Every design in all of its intricate details, tells a story. Enchanting stories transport us from our current reality to another world. Similarly, mesmerising designs transcend us as we float down the river of time, creating the enthralling story of our lives in places designed by intricately insightful and visionary Interior Designers like Swathy Sivaraman, CEO and Chief Designer of Storyboard Designs.
Storyboard Designs caters to the tastes of a discerning audience that seeks unique luxury home decor solutions, with the view to redefine the concept of high-end living. “From residences to commercial spaces, hotel arenas or luxury resorts, we have the perfect design etched to perfection and a service commitment to be with you through this journey till you reach your milestone,” says Swathy.
Storyboard Design provides an entire ambit of solutions in the Interiors and Furnishings space in the heart of the city, with a 40000sft plush experience centre and 200+ residential projects completed. Almost 50 professional experts of the firm exquisite services ranging from design to finishing and delivery.
On the Quest of Brilliance
Swathy, an Architect/Interior Designer with a keen sense of harmonious colours and modernistic design nuances, pursues brilliance with tenacity. Her passion for design is concentrated in the contemporary, fusion, luxury, and minimalistic design sub-genres, fuelled by her love for creating unique spaces and exceeding existing design and service excellence benchmarks. Travel is her main source of inspiration––her global travels broaden her perspective on art and rekindle her creative side at the same time.
Some accolades and achievements:
- Reality+ Women Achiever in Interior Design 2022
- Storyboard Design” Received an award for the “Most Promising and Creative interior design firm” – the great Indian – entrepreneurship, business, design & start up award 2022
- “Most trendsetter Women interior designers of 2022” – the great Indian – entrepreneurship, business, design & start up award 2022
- Panelist Speaker in IIR/WADe
- Part of the European Architecture Expedition chosen by a renowned Organization
- Featured as the Editor’s Choice in Woman Entrepreneur Magazine
- Global Woman Inspiration Award
- The Crazy tales – Powerful women awards – Best interior designer
- Icons of Asia – Woman entrepreneur of the year 2022 (event yet to happen)
- Glantor News X – Top 10 Empowered Women 2022
An Artistic Saga of Storyboard Designs
Swathy realises her project vision by combining a client’s desires, analysing them against global trends, and aligning them with her grand vision of luxury appeal. She can envision not only the ideal décor solution but also a clear roadmap for Storyboard Designs in the future, thanks to her university experience at Harvard and the know-how she gathered during her time in board rooms.
“My journey is motivated by my love for art and architecture,” Swathy says of her journey. Her passion is reflected in her many degrees, including a Bachelor of Architecture from UVCE in Bangalore and a Master of Environmental and Sustainability Management from HES, Harvard University in Boston. “Spaces, like their owners, reflect an inimitable sense of individuality,” she says. This design-created bond includes a story that begs for expression. This is what we do for our clients at Storyboard Design.”
Swathy believes that the design field chose her rather than the other way around. “I recall spending a month in a Telecommunications Engineering course that opened my eyes to a void in my soul—a void for creativity and imagination.” “I decided to pursue Architecture because I loved the creative process,” she says.
Swathy honed her skills with other large firms such as WS Atkins, KGD Architects, and Nelson Consultants before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey with Storyboard Designs. In addition to her role as a designer, she developed a holistic approach and gained quality insights by handling responsibilities such as Project Management, Procurement, Accounting, Operations, and Business Development. “Everything I’ve learned now helps me in my leadership role at Storyboard Designs,” she says.
She goes on to say that her goal and greatest challenge in fulfilling two roles as a designer and head of Storyboard design is not only delivering her aesthetic version but also syncing that vision with her client’s, gathering a pragmatic understanding of available materials, optimising cost-fitting in the budgetary requirements, and ensuring timely execution from artisans of diverse skills, expertise, and backgrounds.
Obstacles: Upside Down Opportunities
According to Swathy, Storyboard Designs was created as a synchronised ideology of two women who are fervently passionate about design and hungry for entrepreneurial success. Swathy’s business partner, “Jyothi Jain-the guiding force,” comes from a family of successful entrepreneurs and made her mark in the furnishings industry with a lavish and luxurious 40,000 Sq. Ft showroom in the heart of Bangalore. “When we met to discuss opportunities, there was no doubt that the combination of her market experience and my design expertise could give birth to a firm of intangible essence,” Swathy says.
“I believe every obstacle is an upside-down opportunity.”
They started with a three-person team: Swathy, Jyothi, and a junior designer who would manage everything from site visits to design development, execution, and payment collection. When faced with a challenge, they innovated and found solutions that were useful for the next project. “Continuous learning and unlearning is an important part of this dynamically changing industry,” Swathy believes.
They are now a professional family of over 50 people. With this vast and agile organisational structure, they are able to provide service excellence to clients with varying budgets, having completed over 200 high-end projects in luxury residences, corporate and commercial spaces across India in just five years.
Crafting People’s Homely Reflections
When asked about Storyboard Designs’ unique selling points, Swathy stated that spaces are filled with people’s emotional charges that reflect their stories. The vision of Storyboard Design is to carve a beautiful story out of those positively resonating charges in the form of their homely interiors, which mirror the bond between those spaces and the people who live in them.
Swathy goes on to say that they strive to make interior design services available to anyone who desires well-crafted spaces, not just the wealthy and elite. Their simple ideology is that, rather than being constrained by budget, design formats, and material selection, they would create beautiful spaces that people would consider their own, whether for living or working. “We take pride in offering only the highest quality products combined with exemplary service that leads to our clients referring us for additional projects,” Swathy adds.
Winning the Game
Swathy explains the differences between the two worlds by stating that when working for a typical MNC, she must fulfil her responsibilities within the measurable predefined parameters that will advance her career. “It was very different from when I first started my business. This entrepreneurial journey reminded me of the beginning of another motherhood experience. “You have to own it, nurture it, and instil good ethics and culture in the company,” Swathy believes.
She also claims that being in a position of authority, delegating and assigning tasks to others, and being responsible for the well-being of your entire workforce can be overwhelming at times. And, paradoxically, this gives the impression of empowerment. “I often find the journey to be like a game of chess,” Swathy says. Each component contributes to the firm’s success and failures collectively, teaching you the fundamentals of the business world such as hierarchy, teamwork, competition, risk assessment, stability, planning, and sacrifice.
Distinctively Derived Designs
Swathy’s design passions are contemporary, minimalistic, and fusion sub-genres, as she reflects on her design approach. “White space flamboyance is my fervour, which I try to bring out subtly through my creativity,” she says. Integrating design with the inmate’s style and story within an empty space complements my journey of space transformation.”
Her most significant source of inspiration is travel. “While my travels around the world broaden my perception of art, my visit to Europe in particular constantly rekindles my creative side!” she says. My trips to Milan’s renowned design exhibition, Salon Del Mobile, continue to broaden my understanding of brilliance.” The Italians’ artistry, according to Swathy, enchants her the most because of their unique way of combining various composite materials such as wood, metal, leather, and lacquer into one product. “This, combined with the Indian way of playing with colour, allows me to project distinctive and strong ideas,” she adds.
A Constellation Full of Wisdom Stars
Swathy asserts in her compassionate advice to all aspiring entrepreneurs, especially the women folks that nothing, least of all your gender, can stop you from getting what you want.
“We are very close to the future of brightness and equality in our endeavour to free ourselves from the bonds of mediaeval perspectives,” she adds. If you focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, believe me when I say you will shine like a star in your professional sky through your work.”
She goes on to say that whether you are a girl, daughter, mother, wife, or anyone else, multitasking and embracing challenges as opportunities is the only way to get ahead.
“Do you have a business idea? Take a chance. Do you have a design that could set or break trends? Take a chance. Want to go on vacation and do nothing but invest in yourself? Simply go for it. “You’re empowered, you’re with us, and we’re with you,” she says.
