Neha Jaene – ‘Indian design thrives on balance’

What sets Indian design apart from other global styles?

Indian design is layered. It’s never about one material, one colour, or one idea. Our spaces embody a cultural complexity including rituals, diverse climates, extended families, and a high tolerance for visual richness.

Indian design thrives on balance: how to simplify without losing its identity, and how to modernise without erasing its roots.

Unlike the stripped-down minimalism often seen globally, Indian design thrives on balance: how to simplify without losing its identity, and how to modernise without erasing its roots.

How does traditional Indian design influence your work, and are there other cultures or styles that have inspired your creative approach?

We don’t treat tradition as an aesthetic to replicate, but as a mindset to adopt and cherish. Courtyards, carved screens, verandahs, these were never just decorative; they were ingenious solutions for light, ventilation, and community living. We reinterpret those ideas for modern contexts.

We don’t treat tradition as an aesthetic to replicate, but as a mindset to adopt and cherish.

Our work often experiments with the ethnic side of elements, such as brass liquid finishes, antique brass detailing, woven rattan, cane panels, and carved wooden inserts. We also draw on hand-painted murals, terrazzo featuring local aggregates, and textiles such as khadi or ikat in our soft furnishings. These touches are not used as “heritage décor,” but as living materials and techniques that bring tactility, memory, and rootedness into contemporary spaces.

For us, Indianness lies in the layered richness of how materials are used, how light is filtered, and how craft traditions are integrated, so that a space feels at once familiar, modern, and timeless.

You’ve said that ‘Each project is defined by a balance of storytelling, material sensibility, and spatial flow.’ In what ways does this balance guide your design decisions?

Every hospitality, commercial or residential space we design has a narrative, sometimes drawn from the family’s heritage, sometimes from the site itself. That story defines the choices we make.

Materials ground the story in tactility — a lime plaster wall tells a different tale than a glossy veneer. And spatial flow ensures the narrative is lived, not just seen. This three-part lens keeps the design both meaningful and functional.

Do you find that clients have become more willing to make bold design choices over the years? How do you encourage them to embrace innovative design?

Yes, but cautiously. Earlier, “bold” often meant just a brighter wall colour. Today, it can mean experimenting with exposed cement, curved walls, custom-built art furniture, or even designing entire rooms around one strong material. The shift is that clients are willing to explore, but they want reassurance that boldness won’t compromise comfort or functionality.

The shift is that clients are willing to explore, but they want reassurance that boldness won’t compromise comfort or functionality.

That’s where we step in by making the unfamiliar tangible. Our Sassy Bow project in Delhi, where the clients wanted to avoid the usual gilded luxury and instead embrace art-led boldness. We introduced sculptural furniture, undulating ceiling finishes, and hand-painted murals in communal spaces. Once the family could visualise how these moves wouldn’t overwhelm but rather elevate their home, they embraced the idea wholeheartedly.

Boldness, then, is less about shock value and more about conviction.

Once clients see that, they often surprise themselves with how far they’re willing to go.