Aaron Abel is the Managing Director, Founder, and Principal Designer of Abel Interiors Private Limited and ‘Find Furnitures’. As a design enthusiast, running his own design studio has long been Aaron’s dream. A proud alumnus of Wesley College Colombo, he always envisioned starting his own company and has distinct recollections of sketching his company logo on the pages of his school notebooks. Aaron pursued his passion academically at the Academy of Design (AOD) and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from Northumbria University. Even as an Undergraduate, he recalls writing “Abel Interiors” under his name when handing in submissions of his work. Despite being the first in his family to pursue a career in design, he was inspired by his father and elder brother who were both entrepreneurs that strived their way towards success in their respective fields. Their hard work and mentorship inculcated in Aaron the attitude to never give up on his goals, which formed the foundation of his success as an entrepreneur.

Over the years, Aaron discovered that the market had a deficiency in custom furniture, opposed to readymade furniture. He realized that customers had a difficult time finding the right piece of furniture that fits their space perfectly, and despite their disappointment, often settled for whatever they could find in the readymade market.  This sparked the idea in Aaron’s mind to start ‘Find Furnitures’ – a sub-brand of Abel Interiors that mainly promotes custom furniture, and Aaron considers this a significant career accomplishment. ‘Find Furniture’ enables the customer to be their own designer and create furniture. This means customers have the ability to select the type of furniture, style, dimensions, colors, and finishes they would like, aided with the assistance and technical expertise of professionals. Aaron shared with us that customers now realize custom-made furniture is not only a high-quality option, but it’s also a terrific method to ensure that they obtain products that are flawlessly suited to their taste and space.

With impeccable taste, and a gifted eye to distinguish quality, craftsmanship, and finesse. Running his own design studio comes as second nature to Aaron. Therefore, it’s not a surprise to anyone that feedback from clients who have worked with Abel Interiors and Find Furniture is consistently positive. It is also noteworthy to mention that young freelance architects and interior designers who don’t have a factory or a production facility have also benefited through Find Furniture, where they have the resources and opportunity to build, fabricate and supply their unique designs to their clients. –

“I believe Interior Design is not just about the space and the elements, but it’s more about creating an experience.” – V. Aaron Abel

Speaking about his work, Aaron believes that each and every project is unique, even in terms of the lessons you learn in the process. He particularly recalls three projects that are close to his heart: ‘The Deep End’, ‘Taglio – Hair Nail & Beauty Studio by Lush Skin Clinic’ and ‘Rx Homecare Medicals’.  ‘The Deep End’ was a project that called for a complete renovation of a 3500 sq ft old building into Sri Lanka’s largest swim and beachwear outlet. Aaron and his team followed a beach theme for the store that served as the perfect backdrop for many renowned local and international brands. As a young designer, Aaron found it challenging to follow the theme without losing each brands’ unique identity within the store, but the store’s success and client’s feedback are testaments that Aaron accomplished the balance of the design perfectly in the end.

‘Taglio’ is a Hair, Nail & Beauty Studio by Lush Skin Clinic, based in Battaramulla, and was another memorable project for Aaron and his team – they revamped three floors, one which was ‘Taglio’, which resulted in giving the whole Lush Skin Clinic building a fresh facelift. ‘Rx Homecare Medicals’ was also a notable project that entailed converting a fashion store into a hospital, which had the added task of ensuring all government medical standards are adhered to while taking care to cause minimum damages to the building.

Aaron expressed that the pandemic has affected all industries across the globe, and the interior design industry is no exception. One of the biggest challenges Aaron and his team faced during the pandemic is the disruption it caused in the supply chain and logistics of the business. As a company, they had to review their strategies, and adapt their processes to face the new normal. The market has changed dramatically, and the customer’s perspective of design and build has also shifted. As a business, they had to evolve accordingly with a positive outlook. Aaron further mentioned that Abel Interiors started seeking new opportunities that the pandemic has created, and is constantly thinking of ways to help the community while sustaining a successful business.

According to Aaron, interior design is more than the space, it’s about sparking a new experience. He linked the process to choreographing a movie – At day end the client should be able to experience a unique feeling, ambiance and also have a storyline when sharing why his or her space is different and special from others. When Aaron made the decision to start his own company – Abel Interiors Private Limited, it seemed as though everything was stacked against him. He was told that starting a new company was not the right decision for someone who was younger and inexperienced in comparison to others in the industry. Moreover, the economic environment was not favorable for business at the time. However, despite the obstacles, negativity, and fiscal instability due to the Easter Attacks in 2019, Aaron decided to move forward with establishing Abel Interiors Private Limited. He is proud to say that he overcame all odds by sustaining lucratively as a brand-new company, and considers this to be his biggest personal achievement. With God’s grace and his family’s support, he hopes to reach greater heights as a young entrepreneur.