Shimona Bhansali As a child drawn to the thrill of creation while growing up amidst the bustling world of family businesses, Shimona tried her hand at carpentry, craft and other artistic disciplines. So, it’s not surprising that she handled her first individual project at age 17. Gaining expertise in business, she completed her management studies in 2005 – but chose a career in design. While pursuing interiors, Shimona successfully built a packaging design firm Smartwork Design Co. and sold it in 2016 to focus on her passion: interior design. Her foray into her chosen field was sparked by her involvement in projects within her inner circle, where she showcased her knack for transforming spaces with elegance and functionality. During her early days as a designer, Shimona often found herself plagued by insecurities and striving to prove her worth. But with the passage of time and after receiving positive feedback, she began to realise that design transcends technique. “It is a profound and intuitive journey, one that intertwines with our very essence,” she declares. The wealth of experience she amassed laid the foundation for this entrepreneur-turned-designer to establish DesignHex – a practice dedicated to crafting spaces that rise beyond aesthetics and resonate with purpose. Shimona attempts to weave together materials, textures and design elements to create environments that reflect her clients’ personalities and tell their unique stories. Founder & Principal Designer, DesignHex “Never shy away from ideas that scare you because those ideas are the ones that will build your brand one day” Shreeta has always admired historic architecture, both vernacular and global. But she believes it was her intrinsic desire to colour-coordinate, organise, plan and then micro plan – that eventually led her to the field of design. She did her B.Arch from Pillai College of Architecture, Mumbai University, a certificate course in Environmental Planning at CEPT, Ahmedabad, and a certificate course on Earthquake Resistant Construction in Navi Mumbai. Her work experience started out at architectural firms, but eventually deviated to interior design starting from DSP Design Associates. After working with an interior design and execution firm in Dubai, UAE, Shreeta returned to India and joined Sumessh Menon Associates (SMA) in November 2016. She initially worked on several hospitality projects within and outside Mumbai, but has segued to working exclusively on premium residential projects currently. “Whether it is architecture or interior design, any creative field requires the right mentor as well as like-minded, encouraging colleagues for one to explore one’s creative abilities. That is something I owe very much to Sumessh Menon and, of course, I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor,” she acknowledges. SMA, an interior design firm conceived more than a decade ago, specialises in highend and bespoke residential and hospitality interiors. Their work embraces both the period and the modern. The firm’s design philosophy is simply to aim for “wow” and let everything else fall into place. Shreeta Nair Senior Project Lead - Residential, Sumessh Menon Associates “I think LuxeBook is the perfect blend of art, luxury and information” | 45 | 44
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