For those on the lookout for interesting curios or accessories either for gifting or to jazz up their living spaces, these individuals who channel their creative juices ensuring that their products are one of a kind, are great finds.
Tvam Aadi
Price range: ₹5500 to ₹45000
Ph: 90000 12631
facebook.com/Tvam-Aadi
USP : Customised furniture livened up with use of weaves like raw silk, ikat, Banarasi, Jamavar and Kalamkari for upholstery.
‘Tvam Aadi’ literally means ‘You first’. Started by Sonal Ravi, 40, last year after a 17-year corporate career, she explains that the name comes from the philosophy which says that ‘if you are happy, you can make everyone around you happy’. Elaborating on her foray into furniture she says, “I’ve always helped out with furnishing the homes of my friends and being fond of good furniture I wanted to start making high quality period pieces with pure Indian woven fabrics.” Sonal dabbles with hand crafted pieces made from teak which perk up the corners in your home and are ideal conversation starters when you entertain.
Sonal says that she works on ‘accent pieces’ (solo, catchy pieces) and her catalogue consists of sofas, chest of drawers, dining table, coffee tables, trunks, consoles and chairs. She prefers to make single pieces that cater to one’s requirement (which recently included a vintage cabinet for storing a family’s ancestral crockery collection) and a special touch is added with the upholstery with Indian weaves like ikats and Kalamkaris for that final flourish.
Inspired by Victorian and Persian styles, the mother of two creates affordable knick-knacks which come in distressed finish lending it a classy demeanour. A few of her pieces are handpainted by artist Kavita Deuskar. Sonal also customises furniture to suit specific requirement, be it need or space based.
Paper Rocket Studio
Price range: ₹450 to ₹15000
Ph: 78930 03525
facebook.com/paperrocketstudio
USP : Using intricate motifs and materials for creating hand crafted pieces ranging from home furnishings to stationery products.
Notebooks, pouches, kitchen tables, cushion covers, pencil cases, laptop sleeves, table runners and even coffee tables, these are only some of the products churned out by Sugama Manish, 31. The former graphic designer and visual artist says that since she wasn’t trained she learns on the go and adds, “I want to create something that’s not mass produced. Since I’m not a trained artist, I learn as I make new things and always like to be creatively challenged.”
Sugama who shuttles between Colombo and Hyderabad, is influenced by both places and cultures and adds that a lot of her work is influenced by travel and nature. Indeed, one look at her colour palette (dominated by blue, orange and green) and patterns used (florals, animals and elements from nature) her funky products will easily become a part of the narrative of your home.
The young entrepreneur’s collection is playful and quirky where every piece is treated differently; be it with the fabric used or treatment, like printing or etching on wood. She customises orders.
Ironic
Price ranges from ₹3000
Ph: 99490 74244
facebook.com/ironicengineering
USP : Making good of waste, literally! Creating functional accessories from discarded items of machinery and automobiles.
Sourcing material from scrap yards in Bahadurpura and Afzal Gunj, Syed Mohammad Saaduddin, 29, converts them into useful and unique knick knacks. The youngster creates eclectic individual works of art like lamps, tables, stools, candle and card holders, key chains from bits and pieces of discarded items ranging from spanners, truck jacks, chains, wheel rims and the works. A key chain made from chains of cycles and bikes or coffee tables which use grills and wheel rims from vintage automobiles are some examples of how abandoned material is put to good use.
Saad prefers to take his time to come up with unique and interesting ideas and does not like repeating ideas; this ensures that most of his work consists of one-off creations. Having learnt welding and blacksmithing, the mechanical engineer has grown up with machinery parts at his father’s workshop where vintage cars are restored. He adds, “It started from boredom and I began tinkering around building things. I like working with metal as it’s an unforgiving medium and not easily manipulated. I also enjoy the physical and mental effort that goes into creating things.”
Juggling his job (in the R and D division of a defence company) with his passion, Saad signs off saying he isn’t a big fan of customisation, but if provided enough artistic freedom would love to create pieces on request.
