Hrithik Roshan’s ex-wife, Sussanne Khan, is among the most popular celebrity interior designers in India. While movie buffs know has as the superstar’s ex-wife, those who follow Sussanne are aware that
she is a hard-working entrepreneur. In a recent chat with Zerodha, Sussanne opened up about her design business. Can you guess how much it can cost to get your home designed by Sussanne Khan?
Sussanne Khan revealed, “We charge a flat design fee per square foot. We don’t take commissions on what clients buy. For a 2,000 sq. ft. apartment, depending on the client’s budget, location, and choice of materials, fees range from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 per sq ft.”
She added, “I take 30% upfront before starting work and then create the design. Once they finalise it, I take money for the materials, and we do the work room by room.” As such, Sussanne charges Rs 25–30 lakh for designing a 1,500 sq ft luxury apartment in Mumbai.
She recalled the early days of her business and said, “In 2011, we started The Charcoal Project. It was India’s first conceptual home store. Nobody had thought of it before — everyone was selling furniture, but no one offered conceptual design.” ”
In the beginning, I faced so much flak. People dismissed me as just another ‘celebrity interior designer’ because, in those days, everybody seemed to be becoming one. They didn’t know my backstory,” she recalled.
She added, “People told me, ‘This won’t work. You’re putting in too much money and effort. You will fizzle out in a year.’ But by God’s grace, we are still standing strong after 14 years. Money comes and goes, but balance is key. Reinvesting is very important.”
Sussanne also reflected on the personal challenges she faced as she wasn’t good with finances. “I don’t have a math brain. I might be an entrepreneur, but when it comes to finances, I needed help. My brother-in-law guided me through that part,” she said.
Sussanne’s business is now a ‘Make in India’ venture. “For the last four years, everything is produced in Maharashtra. We don’t have a factory yet. Bringing all of those people under the same roof is a lot of money. I am still working out the math for that,” she added.
“In 2021, our business was hit. We had two levels at our store. I gave the top level on rent to Decathlon on a long lease. I realised I didn’t need that much space. Now, I am preparing to launch in another city,” she said, recalling her struggle during Covid.
“In the last decade, we have renovated the store about five times–changing colours, layouts, aesthetics. Each change costs money. So, whatever you earn goes back into the business. That’s the cycle. My goal now is to sustain creativity while scaling it. If we can do that, we will earn more, expand to other cities, and grow online,” Sussanne said.
