An enthusiastic Shivangi says, “I love myself, my work and I love making the world beautiful around me.”
Be it a home that is painted with our quirks or a workplace that ticks the entire “cool quotient”, we desire a place that piques our interest for more. Making such places a reality is Shivangi Shahane Phanse, an Interior Design Consultant. She has over 19 years of experience and specializes in creating interiors for luxury living spaces, theme-based commercial spaces and modern corporate workspaces. Besides, she has also worked on coveted retail places like Tata Capital and Lakmé beauty during her long career in the industry.
Dig deeper into this conversation we at Storiyaan shared with Shivangi to discover the know-how of interior designing and more.
Shivangi Shahane Phanse: Designing The Dream Homes
Interview
Questions and answers
Being in love with our work is always the key to achieving better results. What do you love the most about being an interior designer?
I love to see the happy faces of my clients when I hand over their dream home to them. This gives me immense satisfaction and a feeling that I could contribute something delightful to their lives. And this is the best part of being an interior designer.
How important is it to have good chemistry between you and your clients to achieve better results?
Oh! That’s extremely important. Interior designing is a journey of 4-8 months and an experience for a lifetime for the clients. Therefore, the designer and the clients should be on the same page. For best results, the client should show confidence in the designer and the designer should work towards bringing the best.
Do you have a key feature or element which your projects would never be complete without?
Yes, I do. In most of the projects, I love utilizing the full height precisely from the ceiling to the floor. I strongly feel this gives a larger than life feels to the room. In addition, I believe that ‘God is in Details’; I put a thought process to every minutest detail in the space.
Choosing the right piece for a design set might seem an easy task but it takes a long time to find the perfect match. What advice do you have for those who do not know how to start a challenge like this?
Firstly, my advice will be that one should decide on a concept, for example, an ethnic décor, a modern décor or so on. To streamline the process, I would recommend them to search images online and identify one image which they connect the most. Apart from that, you should analyze the colour scheme, textures, furniture design to understand your client’s preferences and here you win the design game!
Where do you get inspiration for your projects and research to get acquainted with the new trends of this dynamic field?
I consider Instagram and Pinterest to be my bible and I follow renowned designers and reputed design magazines. My research and inspiration includes learning from such well-known designers and seamlessly using them in creating timeless designs.
What do you consider to be the most satisfactory piece of work in your portfolio and why?
Although I love all my projects, some are close to my heart. One such project is a compact home interior I recently completed in Thane. I wanted to try my hand on a neo-classic theme. Fortunately, the clients were on board with me and this resulted in an extremely serene space. As for other aspects of the home, companies like that cladding painting near me may also be of great help in beautifying the home.
What role does a designer’s perspective play in making a house perfect?
Hiring a designer gives you a professional, systematic and experienced approach towards a functional and aesthetically pleasing place. We as designers, infuse our experience and knowledge to balance your needs, ideas and preferences in turn saving your money and time. Hence, a designer’s perspective often plays a major role in perfecting the house of your dreams.
Can you tell us a bit about the packages and services offered by the ANS and how are the prices set?
We don’t believe in packages as every client and place has specific needs and choices. Therefore, we understand the client’s expectation, budget and scope of work and then give them specific personalized solutions.
How did ‘The Blueprint of my Destiny’ happen? Can you enumerate the events that led to the conception of the idea for the book?
It took me 19 years to reach where I am. In retrospect, I realize that if I had proper guidance and awareness, I would have reached here in half the time. Additionally, I felt that I should do something so that the younger generation does not repeat the same mistakes as me. And that’s how ‘the Blueprint of my Destiny’ happened.
How can the readers connect with you if they ever require your services?
I am readily available via emails at shivangi@ansdesign.in. Apart from that, you can also connect with me on my Instagram page – @shivangishahanephanse.
What is your methodology of incorporating clientele suggestions into your vision even though the two seem to clash?
I always ensure to express the pro and cons of any deviation from the mainstream. Moreover, I always give options or ensure some flexibility in my designs to incorporate their ideas. Accordingly, I leave the decision on the client after all they are the end-users.
Quick 5
1. Your earliest creative work – Painting the inside of our bungalow’s boundary wall.
2. One tip for rookie designers – Focus on experience over money.
3. Your favourite designers – A plenty of them.
4. If you could own just one stand-out design piece, what would you choose? Any classy piece of furniture in solid wood.
5. If not a designer, you would be a/an – Artist.