In an age where sustainability is more than a buzzword, Snehal Malani Tapadia is turning that principle into practice and purpose. As the visionary founder of X&Y Furniture, Snehal is reimagining how learning spaces are built, blending environmental responsibility with smart, student-friendly design.
From responsibly sourced wood to low-impact manufacturing, her furniture isn’t just functional, it’s deeply thoughtful. Each piece tells a story of eco-consciousness, crafted to support growing bodies and a healthier planet. Her mission goes beyond design; it’s about shaping spaces where the next generation learns with sustainability, not just about it.
This World Environment Day, Snehal Malani Tapadia is TheGlitz Earth Warrior, a changemaker shaping the future with every chair, every desk, and every choice that puts the planet first. She reminds us that true impact often begins at the roots… in our schools, in our values, and in the materials, we choose to build the world around us.
Over To TheGlitz Earth Warrior – Snehal Malani Tapadia
What inspired you to start X&Y Furniture, and how did sustainability become a non-negotiable part of your design philosophy?
Snehal: The transition from architecture to establishing X&Y was driven by a deep intent to create more meaningful and developmentally supportive spaces for children, beginning with the furniture they engage with every day. In our architectural practice, we often observed that learning environments were treated as secondary considerations, furnished with generic, uncomfortable pieces that lacked alignment with child development.
This revealed a clear gap and an opportunity to reimagine educational spaces through a child-focused and design-led approach. Sustainability was not an afterthought; it was central to our philosophy. Designing for children also means designing for the future they will inherit, which calls for solutions that are thoughtful, safe, and environmentally responsible.
Designing for children requires a unique balance of safety, ergonomics, and durability. How do you ensure that these elements coexist with eco-conscious choices?
Snehal: For us, safety, ergonomics, and sustainability are integrated—not competing—priorities. Our designs are rooted in human-centred thinking and child psychology. Every edge is softened, every surface is non-toxic, and every dimension is calibrated to support posture, comfort, and active learning.
We use materials like birch plywood, which is strong yet lightweight, allowing for both durability and ease of use by young learners. Our finishes are water-based and VOC-free, ensuring a healthy indoor environment. Even our fasteners and joinery methods are chosen to maximize longevity and modularity, reducing the need for replacements. It’s about creating well-rounded products that perform across all parameters without compromising the planet.
Can you walk us through some of the sustainable materials and low-impact processes that X&Y Furniture prioritises and why they matter?
Snehal: We primarily work with FSC-certified birch plywood, which is not only renewable but also offers high strength-to-weight ratio—perfect for school environments. Our finishes are non-toxic, low-VOC, and child-safe, and we actively avoid harmful plastics or synthetic laminates.
On the process side, we follow a lean manufacturing model that minimizes material waste and energy use. Wherever possible, offcuts are repurposed for smaller products or prototypes. Packaging is kept minimal and made from recycled materials. Every step—from design to dispatch—is mapped to reduce our ecological footprint.
These choices matter because children spend a large portion of their formative years in classrooms. What surrounds them shapes their values, and eco-conscious design silently teaches responsibility, empathy, and care for the environment.
What kind of impact have you seen in the schools you’ve worked with… both in terms of student well-being and awareness of environmental responsibility?
Snehal: The impact has been both visible and deeply rewarding. Schools report improved attention spans, more collaborative learning, and a stronger sense of ownership among children towards their spaces. When furniture is designed at their scale and with their needs in mind, students naturally feel more engaged.
What challenges have you faced in championing sustainability within the Indian education or manufacturing ecosystem, and how have you overcome them?
Snehal: Sustainability often faces resistance in a price-sensitive sector like school furniture. Responsible materials like FSC-certified timber and non-toxic finishes come at a premium and can involve longer lead times, which impacts both budgets and timelines.
To manage this, we’ve built reliable partnerships with suppliers, planned procurement in advance, and optimized our design process to reduce waste. On the manufacturing side, retraining and process adjustments have helped us stay aligned with our values. It’s an ongoing effort, but one that’s creating long-term value and trust.
The key has been transparency—explaining to schools why these choices matter, and showing them that quality, safety, and sustainability are not trade-offs, but investments in their students’ futures.
Looking ahead, what’s your vision for X&Y Furniture in the broader movement for sustainable education and green design in India?
Snehal: Our vision is to grow with purpose. We’re currently focused on expanding across India and into South Asia, especially in regions where schools are embracing progressive, child-first models of learning. There’s also increasing global interest, particularly in markets that value eco-conscious and thoughtfully designed educational spaces, so international expansion is very much on the horizon.
