2023 decor trends from Sussanne Khan, who recently designed Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli's Alibaug home

This month, Sussanne Khan’s The Charcoal Project and Monali Dhawan's VAD brought together local designers for a pop-up they called The Party Edit.

Interior designer Sussanne Khan’s recent work on Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli's second home in Alibaug got much love on Instagram last week. The zen-like interiors created by her are all about luxury intertwined with minimalism.

Daughter of veteran actor Sanjay Khan and ex-wife of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, Sussane Khan completed an associate art degree in interior design at Brooks College, California, in 1995 - she has been working as an interior designer for over two decades, and has her own brand - The Charcoal Project. She is also the Creative Head at Avas Wellness.

Snippets from a conversation:

‘Every project has a fire to it’

A decade ago, Sussanne Khan along with interior designer Gauri Khan, launched what was touted to be India’s first interior fashion design store, The Charcoal Project. “I love to create. I love to make a space from a dead space into an alive space. This is also the whole idea behind The Charcoal Project. Charcoal is black and dark but when you light it up, it's red. So, for me, every project is like The Charcoal Project. It has a fire to it.”

‘Trying to support good designers and great talent’

This month, Sussanne Khan’s The Charcoal Project together with VAD (Monali Dhawan) brought local designers for The Party Edit. “This pop-up was about designers and artists who came from all over India. We wanted to get them together and create something that nobody has done ever before. These brands don’t supply to stores, they haven’t done exhibitions before. Along with versatile designers like Abu Jani, and Surily Goel, we both wanted to get young talent under the same roof with different materials, and different concepts. Some people have made bags with wood and metal or outfits with metal or mesh and shoes made of sustainable and recyclable materials. All these great designers are so unique in their own way. Hence, we wanted to bring them together and give them an opening in the Mumbai market. Monali handpicked everyone and I helped them do the entire set-up, the décor, and the layout. Together, we both have a common sensibility and taste too. We just thought of this dynamic idea and it just went tick-tick boom and fell into place together.”

The main goal of the curated pop-up was to expose and encourage young and undiscovered designers and bring them to the forefront and give them a platform to showcase their brands and create brand awareness. “We did it here at The Charcoal Project, but down the line, we might go bigger. We want to keep creating these pop-ups in different cities and with international designers as well. This pop-up is the result of nothing more than two creative girls trying to support a creative fraternity of good designers and great talent who need a little push to make it to the top.”

'The whole idea behind what we do is to give our full hearts to it’

Sussanne is hands-on when it comes to her work. When we ask her about her journey so far, she says, “It’s been an amazing ride so far. I have been very fortunate that whatever I have put my heart and soul into, has turned into a good thing. One lesson I learned is that I don’t feel scared to get down on my knees and get my hands dirty and continue to work hard. I have got a lot of gratitude for whatever I have done, and God has been really kind. The whole idea behind what we do, be it in any space, whether its interiors or fashion, is to give our full hearts to it.”

I-shaped sofa at The Charcoal Project.

Top tips when doing up a living area

With her expertise over the years on interiors, Sussanne lists out the most important things to keep in mind if you are looking at refurbishing. She says, “The lighting that comes into the area - artificial or natural, the planning, so that the space looks as open as possible, and accurately picking the right colour palette are some factors to look out for when it comes to doing up a living area.”

Trends that are here to stay in 2023 

With December a whisker away, speaking of décor trends for 2023 was in order. “Trends that are here to stay in the New Year include something bold, something new, something shiny and something matte. To elaborate, it means to creatively blend elements from the ancient world, the modern world, and the futuristic world altogether,” Sussanne says.

Her tips for easy-to-incorporate design solutions that don't cost a bomb: “Add a lot of vegetation like plants, flower arrangements, and things that uplift the space. Aroma is important. The right aroma and the right candle burning in the room can create the perfect ambience and instantly light up the place. The room should always be fresh and clean... cleanliness is crucial.”