Independent studios make a bid for your living space with heirloom quality furniture- Homevior

Indian homes are welcoming change by making room for stories, craft, and lore from across the country. A diverse set of homegrown studios that celebrates craftsmanship and native techniques is offering patrons creations that reflect the ethos of their living spaces.

1. Bram Woodcrafting Studio Pvt Ltd., Mysore

A sprawling wood crafting workshop was started by Bram Rouws in Mysuru in 2017, after his move from Limoges. The studio’s expertise is solid woodwork, creating bespoke furniture, cabins, and interior solutions.

“Detail-orientation is paramount. By merging traditional methods with modern functionality, we arrive at eternally durable pieces that fit right in across genres of spaces,” shares Rouws. He and his 135-member team comprising makers and designers predict a palpable shift towards simpler, efficient processes and design methods with seismic emphasis on sustainability.

Some of BWS’s recent creations include the Louis XV Paris Bistro Bar Unit, the Cana Cane Living Set, and the Taro Armchair, all stemming from a minimalist take on rooted materiality.

Price: From ₹60,000 upwards | woodcrafting.in

2. The Vernacular Modern, Bengaluru

The brainchild of Abhirup Dutta and Deeptashree Saha, The Vernacular Modern’s DNA has been reviving coveted traditional practices and materiality that address the needs of modern spatial environments.

With a team of 15 members working intimately with artisans, the studio’s christened name strives to hold on to native wisdom. They harness myriad techniques — Mysuru’s wood inlay craft, Madur and Khesh weaving from West Bengal’s provinces, the use of red soil, clay, and papier-mâché — to create a unique composite hailing from the Western frontiers.

Their recent explorations include the Co-Existence and Mitti Series. The former revives art forms through motifs of fauna in art and furniture, while the latter derives inspiration from the elemental composition of archetypal mud houses.

Price: From ₹30,000 upwards | thevernacularmoder.com

3. Madras Makers, Chennai

Nestled in Chennai’s Ramapuram, Madras Makers, helmed by Prem Balasubramanian, Prashant Balasubramanian, and Carola Winnie, creates furniture that encapsulates the city’s pulse.

Founded in 2013, their design practice’s creations are a mosaic of several tenets from Danish masters like Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, and Arne Jacobsen. Their 20-member troop of designers, smiths, and craftsmen carry knowledge learnt and passed on through apprenticeship. “We are here to build furniture that outlives trends and is heirloom grade,” observe Winnie and Balasubramanian.

Reclaimed Burma and Balharshah teak from old colonial buildings in Chennai is often the hero material, punctuated by rosewood, mahogany, African wenge, and hand-split Assamese rattan.

Price: ₹40,000 upwards | madrasmakers.com

4. Gunava Design, Chennai

Brewing a synergy between minimalism and playful expression, Chennai-based Gunava Design’s strength lies in creating versatile pieces that transcend time while underscoring character.

Founded by Vaishnovi Reddy in 2019, the studio champions a layered palette of ceramics, stone, cane, and metals in tandem with wood. Their in-house team dabbles in artisan-led techniques, embroidery being a recurrent denominator in their recent creations.

 “Design in our mind’s eye is a means to enhance a user’s experience, ensuring that each creation serves a purpose while celebrating an overruling aesthetic,” says Reddy.

Price: From ₹25,000 upwards | gunavadesign

5. Design ni Dukaan: Ahmedabad

Established in 2013, Design ni Dukaan is a multidisciplinary, community-based practice that has long attributed its creative success to the collective’s vision. Architect Veeram Shah’s firm works across architecture, interior design, and furniture design, showcasing the diverse talents of its team members. 

“We believe that once the essence of an entity is realised, it can be deconstructed and interpreted in numerous ways while still adhering to its purest form. Once you understand the truth of a material, it becomes timeless,” shares Shah. Their explorations include working with textiles, micro-concrete, terrazzo, brass patina, and burnt wood. The Banu Pai cabinet is a recent collaboration with The Majja Design Studio. The wardrobe is transfigured into a canvas of woven mats (Pathamadai Pai) from Tirunelveli.

Price: From ₹35,000 upwards | designnidukaan.com

6. Sage Living: Hyderabad

Keerthi Tummala’s design instinct and Ram Kabadi’s acumen for materiality have been meeting under the roof of their Hyderabad facility, since 2018. 

Sage Living’s newest collections focus on finding inspiration closer to home, a saga deeply embedded in the Deccan. They experiment with combinations of stone and metal, employing ancient techniques like sand-casting, forging, and stone inlay. 

Quarried from the Kadapa basin, pyrite (dubbed fool’s silver) undergoes a drastic transformation in their Starlight Collection, preserving its strength while perfecting its reflective finish.

Tummala and Kabadi believe that collectible design and sculptural elements will impact spaces now, more than ever. These sculptural accents are as much about creating an immersive atmosphere as they are about investing in unique works.

Price: From ₹55,000 upwards | sageliving.in

The writer is an architect and design specialist.

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