The Interior Design and Construction industry in Bangalore is booming, if you take a stroll through any of the commercial hubs of Bangalore you will see a business catering to home interiors every 100 meters, be it a design agency, a furniture shop or a furnishing store. The growing demand of manicured homes fuelled by rising disposable incomes is being catered to by droves of funded startups, architects and independent designers including some fly-by-night operators.
Doing up a home is a deeply emotional journey for a family, one that represents years of savings, aspirations, and dreams. However if you ask someone who has tread that path, more often than not they will tell you disappointing stories about the three month promise that ran into 6, the initial quote that more than doubled by the time the project ended and the team that suddenly went missing due to financial mismanagement, overcommitment, or lack of planning
Pinterest Feed & The Low Cost Trap
While it is easy to finger point the design industry for these issues, the root cause is actually double edged. Unlike industries with clear pricing and standards, interior design operates in a grey area. Every firm functions differently, making it hard for customers to know what’s fair and what’s not. In addition, Social Media has fuelled aspirations for Pinterest-perfect homes, but often, homeowners expect these results at an unrealistically low cost. The lack of standards and Pinterest fed customers leads to something called A Low-Cost Trap – picking the cheapest quote built on Pinterest pictures, not realizing that lower costs often mean compromises on materials, craftsmanship and capability. On the other hand , that home in the Pinterest picture … that itself may be an AI Generated Render impossible to create in the real world – much like the Barbie doll who would have to defy the laws of Physics to just stand straight if she were human.
Warring Quotes
Providing a quote for a comparison war at the very start of an engagement without first understanding the customer’s lifestyle, requirements, and needs in itself is detrimental to the vendor-client relationship – this customer expectation as well as the industry’s acceptance to cater to it is the key culprit behind cost escalations. While expecting a quote for furniture is reasonable, building a home for a family involves much more than simply purchasing furniture for a home. Even selecting the right furniture requires structured design planning against a theme. Decisions on finishes, styles, lighting, furnishings, furniture, panelling and more, all play a crucial role in determining the final cost—something that cannot be accurately estimated without a design signoff. Creating a home that reflects, as well as caters to your family’s dreams and aspirations CANNOT begin with a quote; it starts with a thoughtful discussion that leads to a well-planned design—only then can an accurate quote follow.
The Designer Wife and the Father in Law
With no entry barriers, nor a qualification requirement, the interior design business has become everyone’s playing field. The job role pops up in the funniest of places – nearly every celebrity’s wife is an Interior Designer, Fashion Designer’s – who only have the word “Designer” common in their designation, are dabbling in Interiors. Father’s in Law, retired 20 years ago are into Interiors. From Nikhil Kamath’s eyesore home to belts full of Gold – everything has a connection to an Interior Designer. The other day I was in audience of an ear-sore musical concert, what was the full time job of the part time singer on stage? … take a guess . I held back tears and nearly quit that day.
The point I am trying to make is that with so many wearing the crown embossed with the words “Interior Designer” (like the King of Burgers), home-makers really do not know who to trust with their dream home. So what do they do? – they place their trust in God, some go along with the friend’s friend’s wife, some with the retired architect uncle, some decide based on the designer’s dazzling office and some with the lowest price quote – and we all know well what that leads to.
While I offer no solution, maybe it is through transparency, professionalism and customer education that this trust issue can be ironed out – and that is what this article is all about – “customer education” … as a wise person once said – “Padho Ge To Badho Ge”
