How Design Cafe went from 2 people to a 350-member team in 3 years
The founders of Bengaluru-based company believe that great designs have the power to change how you work, play and live.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
Agencies
The founders of Bengaluru-based Design Cafe believe that great designs have the power to change how you work, play and live. The company offers concept-to-completion interior solutions, specialising in creating, manufacturing and delivering designer home interiors.
Shezaan Bhojani, cofounder and CEO, Design Cafe shares his journey with ETPanache.
How was Design Cafe born?
My partner Gita Ramanan and I ran a traditional architectural practice specialising in premium homes and commercial spaces. Design Cafe was inspired by the large gap that existed in the mid-segment. Backed by a strong technology platform, we began offering unique solutions to clients through comprehensive packages that start from just Rs 6 lakh for a designer home. Every home is custom designed to be unique in character and every room is planned for your purpose. Most of our projects include homes ranging between Rs 6 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Your role involves intense coordination between various parties. How do you ensure you adhere to timelines and budgets? Unlike other players who are at the mercy of contract workers, we employ different agencies on our payroll to make them more accountable.
We also have software that tracks the deliverables of all involved. The in-house design team prioritises customers and their lifestyles and the in-house production team executes these designs to perfection. With us, a designer home experience is hassle-free; manufactured and expertly installed in less than 120 days. We offer end-to-end interior solutions for an entire home starting at Rs 6 lakh onwards.
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What do you enjoy the most about your work? We gain immense satisfaction from giving people the designer home of their dreams, with the best home accessories from across the world, within their budget.
What are the latest trends in the industry? “Today there is a high demand for functional furniture among global Indians,” says Ramanan. “Through our thoughtful design innovations, we ensure multipurpose furniture and near-zero wastage of living space.”
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What lies ahead for Design Cafe? We plan to launch a unique experience centre in Mumbai shortly, along the lines of the ones in Whitefield and MG Road (Bengaluru), apart from extending our presence into Pune and Hyderabad in the next six months. From currently delivering two homes a day, we hope to deliver eight to 10 homes a day next year. “Despite our humble beginnings as a two-member team, we are today a 350-strong family, in just three years. This is just the beginning,” says Ramanan.
Home Décor Hacks: How To Make The Most Of Your Small Space
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If you are living in a small home or are planning to shift to a studio apartment, make the most out of the space by choosing the right colour schemes, décor and furniture.
Surabhi Mittal, founder, RevivedbySurabhi, and Purba Kalita, co-founder, SaleBhai.com, have some easy hacks to keep clutter at bay while jazzing up your house.
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Just choose a bright corner of any part of the house. Add a colourful cotton rug, throw some pillows, a lamp (go for something unique, such as marble), a handful of tabletops, and a bright painting on the wall to tie it all together.
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For instance, look for a storage ottoman that can be replaced as a coffee table or opt for a foldable dining table.
Do not pick bulky furniture that may make your rooms look cramped and cluttered.
Choose furnishings of the right size and the ones that lighten up the space.
While choosing furniture, go for multi-functional ones. That's the best you can do to make the most of your small space.
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You can choose a piece of art that also creates a division to your apartment or for a particular corner or a wall.
Instead of hanging three to four small frames on a wall, exaggerate the photo prints to give more depth to your wall.
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In a small apartment, visible storages such as cabinets, baskets and boxes may make your space look cluttered. The ideal solution would be to opt for hidden storages.
The key is making use of all the empty spaces such as the crawl space underneath the stairs, empty space under the bed or even the gaps beneath the floor boards.
(With inputs from IANS)
In a small apartment, visible storages such as cabinets, baskets and boxes may make your space look cluttered. The ideal solution would be to opt for hidden storages.
The key is making use of all th..
