Meet the Titans: India’s Best Interior Design Studios of 2023

From conquering new bastions in avant-garde eclecticism to incorporating the Wabi Sabi school of thought in contemporary design, these design studios are the trailblazers in setting trends

Through finding a semblance between art, architecture and interior design, these 10 Indian design studios are playing tastemakers in the world of design. Winners of ID Honours Award 2023 in the category of residential interiors, these firms have been leaving an indelible mark on the design landscape and influencing the country’s design aesthetic.

1. Vaishali Kamdar Associates

Residence in New Delhi, India. Photo by Suleiman Merchant.

Residence in New Delhi, India. Photo by Suleiman Merchant.

Founder and designer Vaishali Kamdar places great emphasis on details, use of space, textures and materials to create individually relevant spaces with a contemporary but lush aesthetic. Each element is thoughtfully considered to create spaces that resonate with its occupants on a deeper level. The firm’s projects include award-winning retail (Jaipur Rugs Gallery) and commercial spaces, in addition to much talked-about residential interiors around the country. Kamdar was also the recipient of the ID Honours 2023 Interior Designer of the Year award.

2. The Orange Lane by Shabnam Gupta

Residence in Gurgaon, Haryana. Photo by Kuber Shah

Residence in Gurgaon, Haryana. Photo by Kuber Shah

The firm behind some of the most eclectic and vibrant homes in India, The Orange Lane, helmed by Shabnam Gupta, believes that design, at its essence, must be people-centric. A favourite with Bollywood stars (Kangana Ranaut, Irrfan Khan, and Mini Mathur to name a few), her work, which also includes some well-known restaurants in addition to high-end residences, is characterised by zesty colours, textures, patterns, and clear preference for all things Indian.

3. Samira Rathod Design Atelier

Residence in Alibaug, Maharashtra. Photo by Niveditaa Gupta

Residence in Alibaug, Maharashtra. Photo by Niveditaa Gupta

A design stalwart and internationally acclaimed architect, Samira Rathod is known for her distinctive, bold yet minimal style that is a study in the awareness of material, form, and function. Rathod’s approach to design is marked by a cohesive integration of interior and exterior elements with a particular emphasis on sustainability. One such is the House of Concrete Experiments in Alibaug – a home that is a remarkable study in the use of concrete in its different textures, pigmentations and methods of laying; and, another being the School of Dancing Arches, in Gujarat – a school building made entirely in terracotta with vaulted roofs.

4. Rooshad Shroff

Residence in London, United Kingdom. Photo by Simon Upton

Residence in London, United Kingdom. Photo by Simon Upton

A multidisciplinary company with its headquarters in Mumbai, Rooshad Shroff Studio is renowned for its integrated design philosophy. It places a specific emphasis on artisanship and high-end luxury in both residential interiors and product design. Shroff promotes the value-addition of handcrafted creations by working with artisans around the country and investing in thorough research using time-tested techniques that are adapted to create unique items and interiors. Hermès, Christian Louboutin, and most recently an exhibition on Indian fashion that Shroff curated for the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai are a few notable clients in addition to high-profile residential and retail projects.

5. Iram Sultan Design Studio

Residence in New Delhi, India.

Residence in New Delhi, India.

Led by multi-award-winning Iram Sultan, the studio’s designs reflect a sublime blend of beauty and functionality. Their spaces are meticulously detailed, bespoke, rich with art and history and are a reflection of the people who inhabit them. From a 21,000-square-foot gallery-esque home in the capital to the office interiors of pharmaceutical giant Zydus Cadilla, the Delhi-based firm’s portfolio includes work for celebrities and corporate leaders.

6. FADD Studio

Residence in Goa, India. Photo by Ashish Sahi.

Residence in Goa, India. Photo by Ashish Sahi.

Farah Ahmed Mathias and Dhaval Shellugar, founders of Bangalore-based FADD Studio, believe that “having a singular style defies the purpose of design”. Known for their innovative, contemporary and grand designs with a penchant for incorporating a quirk element (a mannequin as centre-piece in fashion designer Puja Nadhani’s home, or reimagining Asian eatery Misu with a Roman church twist), FADD infuses their design approach with a sense of adventure.

7. Atelier Ashiesh Shah

Residence in Delhi, India. Photo by Ashish Sahi.

Residence in Worli, Mumbai. Photo by Ashish Sahi.

A designer to the stars, Mumbai-based Ashiesh Shah’s practice draws inspiration from the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, which greatly influences his spatial vision and material choices. The aesthetic, simply described as beauty that is imperfect, is one that has found its way into several high-profile homes (Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor to name a few), retail and F&B spaces (Sequel, Neuma). A natural extension to his architectural and design practice, Atelier designs custom furniture pieces, that reflect Shah’s affinity for geometry and materiality.

8. Spaces and Design

Residence in Kolkata, India. Photo by Ishita Sitwala

Residence in Kolkata, India. Photo by Studio Suryan/Dang

Pooja Bihani, founder and principal architect of Spaces and Design, has gained a reputation for seamlessly blending architecture and interiors to craft an immersive “inside-out” experience based on simple circulation plans of spaces that flow into each other. The Kolkatta-based studio’s work effortlessly transitions between Indian heritage and Nordic styles, often creating a bespoke design language. Some of her most acclaimed oeuvres include the restoration of Belgadia Palace in Odisha, the Tree of Life Pranic healing centre in Kolkata, and the award-winning BMA Villa in Raichuk.

9. Annkur Khosla Design Studio

Residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Sculpting humanistic spaces that transform the experience of the individual is the aim of Mumbai-based designer, Annkur Khosla. Winner of multiple awards across publications and forums, Khosla’s philosophy is to create soulful and meaningful homes and spaces with path-breaking designs. Most often these are inspired from geometry, materials, texture, and colour to create contemporary designs, such as Earth Cafe in Mumbai.

10. ZZ Architects

Residence in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra

Mumbai-based multi-disciplinary design firm, ZZ Architects, creates projects that stand out because of their distinct approach towards design, detail, materials and new technology. Their work ranges from sleek and conservative to daring and bold, but always adaptive to distinctive needs and environments, be it luxurious villas, corporate towers or residential high-rises. The duo behind ZZ, Zubin Zainuddin and Krupa Zubin, believes in constantly evolving and adapting to change while maintaining their signature creativity and high-end quality.

Story by Vinita Kunnath.

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”

The choice of materials and finishes was in keeping with this chromatic landscape. “Through the moodboard we visualized the allure of the space,” explains Pennesi. “An interplay of alternations between more or less tactile surface textures, contrasting colors and opaque and translucent finishes that create intriguing peep-through effects.”
This led to the choice of stoneware tiles by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, which deck the floors and bar counter with their dense and uniform speckled pattern and bind together the different areas into which the space is divided, wth laminates from Arpa Industriale and Kaindl, used respectively for the support surfaces and the structures of the bespoke furnishings.
“We chose these materials for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Aesthetic because this type of semi-finished product has color ranges that enabled us to make choices consistent with the palette we created; and practical because they are wearproof materials and ensure easy sanitization. In particular, Fenix, a special laminate we used to coat the counter top, with a surface that has a non-porous outer layer, makes the material easy to clean and suitable for contact with food as well as fingerprint-proof and pleasant to the touch.”
Even the lighting was curated in detail, helping create a pleasant and richly detailed environment. Bellhop cordless table lamps designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos, illuminate the tables with their discreet light. Suspended above the bar counter is a spectacular suspension composition created with a series of “leaves” in Diphy polycarbonate. Designed by Mirco Crosatto for Stilnovo, it was inspired by a fascinating Japanese plant, whose flowers turn as transparent as crystal in contact with water.

Meet the Titans: India’s Best Interior Design Studios of 2023

From conquering new bastions in avant-garde eclecticism to incorporating the Wabi Sabi school of thought in contemporary design, these design studios are the trailblazers in setting trends

1. Vaishali Kamdar Associates

2. The Orange Lane by Shabnam Gupta

3. Samira Rathod Design Atelier

4. Rooshad Shroff

5. Iram Sultan Design Studio

6. FADD Studio

7. Atelier Ashiesh Shah

8. Spaces and Design

9. Annkur Khosla Design Studio

10. ZZ Architects

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences

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