Beyond mood boards and materials

For many students seated in design studios, sketchbook open and tracing sheets layered with possibility, Interior Design begins as a visual dream. Carefully curated palettes, dramatic lighting plans, perfectly styled corners that seem to fall into place. The profession, however, rests on something far less romantic and far more exacting: the ability to reconcile imagination with reality.

Sonali Sharma, alumna of Apeejay Institute of Design and now a partner at In and Ex, speaks about this balance with the steadiness of someone who has tested it repeatedly on active sites and across client tables. “Patience is very important. Sometimes clients insist on a particular colour or idea that may not work in reality.” It is a familiar moment in practice. A bold shade is proposed for a compact room. A layout that feels exciting in theory but resists proportion once walls begin to rise. The designer’s role is not to override the client’s instinct, but to redirect it with clarity.

She explains her perspective through 3D visualisations because many clients cannot fully understand drawings or dimensions. “Visuals help them see how the final space will look,” she shared. Technology, in this context, becomes less about flair and more about translation. When clients can see what a choice will mean for scale, light, and movement, hesitation often gives way to trust.

Her approach is also informed by a deeper study. “I have also studied Vaastu, so I guide them accordingly when needed. Clear communication and patience help in aligning creativity with practicality.” Design rarely unfolds in a vacuum. It is shaped by belief systems, routines, and the quiet expectations families carry into a new space. Over time, this sensitivity reflects in professional consistency. “Over the last three years, I have completed around 30 to 35 projects, and smooth interaction has always been the key.”

For students aspiring to follow a similar path, her advice returns firmly to basics. “The most important skill is sketching. Software can be learned anytime, and trends keep changing,” she opined. Tools will evolve. Interfaces will update. What sustains a designer is the trained eye and the disciplined hand.

“But observation, creativity, and the ability to sketch what you imagine are the foundation. If students are strong in their basics, especially sketching and observation, they will always have an edge in this field,” she shared.

Before you master software, learn to see. The spaces will follow.