It all began when Parikshat Hemrajini was on the lookout for an interior designer to wrap up his half-done living room. Hemarajini yearned for a solution that didn’t depend on word of mouth or recommendations by family
friends. Once the project was painstakingly completed, the idea for Dwll.in was born in May. Co-founded with his Indian School of Business classmate Pankaj Poddar, 33, the start-up has brought together over 150 premier interior designers and firms and interacts with clients across the country. “Today there are numerous websites to get inspiration on how to do up your home and office space, but finding the designer is another issue altogether,” explains Poddar. “Contractors assume the role of a designer, and that’s not the best way to go. We need designers who understand the client’s taste and work within the stipulated budget, and commit from start to finish,” says Chaitali Parikh, Dwll.in’s advisor and freelance designer.
Mapping interests
“A couple of questionnaires to get to know what our client is looking for, suggestions of designers who can work with them, interactions via phone or in person, and the project kicks off. Plus, consultation fees are zero since we work on the basis of a 10 per cent revenue sharing model,” enthuses Poddar. For designer and architect Pankaj Mhatre, the portal is a blessing. “A lot of clients from Tier III cities like Vishakapatnam and Kochi are surprisingly on the lookout for designers and the portal has helped both them and us,” says Mhatre. The start-up has recently teamed up with Bajaj Finance to provide value added designer consultations for those taking out home loans. “In terms of longterm plans, Singapore, Australia and the Middle East are on the roster,” shares Poddar.
Details: +91 98903 51528, dwll.in