Please welcome Raji Radhakrishnan, the very talented founding and principal interior designer at Raji RM & Associates. Please enjoy our conversation as you learn more about this incredibly artistic designer.
1)
Raji
welcome to The Arts by Karena. I have been interested in your design work for
quite some time. Thank you so much for participating in this feature. I understand
you had a very interesting childhood. Would you tell us a bit about your youth
and how it started shaping your future?
Hi Karena!
the pleasure is all mine and thank you. I indeed had a childhood filled with
wonderful memories. I started learning and performing classical dance from the
age of seven and by the time I was eleven years old, I did my first performance
tour around Europe, Canada
and America
for several months at a stretch. I did this tour for a second time when I was
13 and they were both exhilarating trips and perhaps one of the most profound
experiences in my life that has also had a huge impact in my design life.
Between the performances I especially loved touring castles, palaces, gardens and museums and the memory of these
places and my love for these great cities continues till date. In a way, I
think my design aesthetics have been shaped both by my training in dance as well
as the exposure from these early travels. I think it's also why I can relate to
many different cultures, people and design styles. I'll tell you this, even
back then, when a reporter asked which one of the cities I visited I liked the
most I did say Paris!
 |
2009 Charity Works Green House
|
2) One of the things that attracted me immediately to your designed rooms is your use of fabulous works of art. How integral is fine art to the design process for you and your clients?
Art is
always very important. Sometimes clients have their own collection of art works
and sometimes I help clients start a collection. Regardless, for me art is a
very integral part of designing a room. It doesn't have to be expensive or even
large pieces of art. It could be paintings or sculptures or even found objects
that are artfully displayed and used. In the hands and eyes of a designer, even
the smallest works can have a terrific impact in a room if you know how to
strategically use them.
Most importantly, I never
treat art like an accessory or a decorative element in a room. I treat
them as a launch pad for creatively expressing the inhabitant's personality in
a space. That means, an art work that the client may not even have can inspire something
totally unique and different in a room's design. This happens when I make a
connection with that piece, the clients and the space. In other words, the
rippling effects of art in design goes well beyond the confines of a room. It's
the feeling it inspires and the ideas that are spun off from it that matters
the most.
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| Master Bedroom featuring a mural of The Louvre |
3) Who are some of your favorite artists and sculptors?
Dear lord,
that's a tough question. I like so many of them and their works are so
different yet somehow there is a commonality in the integrity of their works.
Richard Serra, Anish Kapoor, Roy Lichtenstein, Eduardo Chillida, Yves Klein,
Gerhard Richter, Al Held, Gunther Uecker, the sculptor Alexander Noll, the
French poitiers, Robert and Jean Cloutier, Pol Chambost, et al.
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| 2012 Kips Bay Showhouse |
4)
Your
use of large scale murals is also a mark of a Raji designed room. Tell us how
that came about and are readers able to purchase these grand murals through you?
Murals are an important part of many of my
projects although not always. But, the strong interest in my murals from the
public and especially other designers and architects prompted me to launch a
line of murals and they are now available through my firm online at rajirm.com/murals . We are very excited
since many designers have already ordered several of my murals.
I started creating and using these murals in
my own projects and show houses since 2006 one at a time. It was and still is a
very organic process and selecting the right mural at the right scale for a
space is always key. I actually wrote a blog post recently that tells the story
about how the murals started for me and here is the link to it -http://www.rajirm.com/blog/2014/6/12/the-background-story-behind-raji-rm-murals
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| Living Room featuring The Leopold II Mural |
5)
How would you describe your
design aesthetic?
People tell me that my design aesthetic is very different. I think that's a good thing. And it's different because I don't confirm to any particular design style as it changes with each project - the client's, their tastes and preferences, the architectural style of their home, etc.
On the other
hand, my personal design aesthetic, that is what you see in my own home or in
show houses is definitely one of a worldly perspective. If you look deeply, my
rooms tend to be very complex and rich with a multitude of references - both
historic and contemporary. It's never just plain pretty. I suppose it's also a
reflection of a deeper, more meaningful and an open attitude towards life and
design and everything that affects it.
.jpg) |
| Raji also uses smaller, intriguing works of art to make a space unique |
6)
Are you working on any
special projects at this time that you can reveal?
We have a few
lovely projects underway in DC and in New
York. One of them is a very special project I've been
working on for a few years now in Bethesda,
MD. The clients are building this
home for their entire family especially their grand children to enjoy during
their visits and a lot of thought is going into every decision we make. It's
very heartening to see how this family interacts and the love and respect they
have for each other. My hope is to create a home they will all love for
generations to come.
 |
| A New York City Design Project |
7)
Who are your mentors or
designers (past or present) whose works you deeply admire?
I
adore Sir John Soane's work. His work definitely inspires the classicist in me.
I also love Le Corbusier but not just because of his pioneering work in modern
architecture but because his work prevailed though many other mediums including
furniture and tapestry design, paintings, sculptures, etc., making him a very
well-rounded and hands-on designer and architect. He was the consummate artist
of his generation who literally wasn't afraid to take a paint brush to canvas.
That's important to me and is also how I like to work.
 |
| Dramatic Dining Room with a mix of styles and periods |
8)
What are some of your
favorite pastimes and passions when you are not working?
Of late, I've
become a movie buff! It started as a way to wind down from a long day's work
but my husband has a serious interest in movies and would often discuss the
background of film making and the director's work and it's kind of rubbed off
on me. So now I don't just watch movies but often catch the cinematic details
that went into the production which is all fascinating to me.
We both do
love to read, although we don't get to as much as my father-in-law did or my
father still does. So, with what ever little time that's left between
work and family, curling up with a great book or magazine is always a joy.
 |
| An Enchanting Entry |
9)
Raji what would you say to
the beginning designer or artist, words of wisdom from your own experiences?
It's easy to
get carried away with today's social media, press, etc. While all of this is
very relevant and important, please take the the time to really hone your
craft. First and foremost you have to get knee deep in the art of design. Learn
and develop your design sensibility and your eye for great design. Study from
the source directly whenever possible. In the first few years of my own design
career, I didn't give much thought to the media and was too busy focusing and
developing my craft. When I was confident enough and to help kick start my
business, I designed my own home sent it to a few magazines and luckily it was
published. Thereafter, press attention and mentions were only incidental. I
still focus on my work and continue to learn and hone my craft while also
keeping an eye on all things business. Ultimately though, it's your work that
counts. That's what it all boils down to and that's your legacy.
Thank you again Raji for such an enlightening interview!
Always thank you to my friends and followers who support The Arts!
Please do leave a comment, they make my day!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
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