There are designers who create rooms, and there are designers who create feelings. India Mahdavi belongs firmly in the latter camp. Over the past two decades, the architect and designer has become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary interiors, celebrated for her fearless use of color and her ability to create spaces that feel both joyful and deeply human. Yet behind the vibrant palettes and instantly recognizable projects lies a more philosophical approach than many realize. For India, color is not decoration but emotion; design is not about style but about shaping experiences.
In this latest installment of our Layered Lives series, India reveals that perhaps this sensitivity comes from a childhood spent moving between countries, cultures, and languages, learning to read the atmosphere of a room before anything else. Or perhaps it stems from a lifelong fascination with cinema, architecture, and the stories spaces can tell. Whatever the source, India's work continues to prove that interiors have the power not only to delight us but to change how we feel.
