‘I set out with an aim to solve a problem and impact people's lives’: Sarjeena Maodud on reshaping interior design through entrepreneurship and empathy
Founder Sarjeena Maodud is redefining interior design in Bangladesh through Sheraspace, an online platform focused on access and cultural connection.
“When I first read the motto of my engineering school—‘change the world’—it stuck with me,” says Sarjeena Maodud, reflecting on a journey that has taken her from studying Computer Science and Technology Management at University College London, to a Master’s in Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge, and now a PhD alongside her leadership role at Sheraspace. “I didn’t know exactly what it meant back then, but I knew I wanted to do something meaningful.”
That drive led her back to Dhaka, where a personal experience with moving homes sparked a connection to interior design; a field that soon became her canvas for impact. “I had all this energy and enthusiasm to do something new, something that mattered to the community I cared deeply about,” she explains. “Interior design became the means through which I could channel that desire to create lasting, positive change.”
In 2019, Maodud along with her co-founder launched Sheraspace, a tech-focused home improvement service aimed at democratizing design. “We remain very human driven though,” she clarifies. “I would highlight that we are an interior design company that is technologically enabled, not the other way around.” In an interview with ImpactInk, she talked more about the importance of human interaction in designing intimate living spaces, in ensuring that the process is accessible and responsive.
“I recognize that interior design has typically been seen as a service that is only a luxury reserved for the very upper echelons of society. Yet, in Bangladesh, we see a massive middle class population that is aspirational and who have homes which may not be as elaborate as the other homes that are receiving interior design services; these are spaces that people inhabit and these are spaces that people interact with every single day so it affects the quality of their lives. Regardless of class or background, people deserve to have a space that is an appropriate reflection of their daily lives.”
She recalled a moment in the early days of Sheraspace, when a woman living in a tin-shed house all the way up north in Rajshahi called their hotline to hire their services. “It meant an incredible deal to me because it told us that our work made somebody believe that they do and they did deserve to have their space designed by a professional. It didn’t matter what the size of the house was or what materials it was made of.”
Given that only 4.5 per cent of the businesses in Bangladesh are owned by women, it is clear that Maodud is an innovator who has invited new, critical ways to think about the country’s design and entrepreneur space. “I wouldn't say I particularly set out with an aim to disrupt the status quo, instead, I set out with an aim to solve a problem and impact people's lives. I feel like what we created was really catching on to a space that wasn't explored before. So, one could call it disrupting in the most conventional sense. One could also call it simply creating something in an uncontested space.”
Maodud's journey as an entrepreneur has mirrored this stance: she constantly creates new pathways that defy barriers and improve access for herself and those around her all while being receptive to feedback. For example, in 2022, Sheraspace launched a Bangla website in line with its values of representation, convenience, and access. Yet, when customers said they preferred to use the English website when signing up for services or making online purchases, they quickly made the decision to keep service in English and use Bangla for blogs, client testimonials, and other long form communications. “When we realized what works best for our customers, we adapted to the needs of the market. One other interesting thing we also noticed was the colloquial form of Bangla [a form that is more casual and that picks up certain words from English] being widely used by customers. I know there are differing opinions on it but we chose to adopt it because it helped our brand be seen as more relatable and more familiar. We serve our customers in the language they use.”
Through the way she talked about utilizing local materials or preserving Bangladeshi style elements, it became clear that Maodud views interior design as a personal choice above all. When asked about culturally-sensitive interior design, she gave a practical answer, speaking on the globalization of design and how it shapes the choices and tastes of Bangladeshis consumers.
“Everything we do is driven by the customer,” Maodud stresses. “The customer is the choreographer of the design process [they have their preferences and inspirations]. So, when we're discussing culturally aware interior design, what does that really mean? Interestingly, when we're dealing with these customers whilst they're living in Dhaka city they are exposed to New York City or Toronto. Through their phones they have immense access to different lives and they are soaking in inspiration from across the world. This is an aspirational middle class so this social media access has impacted and changed their aesthetic requirements. While we do raise awareness about Bangladeshi styles, we also acknowledge the importance of being receptive to the ask of our customers, who in many cases, prefer modern or Scandinavian styles. I think this is part of a longer conversation on culture, people’s psychology, and how we broadly perceive or understand that.”
Maodud’s vision for the future of Sherapace and its place in Bangladesh’s emerging interior design market paints an exciting, dynamic environment that offers more options and solutions for all.
“We’ve already discussed how fast the world is changing and AI is accelerating that even more. I believe companies need to be prepared to innovate, and for me, innovation starts with the way we think. If we're innovative in our thinking, it becomes about plugging the right tool into the right place. There may be some trial and error, but it's that forward-thinking mindset that will keep us sustained. I don’t believe demand is the issue, it's more about how we respond to it.”