When the thought of Magari came to Amitha Madan and her partners Karun Mathew and Vishal Wadhwa six years ago, India did not really have established homegrown furniture brands. Most homeowners were forced to resort to the family carpenter, or imported Italian, Chinese or Balinese furniture. As an architect, she found it difficult to find well-priced quality contemporary furniture or even someone to customise a unique design. Today, the Bengaluru-based principal designer of both Magari furniture and Treelight Design is proud that the furniture brand is about local and natural materials, and, although it also showcases global influences, its thoughtfully-designed pieces revive past traditions with local artisans even while harnessing modern technology.
“Magari has an honest, timeless approach to design; we do not conform to trends. We strive to stay true to each craft we choose to create our furniture. We aspire to create a memorable story starting from the designer’s dream to the hard work put into the process of making it by the artisan, and ending with the emotional response of the user.
“Inspired as we are by the deeply-rooted culture of India and as admirers of the rich history of craftsmen present here, it seemed only natural from the beginning to Make in India. While visiting Mahabalipuram to source some sculptures for a hotel project in Chennai, I noticed how the skill of the craftsmen was transferred from one generation to the next, and marvelled at the pride and dedication of each person working towards their craft. It seemed almost spiritual. They inspired me to work with them to create the low seating dining set-up (pictured), which embodies an age-old tradition of sitting on the floor and eating in temples and at home.
“I believe we can encourage more people in the country and outside to truly invest in showcasing and celebrating Indianness by simply embracing and celebrating it ourselves.
“This is my advice to individuals going into design who would like to champion India: go into the small towns of our states and see the abundance of craftsmen we have. The Indian tag in itself gives them a unique identity; use this for their benefit and yours. Take the time to understand that there is so much to gain from our heritage.”
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