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Abhishek: I graduated from Delhi University with a Bachelor of Science. With the grace of God, I got the opportunity to top the university in all my subjects but also had to take tuitions on the side to earn money in order to pay through university. My career started in 2001 as a lecturer in Indonesia, where I taught IT.
Later on, I decided to move to Bangalore as a senior software engineer and made my way forward as the VP working on UX & UI. During this time, my better half, Aashita, got the interiors of our home done. The whole experience left us exasperated & motivated with a desire to start our own design firm. We wanted to bring something innovative to the Indian interior design industry, which would also be coupled with a focus on the overall client experience.
Thus, “The KariGhars” was born, which was a turning point in my life. My source of inspiration has always been the needs & desires of my clients. Every project is like a challenge, and the notion is to beat all customer expectations.
Aashita: I have always acquired a creative spirit since childhood. There has been an unexplained affinity in me for handicrafts like embroidery, crochet, and calligraphy. Just like Abhishek, I used to work in the IT industry. As he mentioned, we were genuinely exasperated with the experience of creating our home.
But, it was my boss in the IT firm who recognized my talent and gave me the push to take the leap and start my own firm in the field. Initially, Abhishek used to work a full-time job, and over the weekend, he spent his time curating marketing strategies for The KariGhars. For the longest time, Vinayak and I handled the creative and administrative parts of the business. Being the Co-founder of the company, I came up with the unique name for the firm.
Even though Abhishek is the principal designer, I contribute towards the basic design ideology. I personally believe that an impeccable part of the whole design process are the artisans, carpenters and masons, all categorized under skilled labor, i.e., 'The KariGhars'. Hence, taking in all the contributions made by them, I coined the name that depicted proximity with the ethnic Indian roots.
Vinayak: My father was the official shaping force in my life. He owned a construction company. My initial exposure to the field of architecture and interior design was through this construction company which served as an impetus for me to explore my creative thinking prowess.
A significant boost to my motivation was watching designs transform into reality. I usually tend to use design interventions to highlight the power and potential of technology in order to make the space more functional for the clients. After working for five years at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Dubai, I returned to India and joined Abhishek at The KariGhars, and the rest is history.
The experience I garnered after working at the bank gave me substantial confidence to manage teams and handle lead projects at ‘The KariGhars’ as its Managing Director. Subsequently, I explored and understood how design could affect lifestyles, thereby affecting one’s mood alterations and behavior.
Aashita: The KariGhars stand for innovation and opulent interiors that speak for themselves. We have a consistent pattern of growth through the Compound Annual Growth Rate chart, clocking in at over 100% every year. We prefer to work on projects that are ready for immediate use. In addition to that, we customize wardrobes, entertainment units, modular kitchens & built-in furniture to fit the aesthetic of a project, setting it apart from the run-of-the-mill interiors.
As we specialize in luxurious projects, we believe that it is crucial to dedicate extra time in curating the decor, conceptualizing the basic idea of the house, and creating a cohesive look in order to deliver on our promise of bespoke homes for our clients. We also believe in the saying by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - “less is more. ” We follow the principles of minimalism while adding our unique touch to it.
It is also essential for the interiors of a residence to reflect the trends of the time. Therefore, we try to incorporate popular materials in construction and design. In order to cope up with the industry standards, it is essential for us to be at par with international and national trends that clients may wish to incorporate into their homes.
I personally have a strong affinity towards contemporary design style. It is very fluid in nature and can easily be modified to fit in for any of the client’s needs and demands. Our design philosophy is also reflective of the design values we hold close to us - it is easy to create a house, but it takes heart to convert it into a home.
If a client is not satisfied with the overall design, we would even consider going to towering lengths in order to achieve customer satisfaction. At the same time, we also believe in looking ahead in the future. Therefore, we take some decisions that may seem redundant or exorbitant at the moment, but will be highly fruitful a decade into the future. The KariGhars also specialize in ‘Converting Dreams into Reality’. We take pride in having stunning and authentic renditions for our clients’ homes.
Lastly, homes also evoke the client’s personality, so by combining our vision with that of our client’s, we deliver consistent and elegant homes that make living indoors a joy.
Vinayak: Just like all creative fields, interior design is very subjective. However, I strongly feel that having an eye for detail & a passion for design is a must to become a good designer. Even though we are humans and humans cannot be perfect, we can still try to emulate perfection as much as possible. One has to be humble and need to update themselves and their philosophy in order to keep up with the changing times.
So, one must stay grounded and close to their roots as the acknowledged interior design has elements borrowed, both from the past and the modern world. I believe in consistency and giving all I have in my projects. My passion and love for the field have given me a tremendous amount of appreciation and work through word of mouth.
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interiors to achieve a seamless amalgamation of comfort in luxury. A good interior style goes beyond the selection of color palettes and furnishings. A flawless design scheme helps attain pure comfort in magnificent peace while prioritizing the users’ needs and lifestyles. The key to being a good interior designer is being an active listener as well.
A designer must understand, absorb, and retain the client’s ideas and visions while adding unique touches to all the projects undertaken. Most importantly, having a strong bond and connection with your client is crucial to the successful completion of a project. After all, the client trusts us with the creation of their homes - it is not an easy feat to give over your future into somebody else’s hands.
Abhishek : Even though the pandemic has made our lives come to a screeching halt, I have experienced that people want to invest more time and effort into renovating or rebuilding their homes because they are bound to spend a lot of time inside. So, we have increased our capacity to 200% of staff. Everyone I have met since being an interior designer has a penchant and a preference for luxurious interiors. They wish to incorporate lush furnishings as well as lavish interiors in their day-to-day life. Even though trends are transient, they are also capricious and hard to nail down.
However, we can say with utmost certainty that people want smart homes, so we try to incorporate state-of-the-art equipment. Plus, India is becoming increasingly globalized. People have had a taste for luxurious and opulent places, and they want it for themselves. A booming technological revolution is taking place in India, where tech devices like home assistants, automation, and fingerprint recognition are becoming the norm.
Aashita : We at The KariGhars are also concerned about our carbon footprint, so we try to implement sustainable development in the design layout of every home to make them eco-friendly. Significant factors like planning, efficient use of space, choosing materials with a low carbon footprint, reducing energy consumption, pollution & waste, etc., play an essential role in executing sustainable practices.
I am happy that we are making great strides in the field of environmental conservation - we are finally addressing the need of the hour. If done wrong, architecture and interior design can have an adverse effect of monumental proportions on nature. Therefore, we at The KariGhars are making a conscious effort to do our due diligence by researching our materials and opting for sustainable and green alternatives.
Vinayak : As much as the tech industry is growing in India, there are a bunch of challenges it faces every day. One of them being a lack of servicing options in case anything goes wrong. Additionally, many technological services are not well researched, making them accessible to the general public very quickly. In fact, personal data is extremely vulnerable to data leaks and hacking in India. It is the need of the hour that appropriate steps are taken in order to ensure that the technology is also safe & foolproof.
Abhishek: Everyone has to start from scratch, and during our initial years, we had to make do with limited resources. Technology at hand was also in its primordial stage, so we had to adapt to those demands and challenges. Our firm strongly believes in loyalty - the craftsmen that we had collaborated with in our initial years have been perennial on this journey with us.
Even if people prefer trendy and chic designs, we have to acknowledge the fact that they are transient. At the same time, we like to strike a perfect balance between conventional and contemporary design styles, which has been possible by integrating Indian handicrafts and traditional artwork into our interiors. The idea is to support the local economy. Therefore, we try to integrate the designs that are local and indigenous to a particular artisan or area.
They are authentic and homegrown, which successfully adds a quirky and warm touch to any household. Staying close to traditions is a great way to stay connected to our homeland and the plethora of art forms we offer.
Additionally, it also contributes to a green and sustainable future - saving our heritage for the generations to come. We prefer to use natural and durable fibers like silk, linen, jute, or khadi. We also incorporate plywood, tiles, timber, or metal from local merchants and suppliers. The objective for the firm is to be as economical and ecological as possible by engaging in small steps.
Abhishek: We have been felicitated with a myriad of awards including, ‘Most Creative Interior Designing firm in Bangalore, ‘Company of the Year Award by Silicon India’, The Best Interior Design Services Award 2011 for Residential projects in Bangalore received from Dr. Shashi Tharoor’, ‘Entrepreneurship Excellence Awards 2012’, “Best & Most Creative Interior Design Firm of the Year 2021” Karnataka Award under the “Premium Residential Projects & Innovative Approach” category by National Architecture and Interior Design Excellence Awards 2021, and the list is endless.
Aashita also received 40 under 40- Best Interior Designer of India 2021 award by the National Architecture and Interior Design Excellence Awards 2021.
When we talk about contribution, none of our (the founder’s) backgrounds actually lie in the interior design industry. All three of us come from different professional backgrounds. Hence, The KariGhars have delineated a niche for being professional in this semi-professional industry. The objective for our firm has always been customer satisfaction in place and to work in a market that caters to mass luxury.
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