Far From Minimal

Interior designer Minnie Bhatt’s eye for detail is what gives her designs striking character

When were you first drawn to design?

MB: I was studying commerce at HR College in Mumbai and after the second year, I discovered I had a lot of time on hand. My best friend from school mentioned that she was thinking of applying for an interior design course and I decided to give it a shot too. I got into the Sophia Polytechnic for a Diploma in Interior Design and this started my career in design. I interned with Fine Lines Designers headed by Sunil Jasani and Sangeeta Mansharmani and it was there that I got really involved in the field and learnt a lot. I worked with them for four years and this gave me a very strong foundation in the field.

How did Minnie Bhatt Designs come about?

MB: Post Fine Lines Designers, I was associated with a couple of architects on residential projects for about eight years, and doing a few projects independently too. I founded Minnie Bhatt Design ten years ago, as I felt the need to have greater independence with regards to my design language. I set up a small office in Bandra (in Mumbai) without a single project in hand! My associate and friend Misbah Kapadia has been with me throughout. We got a couple of very good residential projects at the time and with time we grew our staff and relocated to our own office space at Kamala Mills four years ago. Our projects range from residential and commercial to religious spaces.

How do you approach a new project?