‘A beautiful home stands for time and distance travelled’
Nostalgia is his chicken soup for the soul. Revivalist Sabyasachi Mukherjee looks back to look ahead and lends a unique contemporary touch to the ancient
Think heritage. Think Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Culture is at the core of his work, be it in fashion, film costumes, or living spaces. He describes his design philosophy as “personalised imperfection of the human hand”. The creations of this selfproclaimed nomad are influenced by his travels and his Indian roots. Sabyasachi stores express his passion for history and art. Bespoke furniture, inspired art frames, handpainted lights… each piece has a story to tell.
What is it that inspires him? Deserts, gypsies, prostitutes, antique textiles, and cultural traditions of his hometown, Kolkata. He talks about his experiences and influences.
You were invited [in Feb 2017] by Queen Elizabeth II at the inauguration of the UK-India Year of Culture. What memories do you carry?
The invitation was through The Elephant Family charity, endorsed by Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and of which I’m an integral part. I was very honoured to be able to meet the Queen at her residence. I was awestruck by [a] corridor that had innumerable paintings by the great masters.
What do you celebrate through your designs?
We’re not only giving something to a world jaded by commercialisation, but also restoring the dignity of a working community that should be regarded as artisans first.
Please tell us about your work on curating interiors.
A beautiful home stands for time and distance travelled — time through generations; distance through cultures. Whenever I do interiors, I always keep that in mind, mixing up the contemporary with the nomadic and historical pieces from flea markets. (Sabyasachi advises readers today on how to create the vintage look at home in today’s special HT Beautiful Homes, on Page 8)
Sabyasachi’s signature spaces are a testimonial to his passion for the past. His stores are replete with turn-of-thecentury antique furniture, block printed chintz, handfired Portuguese tiles, eclectic crockery and ittar bottles painstakingly collected from the bylanes of Old Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata… each piece has a story to tell. He shares his views on how to create a vintage home.
Your style of interiors exudes old world charm, class and elegance. What draws you towards the vintage look in particular? Which are your favourite pieces?
When things were made in the past, they were made with the idea of making something beautiful. Commerce came a distant second which is why there was so much of sensitivity, dignity and timelessness attached to the things made in the bygone era. Unfortunately the modern world does not provide me with these solutions because it has become about commerce over creativity. I am an idealist and for me heritage reflects that idealism and reflects the space I want to be in.
I don’t really have any favourite piece of vintage, though I must say the things from 1920s have always inspired me - whether they are homes built in Calcutta or chandeliers found in Italy. I am also fond of porcelain from the Ming dynasty.
Is this look high on aesthetics.. there is a critique that this style has a greater artistic value rather than functionality?
It is very debatable. It depends on the speed of life that you choose for yourself. For somebody who decides to burn the candles both ways and speed through life, it might be a little redundant, but for somebody with a poetic disposition, it is absolutely fine. Here I would like to add the only thing that has changed from the past into the present is that human beings have just paced up their way of life - which sometimes I don’t think is the best thing to happen to us. I don’t possess an email and I am gliding through life pretty well without it.
Is getting a slice of the past at home an expensive proposition? Are there any thrifty ways to add a vintage touch to one’s home?
Real vintage is really expensive and it rightly should be because it is so rare in today’s mechanised world. But there are lot of companies who are doing cheap imitations and there are also a lot of people who sell it cheap because they find the product archaic to the users. So if you have the eyes and the nose, you can get a vintage house at a throw away price.
What are the few dos and don’ts which you would like to flag for a layperson wanting to incorporate this kind of a home decor?
I would like to say vintage is a mood not the way you lay out things. A very vintage home can be a very maximalist home or be a very minimal home too. The right colour on your walls, a few accent pieces, and beautiful textiles can create a very beautiful cushy home.
Where and how does one shop for antique products for one’s home?
A lot of cities with heritage but fast on their way to modernisation are the best places to shop for vintage. That explains why you can get so much of colonial furniture in Calcutta, delightful Portuguese finds in Goa, dismantled pieces of havelis in Gujarat and Rajasthan and plantation furniture in Cochin. Read a little bit about the history of a place, find out what is happening with the interiors and architecture in present times and the gap will tell you how much antiques you can find at what price.
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