Interior Designer Misbah Kapadia – Founder and curator of Design Konstruct

Interview: Interior Designer Misbah Kapadia – Founder and curator of Design Konstruct

Misbah Kapadia, a prominent face in the design industry, has worked for more than a decade. She has significant experience in designing hospitality and residential spaces. 

She is the mind behind conceptualizing the designs for some popular restaurants such as the Silver Beach Cafe in Bandra and Lokhandwala, Facing East, Madeira and Mime, Bougain Villa, Ooh Pitara, Hapaa Asian Stir in Pune, Liquor Embassy in Nashik, 1BHK Bangalore Shiv Sagar, Bangalore and many more. 

Misbah has also designed homes and retail experiences. These include a beautiful home for artist Deepti Sadhwani, a 4bhk apartment at Raheja Imperia Worli as well as a retail offering for Ethnicity in Mumbai.

Ms. Misbah Kapadia is a founder Interior Designer and has functioned in this Industry for 15 years. The journey of her learning through challenging tasks & long-term experience in this field has brought
her goodwill, recognition and earned epic success, thus boosting to this new venture of starting her own firm.

Her tour began early, during her college days at the tender age of 19 at Architect Vivek Verma, under Minnie Bhatt.

From there on, there was no looking back. At 22, she joined hands with her and became an integral part of Minnie Bhatt Designs.

There she gave 10 long years of learning and growth, which in turn evolved her with knowledge, empowerment, team – building skills and eventually leading those teams on her sites as the ‘Design Lead’ of the firm, where she successfully delivered more than 12 sites per year.

Tough as can be, her dedication and loyalty are what she is known for. Passion is what drives her on every project, as she aims to provide and deliver what the clients seek and desire to the T.

Being a perfectionist, she spreads herself all over her projects from scratch, leading till every last bit of execution of the final project. And, it does not end there for her as she believes in delivering service
even post site completion.

A firm believer of Teamwork, her fun and vivacious nature makes her a natural Team Worker and Leader as she strongly advocates in growing as a Team.

In an exclusive interview with Interior Designer Misbah Kapadia – Founder and curator of Design Konstruct explains How she start his entrepreneurial journey.

Tell us a little about yourself

Misbah Kapadia: Born and brought up in the heart of Mumbai, Bandra, I was lucky to be surrounded with old structures and beautiful architecture along with modern amenities.

The not so lost lanes of Bandra is a stroll one never forgets- It is also the place where I grew a passion for space and environments.

Having 13 years of experience in the field of Interior Designing, and having a Diploma in Interior Designing from Mumbai University, I come from a very Supportive Business Family who always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I turned my interest in designing to a passion and  decided to start my own Venture: Design Konstruct

I remember when I was in junior college; I was unsure of what career to choose, I thoroughly enjoyed designing though, and I wanted to be independent.

As I was looking for a career prospective, my sister introduced me to a Mumbai-based Interior Designer.

Thrilled by the idea of getting financially independent soon, I was eager to start working and I slowly developed interest in learning the right- angles, frames, ideas, colors, and placements. 

I got a chance to deep delve into the practical aspect of Interior Designing. I enjoyed working everyday on various projects.

So after junior college I decided to get a Diploma in Interiors and simultaneously polished my skills and gained practical knowledge of the Design Industry.  

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

Misbah Kapadia: I have functioned in this Industry for over 15 years. When I was studying in college, I utilized my time from college and assisted a renowned South Bombay-based Interior Designer.

It was then that I realized that I can do more and more and loved what I did. Through various challenging tasks & after spending a long time in this field, I then decided to boost to this new venture of starting my own firm called Design Konstruct.

Currently we are working on several hospitality, residential and other commercial spaces. I have conceptualized the designs for some popular restaurants such as the Silver Beach Cafe in Bandra and Lokhandwala, Facing East, Madeira and Mime, Bougain Villa, Ooh Pitara,Hapaa Asian Stir in Pune, Liquor Embassy in Nashik, 1BHK Bangalore Shiv Sagar, Bangalore and more.

I have also designed homes and retail experiences. These include a beautiful home for artist Deepti Sadhwani and a 4bhk residence at Raheja Imperia as well as a retail offering for Ethnicity in Mumbai.

Kindly brief us about Design Konstruct, its specialization, and the services that it offers.?

Misbah Kapadia: Design Konstruct is an interior designing firm which strongly believes in the concept ‘Design. Create. Innovate.’

We are committed to delivering spaces that fit your personality in your space and capture your brand identity.

Our firm comprises diverse multi-talented passionate professionals who are extremely client-centric and always strive to work hard and deliver the best. Design Konstruct offers forays into every form of interiors be it Residential, Commercial or Hospitality.

What made you choose the design industry?

Misbah Kapadia: The process of each project involves getting into the depth of the concept and most importantly reflecting the personality of the owner in the design.

Ever since my first project till today I think, I spend a significant portion of my time at work planning and organizing details for a particular project which is something I love doing and is a primary reason why I choose the design industry.

As a designer, we have to evolve with time and new technologies, this makes the learning process really interesting with each passing day and of course it is a different joy to enjoy what you do.

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?

Misbah Kapadia: Realizing my potential and passion, the want for creative freedom, visualizing ideas and taking a call for it independently and above all turning my dream to reality all this and Design Konstruct was born.

13 years in this field and I was confident that I could hit the bull’s eye.It’s been more than 3 years now, me and my team have a journey where we live, love and cherish

How do you see Design Konstruct and the design industry growing in India in the coming years?

Misbah Kapadia: Nowadays, individuals are getting used to the fast-paced lives and are developing a taste for high-end lifestyles. The spaces we create should not only have high aesthetic value but should also be functional.

Not only this, all of the complex urban problems will require Design thinking and this is why Design Konstruct will have a vital role to play. With time technology will also advance so it is essential to keep up with the advancements.

The onset of the pandemic and cost-effectiveness also becoming a high factor in building spaces, the interiors need to speak volumes; whether it’s the ambiance or the mood, it becomes imperative for us to figure out what the personality of a client is, and help bring it out with the elements in a space.

What’s your company’s goals?

Misbah Kapadia: We at Design Konstruct deliver what the clients seek and desire to the T. From the color of the walls to the furniture and decor items, we make sure the result is unique.

We believe in delivering service even post site completion so that there is complete client satisfaction.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

Misbah Kapadia: As an interior designer, we should know how to strike a balance between introducing modern and fresh designs while maintaining a timeless style.

The trick lies in knowing how to do this tastefully so that the client appreciates that modern trends that have been incorporated and the overall design of the interiors doesn’t go out of style after a few years.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur

Misbah Kapadia: Passion is what drives me for every project. I like to be a part of the design process from the start to the end, till every last bit of execution of the final project is done, this is the reason why I wanted to start a firm on my own. To create a space where I can collaborate, ideate and enjoy the creation process.

What is your Leadership Mantra

Misbah Kapadia: For me, the key is to adjust, and adapt as quickly as possible.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

Misbah Kapadia: As the popular saying goes… MISTAKES MAKE THE MAN

Every business has its pros and cons. I too made mistakes, rectified and learned from them, day in and day out.

Initially, I had to face competition, keep up to expectations, going through every minute detailing and handling digital pressure was a bit crucial and taking a toll so mistakes did occur.

But eventually Design Konstruct was my dream, I had to fulfill it and reach the apex of success.

I follow this truly ‘keep learning keep gaining’

What are the challenges a working woman has to face in our society? Please share a message you want to convey to working women?

Misbah Kapadia: I’ve never encountered any direct difficulties myself as a result of being female, but I’m aware of the challenges. There is a lack of gender diversity in the workplace, this is one of the challenges women face in design.

The act of designing is universally challenging and is loaded with a lot of responsibilities. Design is about exploring the social and cultural opportunities around us, and creating spaces that are comfortable and interesting for individuals.

We should create an inclusive community by having more diversity on a team. More team diversity provides a space for better conversations that lead to great ideas and innovation.

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