A studio is a living collaborator for Raseel Gujral Ansal
Delhi-based interior designer Raseel Gujral Ansal on her evolving workspace
Born into an artistic family, it’s not entirely surprising to hear interior designer Raseel Gujral Ansal describe “creativity" as her “fitrat", or nature. The daughter of celebrated artist Satish Gujral and ceramicist Kiran Gujral, Ansal remembers being “raised in an atmosphere where originality was sacred". “My parents taught me to stay rooted in India and in my belief systems," Ansal says. These lessons have held her in good stead throughout her career of 30-plus years as an interior designer and co-founder of architecture and interior design firm Casa Paradox, and its pret diffusion offshoot, Casa Pop.
In an interview with Mint, she talks about her studio that is more than just the place she works out of and why she doesn’t believe in the idea of running away from a creative block. Edited excerpts:
Describe your current workspace to us.
Step into my workspace, and you’ll find a living canvas: a place where art and visual stimuli spark thought, and subtle order holds the chaos of creation in balance. The walls tell their own story—layered with artworks, fragments of inspiration, sketches, moodboards, textiles and memories. Some areas are curated with intention, others left open-ended—much like ideas still in bloom.
How would you define your daily relationship with this space?
This studio is more than just where I work—it’s where I think, feel, edit, build. Some days it’s a sanctuary of silence; other days it hums with voices, ideas, and the comforting rustle of creation. I think of it as a living collaborator: it reflects my mood, sharpens my thoughts, and holds space for both discipline and dream.
Things one will always find in your workspace?
There’s always a troop of pencils. You’ll also spot measuring tapes draped like serpents across tables and pinboards, ready to spring into action. They’re not just tools—they’re part of the visual rhythm of the space. What do you do when going through a creative block? I retreat a little—watch films, spend time alone. I’ve learnt not to resist the block. Instead, I surrender to my higher power, trusting that the emptiness is not absence, but preparation. Creative Corner is a series about writers, artists, musicians, founders and other creative individuals and their relationships with their workspaces.
What do you think are elements we need to factor in while designing workspaces/creative corners in our homes?
Remember to be your most authentic self. A creative corner, a workspace, even a quiet nook at home—it shouldn’t mimic trends or chase perfection. It should reflect you, hold you, and quietly whisper your story back to you when you sit within it.
Design with intention, but also with emotion. Let your space nourish you—with textures that comfort, colors that energize, objects that inspire. It should be functional, yes, but also deeply personal—a little sanctuary that holds your ideas before they become form. And most importantly, create a space that not only embraces you, but also invites others into your warmth. That’s the true luxury—when design becomes a form of connection.
When you are feeling creatively blocked, what do you do to refresh/reboot?
I retreat a little—watch films, spend time alone, become meditative. I pare things down to stillness, waiting for that small pinhole of light—that first glimmer of inspiration—that might lead me into the tunnel, and eventually, toward the light again. I’ve learned not to resist the block. Instead, I surrender to my higher power, trusting that the emptiness is not absence, but preparation.
What do you love splurging on while doing up your favourite spaces?
I find myself drawn to anything that sparks delight—whether it’s a fragile craft made by hand, a lush, living plant, a carpet that anchors a room with soul, or an object of timeless desire that whispers a story across cultures and centuries. It’s never about scale—it’s about sensation. I splurge on things that move me, that feel personal, that elevate the everyday into something poetic. Because a home should be a place where beauty lives in both the grand gestures and the quiet corners.
Your definition of true luxury is…
Time. Unlimited space. Joy. Luxury, to me, isn’t about excess—it’s about freedom. The freedom to pause, to breathe, to create without constraint. It’s the vastness of unhurried time, the generosity of space—both physical and emotional, and the quiet, sustaining presence of joy. It’s not what you own—it’s what you feel when you’re surrounded by what truly matters.
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