but customised designs aided by mass manufacturing process. We can see this majorly in the kitchen design and build companies. Clients get customised kitchens with immaculately manufactured output. Nowadays, we see a similar trend with wardrobes, beds and workstations and full house furniture too. This is effective and also saves time. Everything is pre-manufactured and assembled on site in just a few days.

When it comes to the use of interior accessories, are the charm of the brands in place or would you say customization has taken over? What kind of design elements serve as a benchmark for good interior design?
In India, we are very fortunate to have great craftsmen still today. These craftsmen come from completely diverse backgrounds and cultures and hence give us fabulous art forms. Hence personally, I give great preference to that sculpture bought on a Jaisalmer tour with a great history and story around it rather than an Italian manufactured artefact bought in a shopping mall. And support, uplift and sustain the efforts put in by our great craftsmen in keeping alive the history of our times as also the culture. Plus these Indian artefacts look great with minimal architecture or interiors.

Everyone in the city invokes minimalist interior design as a good bet owing to space crunch issues, how do you see it?
Minimal designs make smaller spaces appear large and create an aura of peaceful ambiance. Minimal designs also give a nice neutral canvas for occupants to decorate with items or art which reflects their character. They do look simple but that simplicity needs a huge amount of research and development in the design stages. Minimalist interiors also bring to the fore the strength and aura of individual materials utilized in the entire design scheme.

When it comes to creating Biophilic interiors for an existing home, how can it be done?
Biophilic design is nothing but integrating and nurturing green life form in homes. And they have their own needs especially sunlight, water and planting medium. Planting medium and water are easier to manage but sunlight plays a very important factor. Due to current apertures or windows of the house and sun path around the house, the positioning of plants accordingly becomes extremely critical. If you don’t have a green thumb, it’s best to involve a landscape consultant for the same. A lot of innovative products also available in the market like green walls, green pergolas etc. Once successfully executed, it aids a healthy lifestyle.

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