"God is in the details, I believe that technique, technology, detailing and proportions can fuse together to create brilliant design"
Ruchi Sharma
Several underdog sectors have considerably and immensely made their firm space in the booming industrial scenario of India and one of these is interior designing.
Hiring an interior designer is no more a chapter from the books of riches but more of an integral part of the cosmopolitan culture.
Under the able guidance and supervision of Ruchi Sharma, a Principal experiential designer, Ruchi S Design was launched in 2013, offering its customers everything in interior design. Also, façades design like consulting, lighting, interior styling, space planning & zoning, landscape, product, art installations, etc. bringing all the services under one roof of an experiential design firm.
Ruchi was born in Mumbai to a homemaker, Suresh Bala Sharma, and a businessman/entrepreneur, Purshottam Sharma. She attended St. Anthony's Girls' High School, Chembur, after which she pursued her Bachelor's Degree in commerce from SIES College of Arts, Science, and Commerce.
She then went on to study design at the prestigious Rachna Sansad College Mumbai. She currently lives in Mumbai with over a decade of experience in designing high-end residential homes for clients across the country.
Ruchi today has made a name for herself as a budding entrepreneur with Ruchi S Design. Her design aesthetic unites rich Indian art forms with modern designs and techniques.
Ruchi feels that her company does not just run a business. They run a professional practice. Hence it becomes their moral duty to educate the clients to the best of their knowledge on various aspects of the project.
Hence, they provide sustainability, material sensitivity, budgets, quality checks, research & development all under a holistic design umbrella.
This approach landed her the first client she worked with, it was a leading businessman who let her spread her wings of creativity and provided her with the freedom she needed to design the space her way.
"Located in a 1960s art-deco building, this project was initiated by the need to create maximum space internally. Therefore, a complete space-planning layout was created by gutting the area and breaking down the walls", she says.
Drawing great inspiration from Indian craft, she loves using an array of interesting metals, textiles, paintings, and woodcarvings.
She leans towards incorporating an eclectic, minimalist look in her designs and composes her projects around a central key thought such as 'zen philosophy', 'energize', 'transform' etc.
"I see myself growing with each project. At Ruchi S Design(RSD), we strike a balance between the best of the old and new to express ourspecial love for art and architecture"
further added Ruchi.
Ruchi draws her inspiration from the details to provide the client with the best space planning and zoning layout, which helps with achieving 70% of the job. For a long, design aesthetics have been the forte of Ruchi S Design. The clients swear by their services and have complete faith in them.
"My design inspirations are ART for my Façade Designing, Nature & Architecture for my Interior Designing project. My Guru's was Ar. Laurie Baker, Artist Mira Alfassa & Rajiv Saini"
Ruchi asserts,
Her design style and work philosophy are personified by the quote, "God is in the details." She believes that technique, detailing and proportions can fuse to create a brilliant design.
Sharma also draws a great deal of inspiration from the innovative, thought-provoking engineering of international museums, art installations, and structures.
In conjunction with this, she also looks to using Indian tradition and craft in the form of wood parquetry, metal, precious stone inlays, stone carvings, textiles, dari, etc.
In 2006, Sharma began working with one of India's leading interior designers and architects, Rajiv Saini. In the six years, she worked with Rajiv Saini & Associates. He became her mentor and guide in the art world.
She collaborated with him on dozens of premium projects nationwide. During her experience with him, she refined her creative vision, gained inspiration, and evolved as a designer in her own right.
Later in 2012, Sharma travelled to Munich, Germany, for a year, where she studied the ancient science of Vastu under a renowned European teacher. She makes it a point to try and integrate this study into all her current design projects and ventures.
She spent her time in Germany soaking in the culture and exceptional design aesthetic. Taking a timeout to study European architecture, Sharma was moved by the technique, precision, and skill that European design displayed.
While in Germany, she came across the stunning work of Stirling Prize Winner Sir David Alan Chipperfield, and to date, she draws immense inspiration from his stunning sense of style.
Ruche proudly states, "We are giving an experiential design approach to all my projects & my clients. We have bagged awards for FionaDiamonds, being the most efficiently designed Retail Store of India within 1000 sqft of area."
Also, in 2014, Ruchi S Design received a 'Workspace of the Year nomination from the Trends Excellence Awards for Architecture & Design organization.
The interior designers are dime a dozen, but very few make the optimum use of this space. RSD makes sure that it creates pure, eclectic, or dramatic spaces.
Sharma has been an active member of the 'Shri Hari Har Trust' since the time of its conception. Started by her father, Purshottam Sharma, close to 13 years ago, the trust is dedicated to the rehabilitation and uplifting of the farmers and families in the Vada District of Maharashtra.
An in-depth analysis and study of the region revealed that the main problems faced were alcoholism and severe poverty.
Determined to make a change, Sharma built a temple spread across 13 acres in Vada. Through this she educated the farmers, improved their work practices, and thus strived to uplift its people.
The trust also takes care of its environmental duties and plants trees and distributes saplings among the people making sure that they are doing the best they can to take care of the region.
Looking to bring in more people to join its crusade, they're approaching various trusts, individuals, corporate houses, and NGOs to lend a hand.
Ruchi wraps by saying, "We are looking forward to designing art-inspired architectural facades/canvas with Energy efficient materials &lighting designs for Indian Temples, with a holistic exterior & interior lighting consultant."
On a relentless pursuit of inspiration, Sharma continues to explore, grow and evolve as a designer. Influenced by the energies of the earth, she looks to incorporate nature in her design. However, she can be in the form of natural skylights, green walls, or free-flowing water bodies.
Whether a residential design or a commercial workspace, she makes sure it radiates a sense of calm and serenity.
