Dineshan Sivapalan, the Managing Director of D.Exclusive Home Designing (Pvt) Ltd, celebrates and shares the long-spun approach interior design has come since it was just a matter of traditional selections. He sees absolute wonder in the heights the industry has reached in terms of differentiation and cater to what the customers truly desire.
In his eyes, the progress has much to do with the out-and-about Sri Lankans who are constantly influenced by the artistic ventures they come across during their travels abroad. The hotels, restaurants, and other buildings that make them feel like home 1000 miles away often manage to bring those feelings right back home, and they look for those who can supply them with those feelings right where they are. As opposed to the knowledge and scope of interior designers a decade back, those entering the industry are much more experienced in this artistry and are full of new ideas that bring light to the designing process. Dineshan believes that compared to the days before us, we are much more enlightened with modern ideas which have accelerated the growth of the interior design industry.
Going back to when he initially started, Dineshan considers that the company is yet to unleash its full potential, given that they have only been in the game for five years. According to him, the company was established with the goal of being an available source for everyone, and he came from every high and low. However, during the business, they have realised the massive part a budget plays in the whole process. Money is involved, sure, but how much the amount of money affects the planning and execution has become a point the team had to consider before planning anything. Based on his experiences, Dineshan asserts that getting to the planning process without a proper understanding of the budget expectations of the company and the client can all be a big-time waste for both parties.
Another factor that the team has understood exceptionally well, which also caters to their dominance in the industry, is matching the consumer’s mood. In Dineshan’s view, living in a culturally rich establishment such as our country and among people from different religions and beliefs, their tastes vary drastically from one person to another. Therefore, identifying what is expected and tending to satisfy that susceptible point in each client’s heart has their clients choosing them for business over and over. He also believes that despite the apparent involvement of money, the relationship established with the clients is an equally important factor from the get-go. Focusing on the main three sectors they cater to, which are Hotels, Residential and Offices, Dineshan proudly declares that most modern hotels in the country have had a touch of their influence in the essence of who they are.
Dineshan highlights that their company does the entire interior design plan from scratch for anyone approaching the company. From designing, furnishing, grounding, flooring, and electricals, their customers’ troubles and wishes will be their responsibility. Dineshan believes that this approach has opened more trust doors for their customers, who have increasingly placed faith in them to build their dream buildings.
He believes that interior design will either evolve more in a decade or become an industry of the past. He compares the present to the evolution of computers, where everyone needed a specialized hand to navigate through them but now needs no such assistance. Interior design can very much be understood and adapted to, making people know what they want and how they want it without the help of specialized personnel. However, Dineshan is a Sri Lankan as much as he is a businessman. He takes his social responsibility to the motherland and society very seriously. He states that the industry is just trying to get loose from the grip the pandemic has on us right now. He is confident that either way, ten years into the future, it will be a magnificent country with a magnitude of knowledge, and it will be blessed with more and more educated individuals.