Indya Kaleidoscope Store

Meet Preethi Prabhu, an engineer-MBA grad, ex-IT pro, design blogger, who has found her calling. A venture which will work with crafts people who need the income the most and help them earn a livelihood. Meet, the Indya Kaleidoscope store.

I have followed her blog for a while now, and was delighted to see the passion for crafts find an avenue through this store. This post is best written in her own words (if you see me, I’ll be in italics). 

Preethi: I researched Indian handicrafts for about two years and decided this is the space in which I wanted to do something. There are so many crafts people who need an income and are hard pressed for it. They just need someone to work with them, either give them product ideas and design, or source their products and take them to market.  So I source mainly from artisans, NGOs, self help groups and other organizations working to preserve arts and crafts.

Photo frames from craftspersons in Banaras. They used to be ivory carvers by tradition, but now they have moved to carving wood. They are in dire economic circumstances so I have sourced a number of small and large frames from them.

Each little animal or figurine around the perimeter of the frame is first carved in wood, painted and then fixed. (Pic credit: Preethi Prabhu)

The Rajashthani pottery technique in jewel or masala boxes. The colourful boxes below are made of wood and painted by an artist who can paint on anything!

The black pottery is sourced from Manipur. I used to travel quite a bit in my pervious job. I still do, to meet the craftspeople and it gives me a sense of involvement when I meet and talk to them and see where they need assistance.

The painted belans are my favourite :).

When I buy vintage pieces, or old heirlooms, I try to get as much background info as possible about them. When we restore and resell we would like these to be in the homes of people who understand the history and know what they are worth. This room in the store is dedicated to used things. We will have old, used products here, antiques and some vintage pieces…

This medallion (in the center) was issued in 1918 to soldiers who fought in the first world war. I was so excited when I found it, but was also left wondering who may have given a family artifact like this away.

Wood bangles from Channapatna, ceramics from Rajasthan and vintage wood furniture.

Pottery from Pondicherry, just unpacked!

This moda (seat) is made of cotton and cotton fabric for a cover. (It is so colourful and doesn’t get crushed when you sit on it!)

If you look at the prices, many of the products are priced lower than what you will find in curio shops and most antique stores. I price them this way to make handicrafts affordable, and so that people become aware of pricing. One does not need huge profit margins to keep a venture like this sustainable.

I have been asked by folk who think the prices are quite low, why I don’t increase them. If I did, it would be like any other business venture, driven by profits and little else. I might as well have continued with my corporate job in that case. I want to create a meaningful model for myself and the people IK will work with. A beautiful stand with a mirror.

After paying a fair price for the products, if there is money left over between my budget and the marginal profit, then I plan to accumulate those savings and put it back into the community, for community projects, training, etc.

To complete the picture of a beautiful home, we have lots of green too, in the mini nursery.

I am hoping to start a few community projects as well. These kambhas from Daily Dump are meant to source waste from the houses on this street where IK is. Once the composting is done, one bag of compost will go back to each house where the waste comes from. They just have to use the kambhas regularly here at the store and we all get rich compost. Some of them are open to the idea, which is great!

Here is Preethi, in her lovely office. Someone who, at the end of an hour and half, inspired me so much! She works with RAPID (Rehabilitative Assistance for People in Distress) and the people who help at the store come from this org. 

 As I prepare to leave, there is a surprise guest. No wonder, for this house (it is more than a store) is everything warm and friendly :).

She was quite upset about something and refused to leave, looking kinda irritated, from left to right. I was near the staircase leading up to the terrace and tarried there awhile (!) to give the bovine creature some time to contemplate leaving. Gave me time to observe the lovely flowering tree just outside IK <grin>!

Product prices range from as low as Rs.50 to a few thousand for the larger pieces of furniture. So do visit, and make a difference. IK is located at:

12th A Main, 4th Cross, Koramangala 4th Block, Bangalore, India 560034.
Web store (you can order products online): http://indyakaleidoscope.com/store/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Indyakaleidoscope
E-mail: indyakaleidoscope@gmail.com

Yellow Button Store, continued

Did the first post on this lovely store leave you wanting more? Here goes, then :). I continue to talk to Madhavi, who’s baby this store is. When I ask her what makes her tick and what her greatest motivations are, she says, “My biggest motivations are my two little girls. The day I started the store 10 months ago, my younger one turned 6 months! I wanted to be a stay at home mum as well as a working mum. To have a little store Yellow Button was always a dream! The fact that I had zero retail experience didn’t deter me from starting something on my own that I knew I could be great at! (Now I get my girls to the store whenever I can and my older one (5 years) will help with sticking the labels, arranging earrings or stay busy with her own art work!)”. Is that sweet or what?

Says Madhavi, “Picking products is the most fun part of my job.” I can understand that, picking up products for a store like this would be my dream job!  “It is also the toughest”, she says, “because I have to make sure they are different and they are unique and they stand out and also appealing to a larger audience. I want to have good quality products and be associated with artists/designers who not only make great products but are also nice people. I try to select products and promote products that are original work.”

It is a fun collection! And a lot of it is sourced from NGOs that Madhavi works with. Something close to my heart as well. Says Madhavi, “My interest in NGO’s started when I did a project on a women’s self-help group in Tamil Nadu when I was in college. During grad school I interned at the United Nations in NYC. I always thought I’ll continue in the development field, but got sucked into the corporate world and moved to a boutique investment firm after graduating from an MBA in finance (where I worked for more than 6 years). When I started the store, I knew for sure I wanted do a mix of products that were handmade and handcrafted by NGO’s as well a space where I could promote upcoming designers. Our shelf space is limited at the store, so as much as I would love to stock so many more products made by those talented crafts people out there, I will have to do in turns!”

What I also loved was that Madhavi has used old furniture and other objects, repurposed them to make either functional or plain beautiful accessories around the store. Like this old sewing machine stand which is now a table showing off bedspreads.

And this fan which, with its bright colours, completely livens up a space!

And this refurbished vintage chest which now displays the lovely collection of jewellery.

The store stocks plenty of recycled and upcycled products as well! Leaving you with one more glimpse of the store.

The Yellow Button store on Facebook | The website | Mail

080 25262108 / 91 9741511733

House # 787, 12th Main, 1st Cross ,Near Sony Center, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore, India 560038

Happy shopping!

Yellow Button Store

A story in two parts, simply because I don’t want to keep any of the gorgeous pics all to myself, and have to share them with you :).

Sunshine, and all the colours of the rainbow, with a good dose of yellow! That’s the Yellow Button store for you. A charming little store that is a craft and design enthusiast’s haven. Don’t let the ‘little’ deceive you though. The store’s stock packs a punch that is a bit hard to recover from! Am not just saying this because I fell in love with most, no, let’s say all the products that Madhavi has put together with great personal care. It’s because you will too.

The store is located just behind 100 feet Road’s bustle in Indiranagar. But climb up an inviting level, enticing you with a Mediterranean blue and the world changes.

Into a riot of colour.

Indian motifs lend themselves so beautifully to colour and Yellow Button counts on just this to make this a cheerful, fun place to discover.

Madhavi Rongala-Pavuluri, who set up the store about a year ago, believes in handpicking the merchandise that find their way to the shelves here. Her sense of aesthetics and design is what makes the store.

A mom of two little girls, Madhavi is one enthusiastic person who loves form and colour. When she moved back here to Bangalore from the US this is just what she planned to do, bring the love to life. And the store is pretty much a culmination of the things that she is interested in. Creating a platform for artists, designers and working with NGOs to source products that are helping people earn a livelihood.

Traditional Indian techniques like fiber and fabric weaving, painting, and pottery are seeing a revolution in expression today. Like this traditional Chettinad weave technique which is  used brilliantly here in baskets and trays.

The store is quite full of products like these. here are some more. Mosaic art on bottles, coasters and trays…

Apart from the products themselves, it is a well designed store. Love the way shelves and pegs and stands come together. Especially this attic space with the clear and midnight blue gola bottles, almost a sculptural form in itself.

A number of the products Madhavi sources have a focus on recycling and green living. Like these jewellery pieces created by Sanchali.

The store carries scarves, stoles, dresses, bags, baskets, jutis, key chains, jewellery and so much more! And the furniture that dot the store are vintage and quirky too. So stay tuned for the next post on the store where Madhavi talks about her drive to start this venture.

The Yellow Button store on Facebook | The website | Mail

080 25262108 / 91 9741511733

House # 787, 12th Main, 1st Cross ,Near Sony Center, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore, India 560038

Esthete: furniture, accessories, objet d’art

The first glimpse I had of pictures of a workshop in wood, I was hooked. Not that I just love the light wood colour of pine or rubber wood, that seemed piled up all over the workshop at Esthete, and in some very eye catching shapes and textures, but that Esthete and its products represent everything that I root for. Good design, new functional design, and recycling. The wood that make up most of Esthete’s products is reclaimed pine wood and Hamsa Vardhan, the force behind Esthete says, ‘the main aim of Esthete is to design and create products that enhance the human living environment with minimal environmental impact’. An ideology that is crucial, if we are to sustain the planet for any number of years to come.

So if you are looking for creative ideas in wood furniture, furniture made with reclaimed wood and some very different concepts in home and office accessories, ceramics, and more in Bangalore, this is the place to visit! Here is just a glimpse of some interesting pieces of furniture and lamps.

Hamsa calls this the Lotus. With good reason. He invited us to sit on it and true enough, the height and depth of the sofa makes you want to get into the ‘padma asan’ or lotus position, with legs folded up and comfortable.

And this is a round dining or chit chat table, with little curved benches that fit neatly under the table when you are not using them. Very space saving and compact!

And the benches can take different avatars depending on your mood… a curvy and fun seating space, placed like this…

…or make any number of interesting combos with 2, 3 or all 4.

Hamsa also designs accessories like this lamp, made from salvaged timber slats.

And here is what graces my room, designed specifically with multiple draws for the numerous bits and pieces of paper, cloth, cardboard and you name it that I am hoarding these days, so they can be reused!

Apart from the chair and the floating shelves, my fave’s got to be the sewing machine ‘cosy’ which Hamsa was delighted to make. The chip board, which is really chips and shards of wood bound together make for great reuse of the wood-industry collateral and also provide a refreshing texture that breaks the monotony of plain surfaces!

He says, ‘I believe in building things to last. So my furniture is sturdy and intended to last a few generations. We seem to have lost the feeling good factor of things that are handed down in families. Instead of having short shelf lives, I want my products to last customers a long time’.

To read more about Hamsa and see other products visit here and the blog here.

The Facebook page is here.

Esthete is at
#24, Thavarekere Main Road,
Chikkadugodi, Bangalore 560 029, INDIA
Phone: +91 99020 59328
Email : hamsavardhan@gmail.com