SHAUNALI NANDA

A ROUSING BUSINESSWOMAN LEADING THE INTERIOR DESIGNING REALM

Donatella Versace has quoted, “A businesswoman needs a successful mix of design and practicality.” Women have been an inseparable part of the Business world as there is no industry left in which they have not exhibited their talent and passion. Gone are the days when females were considered fit for only domestic purposes! Because women of the present times are showcasing their unmatched skills and potential by building marvelous business ventures in different niches.

Business Connect has been a witness in the exemplary journeys of these top-notch female leaders in the modern business realm. We have an unmatched history of bringing exceptional tales of inspiring and tremendous businesswomen to our portfolio. And here again, we are back with another tale of growth and success in the world of interior designing-Sloane Luxury Interiors. Our editorial team had a joyful interacting session with the founder and director of the company, Shaunali Nanda.

She shared some unknown and interesting facts about her business journey and some valuable nuggets of the business arena as well. Her inspiring and exceptional entrepreneurial journey made us feature her in our exclusive edition-Most Influential Business Woman. We truly hope and desire that this fascinating read will surely inspire the upcoming women entrepreneur out there and will add some value to the lives of our global readership.

Shaunali is an outstanding business leader and a sweet-hearted person who has an immense level of passion and enthusiasm for art and design. Throughout the conversation with our team, she revealed that she is extremely inspired by the Mughal art, culture, and ethnicity of design. Having an inborn talent passion towards art and design, Shaunali has completed her graduation from one of the top colleges of DU, SRCC.

She told us that she started her beautiful journey by working at Frazer and Haws. After gaining significant experience there, she shifted at Christie’s with David Warren where she gained first-hand experience and expertise in marketing and packaging.

Shaunali was always inspired and influenced by her mother’s business ethics and style. When she shifted from New York to India, she decided against expanding her mother’s business venture with a vision to improve the experience of clients. When our curious team asked the founder about her major obstacles during the initial days, she enlightened us by saying, “Globally, I was engaged with and observing the development program. It was doing luxurious show houses rich in immense taste and style.

Initially, being a female business leader, I had to overcome the challenge of trust that was the biggest hurdle for me at that time. It’s complex to establish your business on the international level, but your robust willpower and hard work will make it easy for you. Being a businesswoman, people weren’t trusting me as they questioned my capability-but once you perform your best in that first project of yours, everything will go smooth for you.”

INSIGHTS ON FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
For an inspiring leader, the definition of success is more than just creating revenue. It’s about creating a positive impact in the work culture and community at large through continuous collaboration and inspiration. Being a charismatic personality enriched with confidence, determination & strong convictions- Shaunali has become a well-reckoned face in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Shounali states that women’s participation in the entrepreneurial space is shockingly abysmal because entrepreneurship is the toughest job one will ever do. But, with the current scenario, when more & more women are leaping out of their comfort zones, we are noticing more indulgence of the female populace in the SMEs as founders or C-suit executives.

Indian women over generations have beat the odds and figured out a beautiful way to make businesses flourish. She adds that although everything is going seamlessly, we as a society can do even better for them. There is a significant need of providing more financial freedom, training tools, self-confidence, and most importantly, mental health support to females in this generation.

Because this whole journey is tough and the propensity to hang up one’s boots at every stage is very high. There is a need to make sure that the majority of women enter the entrepreneurial world. And this is the passion Shaunali wishes to pursue because she believes a healthy and happy woman is the core propeller of a healthy society.

SLOANE LUXURY INTERIORS
Sloane Luxury Interiors is a leading venture in the arena of interior designing, which is relentlessly working towards designing and decorating spaces. The company offers designs that are tremendously elegant, traditional, classic, and modern at the same time. By working with numerous traditional classic and conservative firms, the founder learned and experienced top-notch designing tastes that inspired her immensely.

Since she works in the domain of visuals, she got various opportunities of collaborating with distinct artists, manufacturers, and architects and gained as much knowledge as she could. Interaction with media in events o a daily basis also added a great level of perfectionism in her as an artist and nurtured her taste and style.

The Sloane team offers complete interior designing services to its clientele with their exclusive four-story manufacturing unit. The team manufactures furniture and other sources worldwide with an excellent blend of fine architects and logistic teams. Shaunali is fond of using classic styles of furniture, fabrics, and lighting. The company works in classic, modern, and contemporary styles by giving interiors that connect one room to another like family.

WORKING STYLE AND EXCELLENT EXPERTISE
Explaining her working style to our team, Shaunali states, “I am very intuitive and agile. I can put rooms together with the furnishing, colors, lighting, and accessories quickly and harmoniously but I do adhere to subtlety, comfort, and warmth above all sophistication. I love the restrained elegance of Neo-Classic homes. I still like the colonial style without the carving with a focus on wood, planning, and layout. I also love a term called “Hollywood glamour” where the interiors were modern and luxurious at the same time with a strong focus on art and lighting.

Of course, social media is great-but I always refer to history and great designers who I have admired for their  sobriety and sense of complete balance like Billy Baldwin, Lorenzo Mongiardino, later Bunny Williams, Charlotte Moss, and Alexa Hampton. I also loved the films of Cecil Beaton, a set designer, and photographer who designed the Ascot scene in My Fair Lady, I loved the work of Vincent Minnelli. I love the sense of style of the homes on Park Avenue and Palm Beach that have so much character and warmth.

Moreover, I love the great Hollywood old films and draw so much inspiration from them with their beautifully decorated homes-and sets, costume, and lyrics, like the last scene of Daddy Long Legs, the wedding gift room in high society, the beautiful English manor in the Grass is greener, Art Deco London in Indiscreet. I look at everything while I am driving silently whether here or abroad.

I look at the building I like and then it is period and who the Architects were. Looking at these buildings teaches me proportion which is so important in this business niche. I always look at restaurants, hotels, and shop environments and how they make me feel, I listen to people when they talk as they have more knowledge than me and listen to the clues that they are giving. I like to see important interior design projects like the Lowell hotel in New York and sit and observe.

I always go back to the work of tastemakers that have lived through different times as they always have the answers. I meet every vendor who comes to show me something that they are doing, it’s very important to know what people are making. Above all, I try and make everyone feel good and improve myself as a person every day, which gives you the most clarity. When this trait finds it in design-you are made.

PARTING WORDS
I work the best alone! Make your client believe in you. Money is not everything but your work is. Work honestly, own up to a mistake, and rectify it. Always give a client what they love. I think I had many challenges that were sudden but long-lasting, I made many sacrifices and had to walk away from many things that I loved and had to learn to adjust to many situations and people suddenly, lots of these moments were alone. I had to wake up the next day carry on, and the best way to do this was to love what you do and do it well.

I got so engrossed in my work and had such great and nice people to work for Juliette Simpson and Mark Coats, whom I truly miss working for, who taught me so much. I saw so much and met so many people. God gave me this to heal and today, I have taken all this experience that I have put into Sloane Luxury Interiors to let me do what I love.

I just want to give a straight message to the readers be patient! Money is not everything, look at the big picture not the small, look ahead not what’s near you. Less is more, when you look at an interior start looking in, don’t be afraid, design what you like, it is not permanent, you will learn more and grow more, it will get better, be yourself, design should be your identity, take elements from your roots, elements where you are living. Appreciate Indian weaving as much as Japanese pottery, find beauty in everything, promote your work rather than yourselves, make a room beautiful so they can make owners feel beautiful.

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