Quirky here, quirky there

It is all about channelised imagination when it comes to quirky interiors for their properties

A view of Madras Cafe

We like quirky phone covers, laptop sleeves and sometimes even prefer our pyjamas in quirky prints. So, how about some quirky interiors? Especially if the place is meant for fun food and a lot of noise and comes without the hassle of the cutlery and a demand to follow table manners?

Look around, every restaurant is bringing back something we never considered part of décor. A chair with a flower pot, metal buckets for lamp shades, Indian characters for wall graffiti and English with a regional twist on the menu.

“It sounds fun. Because meeting friends irrespective of the topics we discuss has to be a fun thing. We spend hours looking at online shopping to buy a head bobbing sardarjee or a tshirt which says fun things so why wouldn’t we prefer a place which simply lights up our moods with just the fun writings on the wall. It could be a

ketli (kettle) for a flower pot, or a post box. But these are things which stir up a lot of thoughts, old memories and makes us feel less technical at times,” explains Neidhi Kumar a techie and an avid food lover.

Soda Bottle Openerwala has more to its décor than just a Roustom. It has a mock shop bringing back the old charm of a place that sold lozenges, toffees and biscuits only. All these, which used to be displayed in huge glass jars. If that’s the waiting area and a sly selfie booth, there is an old dial up black phone and lots of ginger biscuits waiting for children to dip their hands into. “

Bilkul old style. Which after the invasion of supermarkets aren’t there anymore. It was more than visiting a new restaurant. Our family had loads of fun at this quirky place with nice fun décor and a casual feel,” says Meher Mehdi, a software consultant.

What could be the idea behind shifting from dapper the fun colourful surroundings for interiors? “When we are dining out, it sure should lift our moods. Children should be engaged while parents engage in hearty conversations. The train that runs around the ceiling mostly keeps children engaged. Elders read the sign boards and laugh and obviously relate to instances that must have happened sometime. Grown ups love the fake sweet meat shop which we call the nankhatai counter,” says Mohit Balachandran who conceptualised the restaurant. “But honestly I haven’t worked on the interiors, I only gave my inputs, they have all been put in place by Sabina Singh,” adds Mohit.

“Quirkiness however isn’t just about colour, cartoons and props. It amounts to a theme where people feel at ease the moment they see something less intimidating, specially at offices. We have done an entire office with a theme of India and they are not just photographs. So every six months the 10 rooms inter change the theme,” says Namrata Rupani of Imprima fine print studio.

At Madras Café however, it isn’t just the food that will keep you occupied, the menu, the wall décor, the floor etc has a touch of nativity but with a twist and the legs of the tables are something you would want to steal for your home. “The interiors had to go with the theme. So, everything was well thought of and planned. The owners travelled to far flung places to get the required tiles and toys for the kids. The work was hard, but when you come and sit here and take a look around, you know it was worth the effort,” says Samiksha who assisted Vijay Amritraj in the interiors for Madras café.

So the next time you want to throw away an old bucket think twice.