The Personal Touch
Rupande Shah, 50 Architect, designer and space planner
Trained in architecture from Academy of Architecture, Mumbai, and Pratt Institute, New York, Rupande Shah’s first break in the city was a chance to remodel a room in a family friend’s house. “When I moved to Kolkata in the 80s, I was so frustrated with lack of work that I felt no job was too small,” she says. Shah has now built an eponymous boutique firm that has won awards and completed over 400 assignments in and around the city. Initially, being one of the few women in the business was a drawback. “I was starting out in a very male dominated industry where men tend to trust women less when it comes to matters of money. But designing a home required site visits, meeting suppliers along with a family member. I soon realised that people trusted a woman more in these things. My drawback became my advantage,” she says proudly.
Shah’s architectural background helped her in understanding the spaces she decorated. Pointing to the surroundings of a private bungalow in Alipore that she completed working on recently, she says, “In this one, I had the luxury of a lot of space and my brief was to pick very high-end interiors. But it didn’t have a nice view. So I had to find ways to get natural light in without emphasising on the view,” she says.
Even though her client list is exclusive and most tend to prefer imported, high-end luxurious items with sleek finishing, it’s not her preferred style. “I always look at the need of the space. For a farmhouse overlooking the river, I convinced a client to try a rough Jaisalmer stone and cane furniture. The same client’s home in Kolkata is sleek and contemporary,” she says. At Rupande Shah & Associates, 5, Rameshwar Shaw Road Tel 40261817 Contact rupande.shah@gmail.com