Giving a creative touch to urban realty

Urban India is growing at an unprecedented pace. Our burgeoning population is rapidly fuelling the real estate sector, with an interest in not just prime locations but also innovatively designed contemporary spaces.

This has resulted in a huge demand for interior designers who can create a distinct environment to match the personality and enhance the efficiency of work for a client in the residential, commercial or industrial space.

But what does it take to make it in this field? Natasha Chindarkar who is employed with Mumbai based architecture and interior planning and designing firm, Faquih & Associates gives us the answers.

On the job
Interior designing is often confused with decorating which is choosing a style and colour palette and selecting furniture, floor and window coverings, artwork, and lighting.

Designers today are involved in architectural detailing, planning layouts of buildings undergoing renovation, determining the location of windows, stairways, escalators, and walkways. They are adept at reading blueprints, understand building and fire codes, making space accessible to people who are disabled, ensuring designs that are safe and meet construction requirements or even environmental standards. If a project requires structural work, the designer works with an architect or engineer for that part of the project.
Chindarkar who spends over ten hours at work everyday, says that a designer's job is not an easy one. "A project whether residential or commercial usually takes around seven to eight months for completion. With the deadlines set, there is not a day to waste," she says. "First and foremost a designer has to gauge and analyse the client's requirements and adopt a design direction," explains Chindarkar. "Based on this the contract which governs the scope of the project is negotiated by the design firm with the client," she explains.  "Depending on the ideas agreed upon, he/ she has to present the plans through 3D views through CAD, material boards with reference images to the client. If approved, the designer has to develop working drawings which include detailed views of the walls, flooring, plumbing, electricals," she adds.

But a designer doesn't just sit in a comfortable office and draft plans, he/ she probably has one of the most interactive jobs. "It is not a dead end job.  When the work begins, a designer has to regularly supervise the client's site, ensure that construction workers reach on schedule, deal with several contractors to procure materials, consultants who advise on furniture, plumbing, A/C and electrical circuits, flooring, fittings, artwork, lighting, furniture." The designer has to take all these inputs and create a cohesive product that fits the client's requirements in the best way. Not to mention, a designer could have close to three to four clients at a time.

Equipping the skills
But before one can become a multitasking designer, getting the right education is a must. Anyone with a mathematics and physics background in Class XII (science) is eligible. Good interior courses help pick up technical skills which include everything from colour theory to construction of windows, doors, floors, furniture, planning of lighting and decoration up to drafting of plans. "It doesn't matter whether you pursue a degree or a diploma, employers do not differentiate as long as your portfolio is good," says Natasha Chindarkar who has a two-year diploma in interior design from Rachna Sansad College. "The course was an eye opener as most students who couldn't take the pressures quit. We had to submit countless paper assignments on time otherwise we wouldn't be allowed to appear for the exam."

Apart from technical skills, an aspiring designer has to be a good listener, an excellent communicator with team work and coordination abilities. He/ she must be organised, possess impeccable time management skills, some business insight and a fair idea of budgeting too.  Many interior designers these days choose to specialise in one area like lighting design or furniture design and make a niche in the area with their technical expertise. As we know ergonomic design and environmental or green design is getting popular these days.

Up the Ladder
 "As a designer one does not conceptualise too much, one executes the idea and adds expertise in the details," informs Chindarkar. "Above the team of interior designers lie associates who in close tandem with the managers to conceptualise ideas for projects and pitch for new clients. It is possible for a designer to become an associate in just three years," she adds. The pay structure for a designer at the outset isn't too much. "As a fresher one makes around Rs8000-10,000 per month. But after three years your salary can jump up to Rs50,000 per month at the associate level, " she assures. Besides at a higher level, one can also earn a percentage of every site designed. With site budgets running into crores of rupees, even a small percentage makes for big bucks. Further, an independent designer could even earn over Rs1lakh a month.