Ar. Sahiba Madan, founder of Insitu and KalakaariHaath, shares her journey that goes beyond trends, to timeless design. Her inspiration from Indian culture, art, and artists is reflected throughout her journey. After pursuing architecture as a core, Sahiba established her home decor and furnishing and an interior design studio in 2014 and 2018 respectively. She has shared her perspectives on the ever-changing trends in interior design, the essence of timeless design, the importance of client interactions, and much more.  

1. What is the story behind you choosing architecture and design as your career? How did you get to that point?

A: It was something that I never foresaw, but was very planned. From childhood to growing up I was interested in details that make space and applied them in my room. Being more creatively inclined towards art compared to the other family members, eventually my parents recognized that and encouraged me into the right direction to pursue a career. Over time it became the most obvious language of expression to me, molding me into pouring something that I was always inclined towards. It was never that I wanted to grow up and become an architect but the fact that I was interested in and then pursued further to eventually formalize into a career.

2. We, as Indians, draw inspiration from our families and cultures for the way we choose to work and live. How has your childhood or your family influenced your style of work which is quite inclined towards Indian art?

A: Honestly, nobody in my house is in the creative field most remotely. They are all from the medical background but my mom has always had a passion for Indian handicrafts and timeless design more than anything else. Growing up, right from what my mother wore to the selection of the kinds of cushion covers, fabrics, and artifacts we had in our house, everything subconsciously surrounding the environment is where I started getting inspiration. Eventually, you end up driving back to the things that you’re so familiar with in your early years. They seem the most comfortable, the most real, and the most kind of relatable.

3. After graduating from an architecture and design background, how did you decide to establish Kalakaarihaath which focuses on Home Decor and Furnishings?

A: Honestly, it was never a conscious decision. Coming from a family, where my parents have 9 to 6 jobs and nobody had this entrepreneurial initiative in them, not even me, I always had a passion for drawing and that’s something I got to pursue. Even while studying architecture, I used a lot of time in terms of delivering my ideas via presentations or submissions. So, it’s always something that I realized I was good at and I developed a fondness for certain mediums, styles, and techniques.

Eventually, when I was working, I realized that this is something that I enjoy and I’m good at, so let me try and see if I can explore it that’s the thing with design right? You can never really stop at one point because designing is so diverse and vast, with so many overlaps. There’s always a feeling of more to explore. I think that’s where it came from and it pushed me to explore that. Eventually, you build something that is completely out of your hobby.

4. At first, you founded Kalakaarihaath and then you went with the timeless interior design studio, Insitu. The process of starting your own architecture and interior design studio must have been really overwhelming. Would you like to share some moments from the founding of your studios?

A: Formally, yes. But stepping forward, I was still practicing as an architect and interior designer and also doing it organically with friends or family. In the early years, I never tried to market it as an independent brand, until it paced up growth. Eventually, when it became too many things under one umbrella, we decided to give them each their own space and brand names. Honestly, any service industry is tough to sustain. For most days you feel exhausted and depleted due to facing the realities of life, paying bills, paying salaries, and contemplating the ideas for the next month. All these real things are much beyond the creativity that goes into having your practice.

At first, I struggled with them and that makes me so motivated. I don’t know what else I would do if I wasn’t doing this; it’s almost like being oblivious. Hence, I realized that the only way for me is to push myself. When you work with honesty and consistency, you always see light at the end of the tunnel with the fair share of lows and difficulties that nobody talks about. Even with a team of 50 people, there are still challenges at the end of the day. Such an attitude helps you to build a mindset that you can deal with whatever life throws at you.

5. When I look at your work, it’s majorly inspired by Indian art, Indian culture, and Indian artists, quite vivid. How do you incorporate Indian art into your timeless designs and what aspects of Indian culture influence your work the most?

A: For both different kinds of studios, there are different aspects. Kalakaarihaath draws inspiration from crafts and timeless design. It is about creating continuity between what has existed and what you know you want to put out there. As somebody from today’s generation, I’ve always felt like something existing for so long can’t just be abandoned and start from zero and say okay now I need to rebuild this.

It only seems logical to find something that would carry on in an uplifted way or a more contemporary way or it’s reimagined but it is relevant in an environment that is much more advanced from the technology aspect of it. So it’s good to utilize those assets that are available now but I think the idea was always to find that continuity so the story continues. Because this is also for generations down there for me and then beyond me. So I think that is the larger idea that both practices stand from.

In Insitu, we try to do it a little more in terms of just spaces that are more toward timeless design. The online thought is still the same, it’s just that in interior design and architecture so many trends come and go and it becomes difficult to consistently speak a language that is true to yourself but also connecting with people.

So I think people and our clients also value that because the majority of the work that we do are our homes and these homes are where people live for 30 years so it’s something that even today if I am in the home that I grew up in still feels like I can feel connected to it or I can feel like it’s a space that I would want to go and unwind.

6. Interior design trends are constantly changing, sometimes we can’t keep count of it. Do you find it difficult with clients to convince them of a certain idea or a design language that you specifically possess?

A:  Honestly, at the stage where we are today, most clients come to us for the language that we’re speaking, we’ve been lucky there. People are contributing to the field of design in beautiful ways and I feel that you can find the right partner in any format. So I guess people come to us with a similar thought process and that’s always been a good fortune. But, of course, some challenges come in any project, and at the end of the day it has to come from a space of collaboration.

Especially when you’re designing homes, architects end up having a lot of ego and you want to just do it your way. But I think it’s also important to find those moments where you step back and say that hey, this is a space that the other person is going to use for much longer than you’re going to be involved in it. So it should speak their language as well. If it is about giving in to some things, I don’t see that there is any shame into it or you have to find that balance.

7. I believe that the finesse in your timeless designs is achieved by going through various ups and downs throughout the years of your experience and mistakes are definitely the best guides for a better future for everyone. What are some of those projects or incidents that molded you into the architect and designer that you are today?

A: I think we make mistakes every day, I don’t think it is about one instance that changes your life. Everybody tends to talk about life in a very dramatic and glorious way where things are just happening and there’s a turning point in your life and then things just suddenly fall into place. It’s never like that. I think there are good days and bad days and even within the good days there are moments that you feel like things are just all over the place and then there are some days that you feel like you’re more grounded.

I think it’s good to be agile and that’s the crux of it, to be able to have anything that is going to last you a life that you imagine. You have to be agile, of course, introspection is important but I think over-scrutinizing sometimes is a counterproductive tool. Sometimes, shaking it off and being like, okay, tomorrow is a new day let’s see how it treats us, also helps. You don’t make progress in one day or overnight, you do it over years of practice. So, consistency is the best way to combat anything that is coming your way.

8. I believe that client interactions are way much more important than just discussing the design. Sometimes some clients leave an impact on you which stays on forever. Did you have any such clients or an incident that made you go back and think that this is something new and you’ve learned something?

A:  When you’re young and exploring, you end up taking things that the client says to you, in different ways but I don’t think there’s ever been a moment or a particular client who has been the only one who’s impacted our practice. I feel like every project so far has been giving, in its own way, in terms of learning. So many things that you learn in the management of a project, which, I feel like is way beyond the creative aspect of having a successful practice.

It’s about doing things at the right time, employing people at the right time, having the right kind of people, language, communication, all of these are very important aspects of a successful project. A lot of clients have taught us, a lot of projects have taught us how to better ourselves and further fine-tune this process. I think that’s what contributes to the bandwidth of how much you can take on or what you can really do with your time and eventually add to the scale of the practice and to your growth as well.

9. To design any project, inspiration is quite a dominant factor that drives the design towards the goal. Inspiration can be drawn from anywhere around us, it’s quite subjective and depends from person to person. Are there some hobbies or interests of yours that help you draw inspiration for the kind of work that you have today?

A:  For Insitu, especially, a lot of our inspiration comes from the client and the client brief, because we are the facilitators of their vision. Eventually, we’re trying to mold what they want. At the end of the day, of course, we’re adding layers of our expertise, we’re bringing what we do as a style into it as well. But, a lot of it stems or starts from their brief.

In Kalakaarihaath, I think it is also responding to what the customers are giving us, more encouragement and of course there are things that we feel belong to the larger body of work that we’ve done so far and build that continuity. So you still feel like you’re buying from the same brand. But again, over these years you eventually then start responding to or communicating with your customer base and developing things that they would relate to or imagine in their homes and spaces.

10. We require a sense of satisfaction when we put our heart and mind into any work that we do. I think that’s a major factor that helps us move ahead. How do you find a sense of fulfillment and purpose in your work apart from just the completion of projects?

A:  I feel like I’ve started doing this very recently, but I’ve been doing this for almost 11 years! Initially when you’re young and you’re just going through days, months, and years just working and then there was a point where I just sat down and realized that this is where we’ve come, so far, and it started as me being the only person who was responsible, contributing, responding, in charge and everything. I was that one person who was doing, creating, managing, and marketing.

What’s most gratifying is to sometimes just sit and see that there are so many other people who share this vision and who see and appreciate that you have done all this so far. It is a big enough drive for them to also push themselves and be part of an organization that means as much to me, as it is today to them. So, for me it’s a lot of fulfillment, when we launched our first store, I was just sobbing because it started with me in my parents’ home, my bedroom over there, and now we have a store where so many people are going to come and look at all these beautiful products. It’s not just me, it’s so many people who have contributed to it, so all of these moments make you feel thankful.

11. Any last advice or a message that you would like to give to our listeners?

A: I don’t think I’m wise enough to give advice. I’m just going to say that I realized when I was doing some introspection that it’s the honesty with what you do things is what relates to people. You can pretend to copy a style or borrow from something that’s trending and getting a good response for. But I feel like people are very smart and they see through all of it, they understand the idea of who is speaking honestly and who is pretending and you can only pretend for that long. So, don’t undervalue what your gut says, do it with honesty and you’ll find the voice.

A lot of times when we start, we take the plunge of doing something of our own, it takes a lot of strength to do that. But hopefully, for most people, it works out but for a lot of people, it doesn’t. I think there’s always a good time to call it and say, okay listen, I gave it my best shot and now, maybe it’s time for me to also acknowledge that this is not something that is not for me to pursue. I guess that also takes a lot of strength and guts to do that. People keep talking about persevering and just going at it for years, but I do feel like there are times that you feel like you’ve given it all still it’s not moving on to where you would imagine.

So, I think it’s always a good time to evaluate and reflect and say that maybe, there’s another path for me!

Conclusion

In this episode of TADPod with Sahiba Madan, her admiration for Indian culture is vivid. While coping with current trends, Sahiba’s design recalls the past through timeless design. Thus, her practices are a true example of incorporating timeless design roots and transforming them into current trends.