Four walls and a roof is all that is required to build a space. But in order to make a space comfortable, beautiful and to one’s liking, the design must incorporate creative skills along with technical aspects. It is the interior designer who brings in a keen sense of design aesthetics, colors, and other design elements to create a space that feels welcoming and warm for the occupants. Focusing on functional design, thoughtful layouts and spaces that flow seamlessly, UrvashiSathaye is creating cool, funky and trendy designs that can be available and accessible to everyone.

Always inclined towards creativity and art, Urvashi comes armed with a bachelor's and master's degree in interior designing. With her education and over four years of experience as an interior designer, Urvashi founded M.A.D.E in the year 2014. Her experience brought about a certain maturity to the design details and interior concepts which often showcases a balanced mix of minimalist and maximalist aesthetics.

Urvashi speaks about her result-oriented, progress-driven, project-focused approach in an interview with Women Entrepreneur Team. She also shares with us her industry insights regarding women aspiring to become business leaders in the interior design space.

Introduce us to your brainchild, made. What is the underlying philosophy that drives the firm?

Our spaces define us. They are also an extension of our personality. Our spaces need to work for us, intuitively and functionally. They also need to look beautiful and comfortable. This is where great design comes in and what I truly enjoy is Designing Spaces For You. M.A.D.E is born from this philosophy and we are a full spectrum interior design firm that makes cool, funky and trendy designs available and accessible to everyone. Our focus is on functional design, thoughtful layouts and spaces that flow seamlessly.

Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience before founding M.A.D.E. how and why did you decide to establish the interior design firm?

Design has always been a big part of my life and I have always been creatively and artistically inclined. Interior design seemed like the perfect field to apply my creative skills, my love for design and technical knowledge. I first studied interior design in Mumbai and then worked with local firms, but I needed to go to the heart of it all and so I made my way to Florence, Italy where I did my Master’s in Interior Design.

Working with leading design firms in Mumbai like Tushar Desai & Associates and NeterwalaAibara Interior Architects gave me invaluable experience. I learnt all about development of a design idea from the conceptual stage right through to execution and handing over a finished site. The details and experiences of project management, dealing with clients and vendors too were quite gainful and insightful. These experiences gave me confidence and drove me to strike out on my own and led to the birth of M.A.D.E in 2014.

Throw some light on the various kinds of projects that made specializes in. What are some of the most significant design aesthetics and styles that you leverage while designing?

Our first few projects were incidentally for fellow entrepreneurs and to design their office spaces. The projects were exciting and fun, since most of my clients were looking at giving their offices a fresh and cheerful vibe. Over time with the addition of some commercial and residential projects, we expanded our services to all areas of interior design. The experience along the way also brought about a certain maturity to the design details and interior concepts. My design style is a mix of elements of minimalism, maximalism, neat lines and high functionality.

“The important thing is to work and gain experience from the ground up as this is the only way to learn, and balance and manage the project like a well-played orchestra with you as the conductor”

How do you keep yourself aligned with the various trends and technologies developing in the interior design industry? As a creative person where do you draw your inspiration from?

I am always hungry to learn more and do more. I regularly follow the works of leading world designers to stay updated and also to find ways to integrate certain design elements in the work we do. Keeping abreast of this vast source of information gives me a sense of inspiration, motivation and general awareness.

I draw inspiration from my clients because they are at the centre of the story. The spaces I design are a medium for them to feel ensconced and make memories and create experiences that will last a lifetime. The wealth of knowledge I have gained as an interior designer is always a guiding light. Travel and the things that inspire me in my everyday life also play a big part in my design sensibility.

How do you strike a balance between your work and personal life? Are there any activities or hobbies that you enjoy indulging in?

The hardest part of being an entrepreneur is that there is 24/7 work. Especially in the field of interior design where you are working with multiple contractors with everything time sensitive and critical. However, I have been running my own company for over seven years now. It has taught me the importance of making time for myself. Be it playing a sport, doing yoga, meditating, going for a run, cycling or pilates, I always find time to exercise and that keeps me balanced and going through the day. To fuel my creative brain, painting is something I really enjoy. And of course, there’s nothing better than relaxing with a good book or great music and these are essentials for a balanced life.

What would be your advice be for women aspiring to become business leaders in the interior design space?

There are no shortcuts to success. To truly be a great interior designer, you need to have conceptual, practical, creative as well as technical knowledge. The practical and technical side of things will give you an upper hand when dealing with vendors, contractors and agencies. The interior design field is based on relationships and you have to focus on building long lasting ones, be it with vendors, clients, contractors and other ancillary agencies. The important thing is to work and gain experience from the ground up as this is the only way to learn, by making mistakes, by facing challenges, and by learning to overcome these and balance and manage the project like a well-played orchestra with you as the conductor.

Urvashi Sathaye, Founder & Principal Interior Designer, M.A.D.E By Urvashi Sathaye

I draw inspiration from my clients because they are at the centre of the story. The spaces I design are a medium for them to feel ensconced and make memories and create experiences that will last a lifetime.