Balancing colours and contexts

As a kid, Smita Dixit Mehra was always interested in arts and by the time she finished school, people had already begun to advise her to pursue architecture as her career, courtesy her brilliance in mechanical drawing and she obliged. The graduate from Sushant School of Art and Architecture and post graduate from University of Sheffield, England however took a liking to interior designing. In 2014, after six months of her daughter’s birth came her another baby — Palettino, a home décor company, with which she aimed to redefine the design aesthetics. “I had too much free time after my daughter was born and that’s when the idea of Palettino came to me. I try to amalgamate art and fashion. I gradually moved away from architecture and towards interior designing because the former is more technical and requires a great deal of patience as one project takes about two-three years to complete. In interior designing, there is more scope of applying your mind and imagination and thus, gives more artistic freedom,” she explains.

Besides being the creative energy behind Palettino, Smita extends her vast knowledge of architecture and interiors by acting as a consultant for various projects.

The 34-year-old talking about her inspirations behind her creativity, says, “I try to play with themes and keep a sharp eye on the ever-changing fashion trends. For example, if stripes are in, I try to translate that into my interior designs. Although I love the vibrancy of colours, it is more important to maintain the balance between the theme and the context behind the project. I believe even a simple lamp shade can transform the whole space. I just stay away from creating the obvious products.” Her husband, who is a director in an architecture firm, is her support system and she heads a small team of workers. Her product range includes lamps, cushions, wall art, clocks, furniture pieces and trinkets like key holders and the items are available on multiple online platforms.
     
As a designer, who is concerned about ecological balance, she also promotes refurbishing waste materials. “I try my best spread awareness about upcycling. I refurbish old furniture a lot. Junk can be transformed in a modern piece but one has to keep the element of durability in mind while using waste materials,” suggests Smita, who also moonlights as a graphic designer, adding, “My creations are affordable for a middle-class person as well. I believe in conceptualising and creating stuff with which ordinary people can decorate their homes as well as those of celebs. Art doesn’t have to be expensive.”

Being a mompreneur, Smita finds a lot of satisfaction in seeing both her babies — her daughter and her company — grow. Ask her if junior Smita is helping mom with designs, she signs off saying, “Maybe she will in future. For now, she has her own little canvases to keep herself busy.”