Design Philosophy

The Interior Design works of Canna Patel can be understood at various levels. Simply defined, an interior designer’s role is to take the end product of an architectural design and render the space functional for its ultimate purpose, be it residential, recreational or corporate.  Such a seemingly simple aim allows for myriad possibilities partly depending on the designers’ skills and vision and partly tastes and resources of the client. The end-product is a synergy analogous to high fashion, which either improves the wearer’s status and allure or can have precisely the opposite effect.

The process starts with understanding the users - who they are and what stage of life they are in. What does the project mean to them and how it would add to their overall experience - be it a workplace or their home. When it comes to architecture, the aim is to create non-iconic structures that fit seamlessly into their surroundings. Interior Design works of HCPID on the other hand aims to provide bold design solutions, which a create a fine language of their own.

As an interior architect, Canna considers her scope of work to as well beyond dressing buildings.  It includes a conscious effort to enhance the architectural forms and spaces, and to avoid smothering them.  The language of design therefore relates to either to specific or generic elements of the architectural vocabulary.

After earning a reputation for excellence in interior projects, Canna Patel began engaging in pure architecture alongside her interior work. It became a ‘to and fro conversation’ between architectural and interior concepts. This allowed her passion towards landscape to be incorporated. Projects in recent years have been constricted by tight budgets and even tighter timelines. This demands a refined, quick and efficient design process. Out of this emerged a new vocabulary which eventually became HCPID’s signature style: ‘Restrained use of materials in a classic style that honors and deftly explores the varied range of Indian traditional crafts’. The strength of creativity balanced with the insistent choice of local stones, tiles, crafts like block printing, inlaying, hand printing, wood carving, etc.