Interior design is essential nowadays, as it makes the living more contemporary and fashionable. It not only introduces the world to elegance and comfort, but it also serves to increase the utility in one’s lifestyle.
One of the most essential aspects of interior design is the presence of interior designers. Designers put their best foot forward to ensure that others understand and appreciate the significance of their work. When it comes to creating the best homes and structures, designers understand their clients’ needs and follow their hearts. They share their experiences and assist others in making decisions and expressing their preferences. One such exceptionally talented interior designer is Dr. Satinder Malhotra, Founder and CEO of leading company i.e., Signature Interior Designs.
With exceptional experience Dr. Satinder shares her views about interior designing in the following interview with Insights Success.
What is the mission, aim, and core values of Signature Interior Designs?
Our Aim
We aim to establish an interior design firm that will be renowned for executing high-quality ideas and projects and will be able to compete with other industry leaders.
Our mission
Our mission is to make a good impact on the lives of all clients with whom we have the pleasure of working and to leave a lasting imprint on their thoughts and imaginations. Our primary goal is to create one-of-a-kind and original design products that are sensitive to each client’s vision and budgetary requirements.
We are providing design services to our clients that reflect the most recent advancements in the construction and building industries—prompt and consistent delivery of high-quality products and services. Work in an atmosphere that values interpersonal interactions among clients, professionals, co-workers, the community, and the environment.
Core values
- Exceptionality and Originality
- Avoiding repeated work and ensuring that each project has its fair amount of uniqueness
- Exceeding expectations by offering and maintaining a supremely high degree of quality
- Honesty and trust
- Establishing a trustworthy connection with our clients and partners
- Integrity and respect
- Treating our clients and partners with the highest respect and professionalism in order to create a long-term partnership
- Constantly expanding
- Never stop learning, improving, and adapting to the ever-changing market and expectations.
Please brief us about Dr. Satinder Malhotra and her professional journey so far.
Before I begin, I would like to present a quick overview of my journey so far. I am an experienced teacher, a well-known researcher, and a reviewer for the National and International Journals. I am of the most successful Indian authors.
My passion for interiors encouraged me to pursue my dreams and to work as an Interior Designer. I am the Founder and CEO of Signature Interior Designs. It aims to create unique and innovative design products that pertain to the client’s personality, dreams, and visions.
My achievements are as follows:
- I have received awards in the field of Interior Designing thrice in my short span of a career as an Interior Designer.
- I have been conferred The Best Interior Designer of the Year 2021 by SME Bizz Entrepreneur’s Star Awards and the Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 by Global Triumph Foundation.
- I received the award as the Most Inspiring Women Entrepreneur of the year 2021 by the India Inspirational Women Awards.
- It feels delighted to have received the awards on the international level as the Women Entrepreneur of the year 2021 by Global Business Icons and BizNation TV and the Global Women Achievers of the year 2021 by Global Triumph Foundation for her outstanding contribution in the field of Interior Designing.
- My life’s success story was published in Lifestyle Magazine, a special issue published on Women’s Day 2021.
- My success story was published by Lifestyle Magazine in Celebrating Women hood Edition 2021.
- Signature Interior Designs has received the award as the Best Interior Design Firm of the Year 2021 by Teaching Excellence Awards.
What motivates you to keep working as an interior designer?
“What motivates you?” As an interior designer, I am frequently asked this question. It’s the one I enjoy answering since I’m constantly learning new things to help influence my aesthetic. Though I may find inspiration virtually anywhere, the different styles of designers and architects have affected my design aesthetic. While strolling around the city, perusing design blogs and publications, and brainstorming with co-workers, I find inspiration in both architecture and nature. Travel opens your world to different cultures, people, and experiences.
By immersing yourself in a location far from home, you step outside of your comfort zone and expose yourself to new possibilities in your creative pursuits. Another area I go to is on nature treks, where I see a lot of intriguing patterns and textures. Fashion and design publications are two of my main sources of inspiration. Antique stores include a plethora of one-of-a-kind goods that are guaranteed to pique your interest.
To be honest, I do a lot of research to discover what’s fresh on the market. Of course, social media is a great source of inspiration for designers and others, with sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and others. Pinterest is a daily source for me, especially during project research, where I can uncover extremely unique design, illustration, photography, and references. Instagram is also a fantastic place to get design ideas.
Please shed some light on the services provided by Signature Interior Designs.
Services
We provide clients with smart, efficient, responsible, and result-oriented services, as well as realistic solutions that are adapted to the industry and today’s competitive climate. We improve project outcomes, resulting in more responsive and cost-effective solutions, by providing services at all stages of a project’s life cycle:
Residential interiors
Residential interior design entails creating an ambiance that perfectly mixes materials, light, and textures. We also create living areas, dining rooms, master bedrooms, modular kitchens, luxury bathrooms, and outdoor living areas, which include landscape and swimming pool designs.
Commercial interiors
Corporate and office spaces, medical offices, hotels, and restaurants are all examples of interior design. We specialise in corporate and office interior design, specifying the most up-to-date contemporary workstations and increasing efficiency inside any business.
What kind of challenges has Signature Interior Designs and its team faced during the scaling of the business?
Cost management is one of the most difficult jobs in any business. The most difficult task for most interior design firms is keeping track of material prices. If a project takes longer than expected or a customer changes their mind halfway through, labour costs can quickly spiral out of hand. In addition to cost management, interior design businesses must deal with cash flow issues. As a result, many interior designers need deposits prior to beginning work. They need the money to buy materials and pay personnel in order to finish the project. The most difficult aspect of the process is locating suitable materials, furnishings, and accessories. Finding one-of-a-kind items that would work nicely in their client’s design project is a challenging task.
Managing contractors is another area where some designers struggle. Depending on the assignment, you may be coordinating the work of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and decorators. You must build rapport and a strong communication style, and you’ll need to be tough at times to guarantee the project is finished on time and on budget.
How technological advancements and their knowledge has enhanced Signature Interior Designs?
As a result of social, technical, and fashion trends, the interior design sector is continually developing. Everything connects in the design industry, from fashion to interior design. Colours are getting more deeper and more dramatic in both home design and fashion at the present. Larger cultural trends have a significant influence on the day-to-day work of interior designers.
Instagram, for example, has begun to impact how commercial projects are built, particularly in the hotel industry, where it has become increasingly crucial to create ‘Instagram worthy’ settings. Technology also plays a significant role in the residential sector, with the overall trend toward smart houses changing how people traverse their environments – and how interior designers create them.
What is Signature Interior Designs doing differently than the rest of its competition?
My most important piece of advice for any aspiring interior designer is to educate themselves on the newest trends in the area of interior design. This will set you apart from the competition and elevate your designs above and beyond.
You may have to provide your skills for free for the first few jobs, but I can assure you that the information you will receive during those crucial initial projects will be invaluable. Being able to obtain the correct designs to meet your clients’ demands swiftly and successfully is critical to delivering the finest service possible and will set you apart as a designer with a great portfolio.
What does the future look like for your brand in terms of growth and expansion?
I aim to explore and acquire new abilities in interior design during the next few years. In the next years, I hope to get expertise managing large-scale projects for significant clients. I wish to maximise my talents and potential.
By constantly giving my best effort, I can assure that there will be chances to improve my worth and grow in ways that benefit both the organisation and me. I will be searching for possibilities to broaden my duties as an interior designer in order to work with a positive attitude toward my objective and reach new heights in my profession. I hope that the future years will be distinguished by significant advancements for both the firm and me.
How has your brand withstood the complexities of the industry that you are catering to in this ongoing pandemic? As one of the leading brands, what steps have you taken towards tackling all the challenges, meanwhile safeguarding your employees, and taking care of your clientele’s needs?
Many people are experiencing mental distress as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, which is altering their daily lives in unexpected ways. Initiatives to prevent COVID-19 transmission that applies to all workplaces and all employees include frequent handwashing or disinfection with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, respiratory hygiene such as cough covering, physical separation of at least 1 metre or more according to guidelines, wearing masks where distancing is not possible, and environmental cleaning.
Clear rules and communications, as well as training and education for workers and management, are required to raise awareness of COVID-19. Workplaces for medium-risk professions require daily cleaning and disinfection of items and surfaces that are touched often, including all shared rooms, surfaces, floors, restrooms, and changing rooms, at least twice a day. It is critical to ensure the safety and well-being of personnel on the job. During the epidemic, there are a lot more individuals online—people like not having to go to our office to attend meetings.
What advice would you like to give to the budding entrepreneurs who would like to venture into the interior designing space?
My recommendation to aspiring designers is to gain as much on-the-job experience as possible; working on projects teaches you far more about the complexities of design than reading books. Work at a design agency first; you will learn so much by observing how a genuine studio operates. And you’ll probably make some of your first errors in places where it’s safe to do so, surrounded by a team that will encourage you. You’ll also discover how long it takes to design, detail, and source a project.
Instead of battling alone with anything, ask questions and seek assistance. It is far better to seek expert guidance and get it right than to take a risk outside of your comfort zone and get it wrong. Do not underestimate the time it will take to create a design, especially the technical CAD drawing pack side and contractor specs.
Make sure that expert trades, such as plumbers and electricians, sense check all of your design drawings for practicality and compliance. When selecting furniture for projects, always double-check the heights of the furniture, such as the seat heights of couches and armchairs adjacent to coffee tables. Finally, when specifying goods and materials, take time evaluating their appropriateness – this includes slip ratings for bathrooms, the durability of work surfaces, textile rubs, upholstery, and fire ratings.
