Statement Furniture

Asha Prabhu Designs

Asha Panickar did not plan on becoming an entrepreneur. It was just an interesting piece of furniture in her house that got her mind spinning. This hand-painted colourful table, that once adorned her bedroom is now the living room’s centre of attraction. “Everybody who has visited our home has complimented us for it,” says Panickar. She was aware of what the market had to offer and what the customer wanted. With people buying mass produced pieces, she realised that she could offer them something unique. So, the school teacher-cum-entrepreneur decided to open a store in Kilpauk, where she now designs her own furniture which is then handcrafted and hand painted. Each table, side table and storage unit is oneof-a-kind, made using Burma teak, and the designs are never repeated. “There is a charm in owning something unique. You don’t want to spend Rs 20,000 on a dress and see someone else wearing the same thing at a party,” she says.

At 3/224, Kilpauk Garden Road, Opposite Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School Price Rs 16,000 onwards