Born in Tehran and raised between the US, Germany, and France, India Mahdavi has cultivated a career that reflects her multicultural path. Now based in Paris, she leads a studio – founded in 2000 – known for moving fluidly between architecture, interiors, scenography, and object design. Her spaces radiate personality: worldly, welcoming environments where sophistication meets ease, often brightened by a subtle sense of play. A master of color and a natural polyglot, Mahdavi has shaped a design vocabulary that is instantly recognizable. Since 2020, through the activity of her two exhibition spaces located near her studio, she has also championed emerging talents, offering young creatives a platform to experiment and be seen. Her influence on contemporary design continues to grow, and in 2015 she was appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of her cultural impact.

What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture and design?
I studied architecture and I trained as an architect, but I never wanted to be one. I wanted to make movies. The reason I studied architecture was because I thought it would give me a broad vision of space and help me understand it in a larger way. At one point, I was interested in doing film sets. But when I finished my studies in Paris, I realized that architecture’s production mode was too long, and I needed to be more hands-on, to see things happen faster.
So I started working with Christian Liaigre, who not only handled space but also design and production. What was interesting to me was his approach to materials, to craft – starting from an object and building around it, which was the reverse of the architectural process. That rhythm, dealing with materials and color, felt much more alive. Because I was always interested in film and film sets, I felt that interior design would allow me to approach space through narrative. Designing a public space is close to making a movie: you have the production, the client, the scenario, and then the people who enjoy the space are like the actors of their own lives.

Where does this passion for movies come from?
I think it was always linked to the idea of having a fantasy life, of living another life. It’s also connected to a very aesthetic vision of the world. Before starting my architecture studies, I spent a year going to the movies three times a day. Paris is perfect for that – so many independent cinemas, festivals, programs, from musicals to Italian films. Seeing so many movies trains your eye to understand photogenic spaces, and you can use that in your work later.

Sketch, Gallery Room, Londra, Inghilterra – Photo © Edmund Dabney

You work on both private and public projects. Is your approach the same?
No. Private spaces are like portraiture – you design for a specific person. I work like a photographer: my client is my subject, and the space should reflect their personality. You have to listen to the person, but also to the existing structure, to the local craft and resources. I try to save what you can save from what already exists and build around that. In public spaces, it’s more about defining an identity. You integrate functions and flow, but you also try to make the space stand on its own, to have its own life. Like the gallery at Sketch – it became its own identity, a place that lives independently of me. You give birth to something, and then it lives its own life.

What are you working on now?
I’m doing several residential projects – in New York, Paris, the south of France, Saint-Tropez, Gstaad. I’ve just completed a museum in Norway and an artist residency in Arles, and I’m working again with the Villa Medici in Rome, on the rooms linked to the Turkish Room. But I’m also very busy with what I call my “creative ecosystem” in rue Las Cases, Paris: there’s Petits Objets, a shop; a showroom with my furniture; the Project Room, a space for free expression, shows and events; and the Tiny Room, dedicated to younger designers – people like Wendy Andreu, Carlès & Demarquet, Serban Ionescu. This program is time-consuming but very important. It’s about building a community, giving younger generations a voice, and initiating dialogues. For me, co-creation is always more interesting than being at the center of everything. I’ve reached a point where it’s nice to open doors, to endorse others, to share. It’s about creativity through craft, collaboration, and giving life to new voices.

Match Point (Project Room #14) by India Mahdavi, design Harry Nuriev – Photo © Benoit Florençon