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Interview with Impression Design Studio by Kalpanaa
1. What inspired you to start Impression Design Studio, and how has your design journey evolved over the years?
Honestly it wasn’t some big lightbulb moment. I was working on residential projects and kept seeing the same problem — architect does one thing, contractor does another, and the poor client is stuck in the middle trying to make sense of it all. I thought, why not just build a studio that handles design and execution together, so the client isn’t running around. In the beginning I took on almost every project that came my way, which honestly taught me a lot but also burnt me out a bit. Now I’m way more picky, not about budget or size, but whether it’s something we can actually pour ourselves into. Looking back, the studio has gone from “let’s just get work” to having an actual identity of its own.
2. Your work focuses on modern, timeless homes. What does “timeless design” mean to you personally?
For me it’s got nothing to do with following a particular style. It’s more about whether a space still feels good five, ten years down the line. I always ask myself — will the client still like this wall or this material when the trend has died down? Good proportions, natural materials, proper light — that’s where I start. Trends are fine in small doses, a cushion here, a light fixture there, but if your whole home is built around what’s “in” right now, it’ll feel dated the second something new comes along.
3. How do you understand a client’s personality and lifestyle before developing a design concept for their home?
The first meeting, I mostly just listen. I don’t even sketch anything. I’ll ask things like where do you actually eat your breakfast, do you host people often, does mess bother you or do you not even register it. These small questions tell me so much more than “what’s your style.” I also watch how couples talk to each other during these meetings — who defers to who, who gets excited about what — that tells me a lot about how the space needs to work for both of them. By the time I sit down to design, I’m not designing for “a client,” I’m designing for actual people with actual habits I’ve picked up on.
4. What is one design element you believe can completely transform the look and feel of a space?
Lighting, hands down. You can nail the furniture, get the colours perfect, and if the lighting’s off, none of it matters. I’ve seen half-done spaces that felt cold and lifeless, and then once we added warm layered lighting — dimmers, wall washers, the works — suddenly the same room felt inviting. Nobody notices good lighting because it just feels natural. They only notice bad lighting.
5. How do you balance aesthetics, functionality, and practicality while designing a home?
I stopped seeing these as different things fighting each other a while back. If something looks gorgeous but doesn’t actually work for the family living there, then it’s not really good design, it’s just decoration. So I always ask the boring questions first — how many people cook in this kitchen at once, where do school bags end up after 3pm, does this family actually sit and eat together. Those answers shape everything else. Honestly my favourite compliment isn’t “wow this looks amazing,” it’s when a client tells me six months later that the house still works the way they hoped.
6. For turnkey projects, what are the biggest challenges involved in managing a project from concept to final handover?
Timing, mostly. So many things are happening at once — civil work, electrical, carpentry, finishing — and if even one thing runs late it messes up everything lined up after it. That part is manageable with good planning. What’s harder is managing the client’s nerves along the way, because a home mid-construction always looks worse before it looks better. I try to be upfront early on — I tell people, week eight is going to look like a mess, don’t panic, that’s normal. Because it usually is exactly when things start coming together.
7. How do you approach material and colour selection when creating a cohesive interior?
I usually pick one thing I’m confident about first — could be a stone, could just be a feeling like “warm” or “airy” — and then test everything else against that. I keep palettes pretty tight, three or four tones running through the whole house, and let texture do the heavy lifting instead of adding more colours. If I can’t explain why something’s in the room, it probably doesn’t need to be there.
8. Mumbai and Thane homes often have space constraints. What are some smart design solutions you use to make smaller spaces feel more open?
People forget vertical space exists. Everyone’s obsessed with floor area and totally ignores everything above eye level. I also push clients towards built-ins over loose furniture, because built-ins can be designed to almost disappear into the wall instead of cluttering things up visually. Mirrors help too, but placement is everything — a mirror opposite a window does way more than one just stuck on a random wall. And sometimes the smartest thing is just knocking down a partial wall between two tiny rooms. People are always shocked how much bigger a space feels once you stop boxing every corner in.
9. What is one design trend you enjoy using, and one trend you think homeowners should use thoughtfully?
I’ve been really enjoying earthy tones lately — rust, olive, warm browns. They photograph well but they also age well, which not every trend does. On the flip side, I’d say open shelving needs more thought before people jump on it. Looks amazing in a styled photo, but it needs a level of daily tidiness most real homes just don’t have, especially with kids around. I’ve had clients regret it within a year because it just turned into visible clutter instead of that curated look they wanted. A trend should suit how you live, not just how you want your house to look in one photo.
10. Looking ahead, what kind of projects or design ideas would you love to explore with Impression Design Studio?
I’d love to do a few weekend homes, something outside the city where space isn’t as tight as it is in Mumbai or Thane, and design can breathe a bit more. I’m also curious about older heritage-style homes — figuring out how to bring in modern function without stripping away what makes them special in the first place. And on a smaller note, I want to work more closely with local craftsmen, so more of what goes into our projects is actually handmade, not just picked off a catalogue.