This interior designer is on a mission to bring people closer to nature with her home designs

For the past 20 years, Laila Malpani has become a name synonymous with residential design. The founder of Laila Malpani Designs at the Apre Art House in Colaba, has redefined interior design by simply staying true to two things—her roots and her keen eye for all things arty. A graduate in interior and garden design from the prestigious Inchbald School of Interior Design in London, Malpani has worked with reputed Interior Design and Architect firms such as Kiran Patki, Prakash Mankar & Associates, and also helmed iconic Mumbai designer Sunita Pitamber’s Studio.

We, at Harper's Bazaar India, admirers of Malpani work, associated with her to design our studio, one you must have caught glimpses of in our video series titled ‘Director’s Cut’.  

We caught up with Malpani to discuss ‘Biophilic Design in Modern Real Estate: Trends and Transformation’. For the uninitiated, it’s a concept that fosters the connection in a property between its occupants and the natural environment through the use of nature. With a focus on sustainable living, Malpani, through her words and vision, shows exactly why she’s one of the best names in the business. She also gets candid about her journey and what she loves the most about her job. 

A family that loves art

Malpani, along with Nibhrant Shah—MD & Co-CEO, Isprava Group and Prerna Jain—Gallery Director, Apre Art House, speak about a concept that’s making all the right noises and paving the path for a brighter, greener future. But where did this journey begin? For Malpani, her parents played an instrumental role in the individual that she grew up to be. “My dad was a consultant, and a large part of his work was consulting with hotels. He would come home with great plans of beautiful hotels. I was very enamoured by the architecture and its interior designs. In those days, there used to be actual physical boards of work, and those really got me interested.”  

In addition this, Malpani's residence in Colaba, was always brimming with art. “My parents were passionate about art and were avid collectors. They started collecting it well before they could afford it. My mother never bought jewellery; she bought art. That’s where my passion for art comes from. Even today, my parents have painting hanging at their home, which is very unusual for a Mumbai home.” 

Bringing humans closer to nature

 

Besides having art at home, one of the things which are no longer unusual at residential and business properties is the presence of nature. Malpani's topic, ‘Biophilic Design in Modern Real Estate: Trends and Transformation’, is one that’s become a pressing need as one lives their life in a concrete jungle. “Biophilic Design is when you bring humans closer to nature. It plays an instrumental role in promoting well-being. Research reveals that when you’re surrounded by plants and water bodies, your stress hormones reduces and you’re in a much better mental headspace as the air is much cleaner. That’s what bringing the environment into the design does,” adds Malpani who says that all of this is incomplete without natural light and ventilation. “You seldom get to see outside the concrete box that you live in. Having large windows is important. In a villa, or the homes that we design, you have higher ceiling, larger windows, plants, and water which seamlessly blends into 'biophilic design'. Everything is planned that way.” 

Personalising, yet leaving a signature behind

 

For Malpani, Biophilic Design is the way to go. “People are drawn to nature and are coming back to it. That’s what sells. You give them greenery, air, light, volume, and texture, and they will grab it as they want to see and feel that. The customer now wants natural materials at their homes. As the world grapples with global warming and climate change, Biophilic Designs are going to grow in relevance and see people go back to simple materials.” Doing so also sees her leave her mark on the designs. “My signature is that the home I design reflects the personality of the owner. The philosophy is to pick timelessness over trends. Anything that we design shouldn’t age. The biggest compliment is when I attend the housewarming and when the client tells me that the house is an extension of my personality,” adds Malpani.

What makes her feel closest to nature? “I’ve always loved Goa since I was born and conceived there. Along with beach towns, I love forests, the gardens and the mountains. Nainital is one of my favourite places. Add to that, I had an uncle running an English tea estate in Kodanad, Ooty.”

Malpani also believes that budding designers will realise its importance too. “When you talk to students, the one thing that you hope happens is for them to be inspired. Do interesting stuff. In the design space, everyone has their own point of view. But maybe, they’ll be more inspired to do something that takes nature into account. They’ll at least think about it. That’s my hope.”