Menu
Our December Creative Conversations features two of our fantastic 2024 Fall Design Catalyst mentors, Janelle Blakely Photopoulos of Blakely Interior Design and Manan Narang of furniture and lighting design studio INDO-. Come explore the intersection of interior and furniture design, sharing how they craft stories and imbue meaning into spaces and objects for the people who use them.
Manan Narang is a furniture & lighting designer with a background in architecture. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he co-founded the award-winning design studio INDO- with his partner Urvi Sharma.
With INDO-, Narang blends craft and narrative to design pieces for contemporary interiors that draw inspiration from traditional objects and techniques, each embodying unique identities with the stories they tell. He was awarded the Emerging Artist nomination at the Philadelphia Furniture Show in 2018, the NYCxDesign Emerging Product Designer in 2019 and included in Dwell’s list of “24 Designers to Watch”. In 2021, he assisted Urvi on the competitive design show Ellen’s Next Great Designer for HBO Max. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor and many other design publications.
He serves as Treasurer on the Board of DESIGNxRI. He lives in Providence with Urvi and their cat Bandar, who ensures their work remains playful.
Janelle is the principal designer and strategic mind behind Blakely Interior Design, a Rhode Island-based firm known for its sophisticated use of color, detail-driven design, and client-centered approach. With a decade of experience building a loyal clientele across New England, Janelle and her team prioritize deeply understanding each client to create spaces that reflect their unique stories and lifestyles.
Her journey to interior design started with a Business & Marketing degree from Syracuse University and a career in marketing with AT&T, where she developed skills in consumer strategy and project leadership. After transitioning from corporate life, she studied design at the Rhode Island School of Design and later graduated from Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program, where she honed the entrepreneurial and operational skills that fuel Blakely’s success.
Today, Janelle combines her creative vision with her business acumen to deliver exceptional client experiences. As a mentor for DESIGNxRI, she’s excited to support the next generation of creatives, sharing insights on running a sustainable design practice that’s both artistically and operationally sound.
© 2024 PopUp Rhody