ifj

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the interior design industry and resulted in a delay in ongoing and future projects. No sourcing of materials, no physical inspection and missed project deadlines in many cases have incurred huge losses. Today, we speak to interior designers Des. Disha Bhavsar and Des. Shivani Ajmera, Principal Designers and Founders, Quirk Studio, Mumbai, on the challenges of working from home amidst the health crisis.

“The major challenge for small architecture firms and interior designers is to sustain business. As for the work-from-home policy, we try to be as connected and updated with regular video conferences. However, there’s only so much we can do at home, so we do face obstacles after a point in terms of selection and on-site work.”

“We are using the lockdown to finish design work and drawings for committed projects. There was a lot of back-end work as well such as organizing systems which we had always wanted to do but never had the time to complete. We have been doing a fun design project exercise with our team as well to build their confidence, presentation and concept skills.”

“All businesses are fearful of the recession that is to follow after the pandemic. The design fraternity has come together to sign a petition to the Finance Minister of India to support the architecture, design and allied services, and we hope to get support. Once the work resumes, we will focus on getting our ongoing projects on track and sourcing new clients alike.”