Interior design, a fluid, ever-evolving industry, goes hand in hand with innovation. Like Steve Jobs famously said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”  Badri Thiagarajan is standing true to the word, leading the interior designing industry with a perfect amalgamation of intelligence, energy, and creativity.

Coming from a family with a traditional business of ornamental diamond gold jewelry and crafted silk, Badri chose not to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.

At the start of his career, Badri worked with some of the leading architectural & Interior design practices in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. He founded Royale Buildings in 1999 and has delivered several successful projects ever since.

Mestiere is a luxury interior design studio by Royale buildings, undertaking design-build projects over the past two decades across India.  Based out of Bangalore, Mestiere deals with architectural, interior design, and landscape projects in all major metro and cosmopolitan cities.

Their Vision

“We intend to be creative consistently, provide a sustainable living experience through responsible design and eco-friendly materials, and influence the perception of clients' business, professional and social life.”

Mestiere Mission

“To be responsive and understand the client's concerns and thereby enhance the quality of living standards and work environment.”

Mestiere: Inception And The Journey So Far

Badri Thiagajrajan, the founder and director of Mestiere, is an avid traveler. He has always been fascinated by huge buildings, intricate craftsmanship, architects, and designers who envisage future cityscape and human living, connecting culture, art, and traditions and navigating future human behavior. His travel exposure leads him to create contemporary spaces with a purpose.

A self-funded and self-reliant company, Mestiere carries out projects within reach of their resource application. They focus on engaging in novel projects of different sizes, shapes, and geographies.

Like every other entrepreneur, Badri, too, dealt with several challenges along the way. He says, “Every project has its set of challenges, be it labor handling, resource availability, client mood swings, budget, logistics, technology, or others.”

His dedication to his clients helped him overcome those challenges and deliver quality projects that have created loyal partnerships over the years.

Mestiere has been a leading player in the interior design industry for more than two decades. They continue to perform exceptionally by following best standard practices, both national & international, and by connecting quality, budget, and delivery timeline.

They have an ever-evolving ecosystem that is influenced through labor behavior, software upgradation, client wisdom, international exposure, inflation, information explosion, huge choice in materiality, and managing these swiftly and having control over both inside and outside challenges at different times.

Their Definition Of Success

According to Badri, forming long-term relationships with their clients is his definition of success. He says, “If clients are returning to us for different projects, I think we are delivering solutions per their requirements.”

Consistent creativity, understanding a project’s aspirations, geography, and resource availability are the main factors affecting its outcome. At Mestiere, they address the very purpose of the project and the sustainability quotient.

The Team At Mestiere

Employees are what makes a company. With the same belief, Badri says that they work as a team. Mestiere has a curated team of experienced professionals, including qualified architects, Interior designers & engineers from top design institutions, fine-tuned working with clients of different stature.

With a decade of experience handling projects in different cities, their team understands all the challenges and setbacks while executing a project and fares well even under pressure. Their well-defined work environment and ethics help them deliver quality projects.

What They Are Doing Different

When it comes to professionalism and creativity, Mestiere is similar to other interior design firms. However, their design approach and solutions set them apart from their competitors. They lend effective and efficient design solutions and form loyal, long-term partnerships with their clients.

Major milestones

During their long journey of 23+ years, Mestiere has several milestones to its name. Apart from working for individual clients, they have handled a vast array of corporate client projects, including some of the well-known players in the business industry, including TCS, CHEVRON, KOTAK, ASHOK LEYLAND, and others.

The team at Mestiere has carried out multiple projects for them in a multitude of geographies. They also got a chance to work on several pet projects for the company leaders and build good relationships with them, working on projects close to their hearts.

Hiccups Along The Way

Mestiere has its fair share of successes and failures. Badri considers every failure an opportunity to learn something new and fine-tune their thinking. He says, “Every setback is a challenge to be overcome for the maturity of ourselves.” In essence, every failure makes them better designers.

Important Things Happening At Mestiere

Technology is upgrading at a fast pace. To stay updated on the latest technological trends, Mestiere is actively working on upgrading its hardware and software, including virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and digital printing, to name a few.

They are focused on improving their building quality by reducing carbon footprint and heat energy, increasing sustainability standards, and material checks for longevity by advancing their research and analysis.

Badri’s Word Of Advice For Young Entrepreneurs

Badri says, “Nothing comes easily, and fast results don't last long.”

A lot is happening in the building industry in India. The industry will see immense growth, and economic and financial experts expect it to grow ten times in the next few years.

To match the pace of the industry, every young entrepreneur should focus on learning the basics right, rely on process development, learn through the right source of education, both academic and practical, and practice clean and fair play in providing solutions to clients. Instead of doing mere cuts, copying, and pasting, they should think and create unique building designs.