In the world of interior design, women designers are creating astonishing spaces by pushing the traditional boundaries and redefining urban living styles. They are combining the elements of light, space, and colors to create aesthetically pleasing yet functional designs for houses as well as commercial spaces. The founder and head of design at Simplify Spaces, Dibyabharati Mohapatra, draws inspiration from minimalism to create a functionally sophisticated style.

The spaces designed by her are elegant and reflect the persona of the clients and the brands. In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur, Dibyabharati shares her thought process behind Simplify Spaces, the challenges behind running and starting an Interior Design Start-up and more.

Tell Us About Your Early Educational Journey And Prior Industry Experience. What Motivated You To Set Up Your Own Interior Studio?

Before getting into Interior Design, I had always wanted to get into architecture. However, when that didn’t pan out, I went for a Master's degree in Business Administration and worked in real estate in the domains of Asst. Project Manager overseeing project execution and vendor management. and Investor Relations. While I learned a lot about this role, I constantly wanted to break into the creative domains and I would take out time after her my daily job to paint and design. That is when I got fascinated with home interior designing and. I decided to pursue a formal education to learn more about the domain.

After acquiring a Master’s degree in Interior Design and Graphics Design from Florence Design Academy in Italy, I decided to take a plunge into entrepreneurship and set up an Interior Studio, Simplify Spaces, an interior design consultancy firm, in Bangalore, India.

Give Us A Brief Overview Of Simplify Spaces. Highlight The Studio’s Achievements So Far.

Simplify Spaces has crafted a reputation for its creativity, unique designs, high-end finishes and attention to detail over the last three years. It works on design consultancy as well as turnkey projects modes. The turnkey model covers end-to-end execution of a project and includes design along with labor, and materialand design of the project. At Simplify Spaces, we believe in creating bespoke highly tailored and personalized concepts for our clients and delivering end to end solutions that go beyond their expectations. My driving mission for the studio is to design spaces in such a way that the occupants' families and visitors' guests feel happy to be in that space.

'With minimalism as my guiding philosophy in all of the works, our designs created by us are also largely influenced by trending fashion as well the modern lifestyle of our clients"

With minimalism as my guiding philosophy in all of the works, our designs created by us are also largely influenced by trending fashion as well the modern lifestyle of our clients. The studio’s current portfolio has a diverse mix of highend residential projects, retail spaces and corporate offices. We collaborate with leading creative graphic artists, furniture designers, landscape artists, leading builders and developers, hoteliers, and restaurateurs, and brand managers to accomplish modern and functional spaces. accomplish world class award-winning results. Apart from Bangalore, Simplify Spaces is also strengthening its presence in the eastern state of Odisha as well, my birthplace home state.

How Big Of A Market Opportunity Do You Foresee For Interior Designing In The Indian Market?

With the real-estate sector booming in India, there is an influx of new commercial as well as residential projects. Simplify spaces stands to gain from this bolstering demand for interior design services. The pandemic has caused a shift in the mindset as well, Indians are now open to experimenting with the spaces they live or work in more than ever.

And since social media has made it easy for Indians to access the global trends, they are seeking unique designs and decorations for their homes. The same is happening with the commercial spaces as well, where businesses are realizing the importance of a beautiful and inspiring work environment that can foster employee performance. Homeowners and businesses alike are willing to spend more on customized designs to create spaces that stand out from the usual.

Dibyabharati Mohapatra, Founder, Simplyfy Spaces

Dibyabharati, Founder, At Simplify Spaces Is An Alumnus Of Florence Design Academy, Italy. An Interior Designer And An Entrepreneur, She Draws Inspiration From Fashion, Urban-Modern And Minimalism To Create Elegant Designs For Homes & Offices.