Journals

The nights are drawing in on a world which seems to get busier and more hectic every day and the need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the small things in life has never been more prevalent. Political uncertainty always incites the most significant cultural movements just like the Danish concept of coziness, ‘hygge’. Pronounced ‘hoo-guh’, this lifestyle trend of the Danes emphasizes all things cozy and insouciant. Think warm-and-fuzzy, delicious-and-hearty, mulled-and-aromatic. A national manifesto, nay, an obsession expressed in the constant pursuit of homespun pleasures involving candlelight, fires, cashmere, coffee, mulled wine, cake, wellbeing, and the company of friends.

The Danes have established themselves as lovers of calm and in turn, consistently top the polls as the happiest people on earth. The age-old concept is currently experiencing a global renaissance, with the world declaring hygge the next, new, best way to live.

The man synonymous with surrealism was a master of multiple trades – painter, sculptor and designer. From furniture to interiors to home accessories to perfume bottles to film sets, everything that he touched left a distinct Dadaist fingerprint. His works have inspired creative thinkers across the globe for generations. Even now, the theatrical man with the funny mustache continues to be a reference point for modern surrealist design. We create a collage of contemporary lifestyle artists who have retained the Dali strain.

“If there was ever a painter who could claim to have completely changed the way popular Indian imagination pictured its gods, goddesses, myths and legends, then it was that charismatic Keralite Raja Ravi Varma.”

Rupika Chawla

For patrons of Indian Art, the name Raja Ravi Varma has been familiar for more than a century. Born to the ruling family of Kilimanoor in 1848, a small estate in the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore, this aristocratic painter became a cultural icon whose popularity acquired a pan-Indian sweep. With no immediate tradition which could inspire and help him to evolve, Raja Ravi Varma broke new ground and left behind a brilliant legacy of academic realism.

Ravi Varma’s paintings were a vision of civilization of the classical times, the mythical Golden Age, when Hindus were said to be at the peak of their prowess-supreme and pure, both politically and culturally. Other

“The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.”

- Ayn Rand

This week, we would love to feature some incredibly powerful women whose achievements and conceptions in design have inspired the industry and changed the lives of many. Spanning from different age groups and segments of the design industry, we are privileged to have them associate with The House of Things. These women spearheaded the world of design and notched a place for themselves autonomously. Let’s salute them who came as a full circle; within them, the power to create, to nurture, and to transform.

Sarita Handa

It takes a true visionary like Sarita Handa to channel her passion for textiles to build a multimillion dollar company. 25 years ago, she started with nothing other than her name, a list of customers she wanted

Tapestries, often found in stately homes and museums, don’t always have the immediate impact of paintings, architecture or sculpture. Faded, usually repaired, representing floral motifs, mythological or historic scenes, they were mostly commissioned for monarchs and noblemen alike. Lending an imperial eminence to an otherwise ordinary facade, tapestries remain a classic form of wall adornment anywhere even today. Be it the surreal beauty of the English Tudor wall hangings, or the timeless allure of the Persian style Mughal embroideries, tapestries weave an air of implausible magic that is unparalleled.

Tapestry is an ancient technique of weaving. The pattern is woven in blocks of coloured weft thread which are then beaten down tightly on the warp threads, producing a picture or a pattern. In traditional weaves, most employ a natural warp thread, such as linen or cotton, while the weft threads are usually wool or cotton, but may include silk, gold, silver a