Firm/Studio Name
Above Finished Floors
How did you come up with the name of your studio?
The name “Above Finished Floors” came into existence from a simple idea that we wanted our studio’s name to be self-explanatory and something that defines interior designing as a whole. Above Finished Floors is where interior design comes into life. Also, it’s literally used on construction plans and contract documents to indicate an elevation above the finished floor.
What determined your passion for design? Tell us about the moment when you decided this is the way to go.
Our Founder – Ar. Sanskriti Chandak has always been very creative and she knew from the start that she wanted to do something that gives her the freedom to explore ideas and play around with her creative outlook. She pursued her degree in B. Arch, from Amity School of Architecture & Planning. A small office project came along during the lockdown period and she quit her job and started this studio.
What kind of projects were you doing when you first started as a designer?
Our founder worked as an interior designer for a firm where she got the opportunity to work on different residential projects. She was involved in a large number of projects for 6 months. The studio has completed 2 office projects and is presently working on 2 residential and 1 office space projects.
What field of design are you most interested in?
We are interested in interiors, be in residential, commercial or industrial. For us, every project is a dream of the client and we want to make it happen in the best possible way.
What is your favourite book/magazine on design? How about your favourite site?
Our favourite magazine is “ELLE Decoration”. It inspires us with new designs, quirky elements and it updates our knowledge with everything new in the field of interior design.
What is your Signature Style?
We amalgamate functionality and aesthetics. We love to create designs inspired by luxurious elements. We aim towards providing designs that are unique and have a luxurious appeal to them. We believe that luxury can be achieved on a budget as well and our clients can see their dreams come into life.
What inspires you to thrive in this industry? Which piece of architecture inspires you the most.
Honestly, the happiness we see on our client’s face and seeing our designs come into life is what inspires us to thrive in this industry. We want to explore new designs and change the way a client sees their spaces. The pieces of architecture that inspire us the most has to be “Burj Khalifa”. It is the most spectacular supertower with the greatest design strength that has been achieved through years of knowledge and skill.
From your point of view, is design an art or a science?
Design is a combination of both because science supports the art of any design. Science is the structure or function and Art is the form.
If you had no limits (money, resources), what would you create?
It is our founder’s dream to build facilities for the underprivileged ones. She dreams of providing a roof over every person who doesn’t have one. Everyone wants a dream home and for some home is a dream.
What advice do you have for young designers or architects reading this interview?
Our studio is too young to advise any of the young designers out there but we believe that if you really want to do something then just go for it! Everything is possible if you have your heart in it. Hard work and persistence will take you ahead in life.