Pooja Gupta, an interior designer and founder of I-Design Studios and Amiraah, a luxury fashion destination in Kanpur is known for her design practices rooted in Indian aesthetics, local culture, and natural forms. While she enjoys wearing the hat of both a designer and a curator, her design narratives have shifted from turnkey projects to restorations and she enjoys the process and states, “I 
see how craftsmanship revival and sustainability are intertwined and how more and more people are turning to time-honored crafts to feel the connection to nature, to a place they are attached to, to themselves. In a detailed conversation with TMM, Kanpur-born Pooja talks about her design philosophy, her art of balancing innovation and restoration and how the city has shaped her attention to detail.
From fashion to interior, how did this shift in the creative world happen to you?
The reverse is true actually; Amiraah India was initially a home decor store wherein I focused on interiors. However, I began to curate fashion labels and that helped me gain more visibility. Gradually, the fashion side of things took over the main identity of the store, and currently, we are one of the top multi-designer stores in Kanpur.
You belong to Kanpur, how the memories of the city have inspired your creative aesthetics?
My childhood has been spent in various parts of UP, as my father used to travel a lot because of his job. Before his passing, he was stationed in Kanpur (which also happened to be my mother’s hometown) and that’s when this city became my permanent home. I cannot pinpoint specific things or 
rituals that evoke inspiration or creativity but definitely, my years of travel have helped shaped my aesthetics. Sometimes when I visit local markets or pass by old homes, maybe a certain structure or a pop of colour will set my creative wheel turning. Kanpur is that kind of city where every experience is rich and unique because the city changes every day. So within my work, I’d say I’m inspired every day by what I see.
You are known for restoring vintage properties and furniture. Tell us about the most exciting and challenging restoration project you did to date.
I’ve always had a passion for restoration and at the start of my career, I never had opportunities to actively work with vintage items. However, my clients would part with me, some of their prized vintage collections and I began working on restoration from there. I believe that furniture pieces and items are not just beautiful to look at, but are a repository of memories. A tangible go-between the past and the present. One of my clients in fact had this table which was previously usedby her father and she didn’t want to part with it. It was the only tangible memory of her father. I restored this table, her office and we went as to restore the whole house as a part of a restoration project. Amiraah participates in a lot of these kinds of projects.
The I-Design studio reflects your creative philosophy. Tell us about the studio and what inspires you when to comes to interior designing?
I am absolutely in love with Indian handicrafts and European architecture. I am so much influenced by European architecture, whether it’s the big windows, long arches, high ceilings that you’ll find such structures featured heavily in my work. My design philosophy is quite fluid as I am constantly learning and evolving. I believe I tend to aesthetics which are of an old-world charm with modern innovations and techniques. I think this kind of potpourri of globalization and vintage restoration is interesting and pinning India’s heritage to the forefront is very important to me.
As a single mother and self-made entrepreneur, how do you strike a balance between work and life?
I’ve been working since a very young age, so through trials and lots of errors, I can safely say that I have achieved a balance. In fact, my son was quite young when I started my entrepreneurial journey, so he also adapted to my work style. Interestingly, he understands the kind of balance that is required , and perhaps it’s because he was inducted to such exposure at such a young age, he is comfortable with the way things are. He knew my schedule for example: Mumma is working from 11 to 7, so let’s not disturb her. I would say that it’s lovely now that our relationship has developed to him making jokes on whether I’m going to work or not. He’s my cornerstone.
How do you define your personal design taste as an individual?
It’s simply Victorian and has a traditional touch sprinkled with an old world charm.
You also own a fashion studio Amiraah. Tell us a bit about the interiors of the place.
The heavens have been kind to me for finding a space to build a store like Amiraah. At 7000 sq ft, right in the heart of Kanpur, it’s a striking location to have a fashion studio. Of course, Amiraah enjoys the status of being Kanpur’s top multi-designer store but my initial vision for its interiors were to be more subtle. I wanted to be less showy and more creative with the way in which the spaces and the corners of the store should be. Retaining the old charm and heritage of the store was very important to me and this sparks my creativity. Right from the Ganeshji Jhula at the entrance of Amiraah to the Shreenathji door, everything was planned before to give an Indian experiential treatment. My vision for the store was clear and distinct in my head and as a result, we completed this entire project in just 3 months.
What are your future plans in the interior industry?
The pandemic did push many of our plans back, but it hasn’t deterred my entrepreneurial spirit. I am very soon coming up with an interior studio near Amiraah and that is set to be around 3000 sq ft. It’s going to be a full-scale, ready-to-buy furniture store and carry the name of I-Design Studios. I am also planning to do a small pop-up which will give opportunities to bring various interesting items to the city such as garden furniture, jewellery exhibitions, etc.
The post The Balancing Act: Pooja Gupta appeared first on TMM.