Shernavaz Interiors | Exclusive Interview With Shernavaz Bharucha
Be inspired by the work of this top interior design firm!
Shernavaz Interiors is a Bangalore-based team of interior designers with over 30 years of experience in delivering world-class projects, and Home and Decoration had the pleasure to have an exclusive interview with its leader, Shernavaz Bharucha. The firm is led by Shernavaz Bharucha who specializes in creating state of art architecture in residential, commercial, and hospitality projects in India and abroad.
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Career
Home and Decoration: How did you get involved in the interior design Industry?
Shernavaz Bharucha: In my early years, I bagged an opportunity to work with Talati Panthaky Associates, one of the most looked upon architects in India. I was in high school when I met Mr. Talati and approached him for working for his organization as at that time he was doing a very close friend’s home. This drew me towards this field and I finished my degree in the Academy of Architecture and Interior Design Rachna Sansad. I was only 17 when I started to build my dreams into reality by working in Mumbai and then moving on to starting my own firm in Bangalore.
Home and Decoration: How would you describe your work style? Do you have any kind of signatures that help to identify your projects?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Our work style is client-oriented, Design is not statutory, it is a creative thing, so therefore one has to understand the client’s requirements, and we are versatile in our designing. We first take their briefs and understand their lifestyle and upgrade it for them by making it functional and easy for them to live in, with our aesthetic to suit their lifestyle and culture.
Home and Decoration: Being in love with our work is always the key to achieving better results. Are you in love with this job? What do you love most about being an interior designer?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Yes, I am completely in love with my work, I love traveling, meeting new people, new vendors, discovering techniques, studying about design, products, and trying to experiment and apply in all my works. I am passionate about portraying my abilities to the fullest by designing unique spaces. Each project of mine is a new take to a new design. To explore and reinvent. I love being surrounded by nature. I am a very environment-oriented person, I have a personal garden that I work on where I grow my own organic vegetables. I am glued to organic sustainable fabrics, like cotton, linen, and other natural fabrics.
Home and Decoration: What is your philosophy on design and life?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Design and life are all about individual comfort, satisfaction, and the joy that brings to you in your day-to-day living. Design is a way of living, enjoying your lifestyle to the fullest. Letting design adapt to your lifestyle to the fullest.
Inspiration:
Home and Decoration: Keeping up to date on all the trends is essential for anyone who wants to conquer this market. In what ways do you keep current with new trends?
Shernavaz Bharucha: It is completely essential to keep one updated with the new design trends. Traveling plays a very important part in my design, I travel a lot where I take inspiration from my travels and I like to derive from it to create a unique idea or concept. Of course, social media plays an important role in today’s world; I keep myself updated with all design-related happenings in India and Abroad.
Home and Decoration: Which major international events do you attend/follow to get the latest novelties?
Shernavaz Bharucha: I visit a lot of design fairs, I SALONI is one of the most enjoyed design fairs. I have been visiting it for the past 25 years, year after year. Other than this I travel a lot to Dubai and Paris for fairs. We also travel a lot to other places like China, Singapore according to our clients’ needs. Milan has always been one of my favorite places to visit.
Home and Decoration: How would you describe your personal decorating style?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Basically I am a hoarder, I like collecting souvenirs, antiques, linen all along my travels from personal to working. I don’t want anything that is set, I like to play around with different artifacts, colors according to different seasons. Different feel for different moods, environment, etc… I like the change.
Home and Decoration: All artists need some inspiration to work, and interior designers are artists too. So, what or who really inspires you?
Shernavaz Bharucha: A Lot of people inspire me in different ways from different fields. It all depends on the mood and the time and from what I take my inspiration. It could be travel or art, or it could even be music shows, etc.
Home and Decoration: Inspiration is something that pushes everyone to create unique things. What makes you see the world in a different way?
Shernavaz Bharucha: I believe my India has a lot of potentials; I want to promote vocal for local. To make sure the Indian artisans and craftsmen are on a global platform by showcasing their fabulous skills, be it stone, wood, linen, fabrics, cane, and their techniques all related to design and their lifestyle. Therefore I would like to ensure that we try to map them out on a global scale with our design thinking and aesthetics. Basically To bring out the best of Indian culture to make it more sustainable, global, eco-friendly, and green.
Home and Decoration: If you had to pick one project around the world that you wish was made by you, which one would it be?
Shernavaz Bharucha: The Vessels, by Thomas Heatherwick; The World-Trade center Transportation Hub, by Santiago
Calatrava; And the Taj Mahal and its intricate design.
Projects:
Home and Decoration: How important is a perfect chemistry between you and your clients to achieve the best results?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Our work is best derived from our client briefs. We work through phases. For example, we start off by making a list of pointers of what the clients are looking for. The style, look and feel will be addressed by me for each space keeping in mind the clients’ requirements. We have vision boards that are developed through the process with the clients; we have a lot of discussions and meetings with the clients to understand their tastes. I enjoy selecting materials and upholstery with the clients as it
really brings out the uniqueness to each space by merging my vision for their dream home. Our forte is a lot about detailing which we pay a lot of attention to along with design, look and feel.
Home and Decoration: Choosing the best pieces to compose a project can be the secret to getting the best overall result. Although it seems easy, this is a delicate task and needs full attention on time to execute. Do you have some tips for those who do not know well how to start a challenge like this?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Looking for inspiration through your day-to-day activities is the key to achieving the best results in your designs. I take pictures of things I find interesting, for example when I travel I collect souvenirs that help me build my design culture and I try to take as many pictures as possible to recollect and reminisce views, materials, fabrics, colors that I have found interesting through my travels.
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Home and Decoration: Do you think working with teams in interior design is better or worse than working alone? Why?
Shernavaz Bharucha: Yes, I have my team working with me through all my projects. I find it interesting to have different
perspectives and brainstorm different ideas during the course of the project.
Future:
Home and Decoration: Is there anything exciting that you are working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
Shernavaz Bharucha: I am in the process of making something which will be revealed soon!!
Home and Decoration: What has been your greatest accomplishment as a designer? What goals do you have for the
future?
Shernavaz Bharucha: I am still waiting for that moment; I think that moment will never be fulfilled as I am always striving to better myself with my work.
Home and Decoration: Do you have a favorite project or a favorite story about one of your projects?
Shernavaz Bharucha: All my projects and clients are very special to me. I build connections through each project where I meet new people through my clients, vendors, contractors that making my process of designing
interesting.
Did you enjoy this interview with Shernavaz Bharucha?
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