Journals

The world of cinema doesn’t only have masters of films, acting, or cinematography; there are also masters of design. Meticulous, playful, and eccentric – filmmaker Wes Anderson has an adroit finesse in capturing a deliberate visual perspective in his works. From The Grand Budapest Hotel to The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson laces throughout his films, nuanced elements of design and visual drollery – little pearls that inform the viewer’s mood.

The three mainstays of his movies are an impeccable colour palette, an innate gift of proportions, and beautiful symmetry in each shot; not to mention, the palatable nostalgic feel.

PART NOSTALGIA. PART DOLL-HOUSE. ALL PERFECT.

Who doesn’t want to live in a Wes Anderson film? The artist’s incredibly visual approach and vivid storytelling becomes instantly desirable. As part of this month’s décor inspiration, get the look of his most iconic movies in our latest story.

INTRODUCE A WHIMSICAL COLOUR PALETTE

For Amitha Madan, Principal Designer at Magari – a furniture design studio with an emphasis on timeless tradition and meaningful living, “design must hold the power of initiating conversations, inspire meaning, and not be bound to any particular typology.”

“Each piece must tell a story.” With this adage in mind, Amitha has been building thoughtful narratives that recite a unique story – resonating with the designer’s signature style of reviving past traditions with a contemporary language and local artisanship. It is this philosophy of exploring timelessness in design that resonated with our thought so beautifully that we had to sit down and take five with the talented designer.

Image @Magari, Photograph @Gokul Rao Kadam

Having studied architecture from BMSCE, Bangalore, Amitha has been designing furniture and environments since 2015.

Picking out elements

Designed exclusively for The House Of Things, Duffy London’s latest table is inspired by the spectacular topography of Pondicherry.

“And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”

The Abyss ‘Pondicherry’ Table, designed exclusively for The House Of Things. Image courtesy: Duffy London

Synonymous with the quirky and the eccentric, Christopher Duffy’s work is inspired by concepts of gravity, illusion, and geometry. The designer’s brainchild, Duffy London Design Studio boasts furniture wizardry with designs exceptional enough to make one’s jaw drop. His work is always infused with the perfect alchemy of classic and timeless pieces mixed with an element of the unexpected.

“My only philosophy is to design something that gets me excited and to be as original as is possible. I then send it out into the world to see if it reflects the personality of anyone else, and to see whether they feel that owning one of my pieces would help them express

A street view in White town, Pondicherry.

Take a tour of this charming treasure trove of natural landscapes,
seaside ports, and centuries-old craft traditions drenched in
skilled craftsmanship and indigenous details. Popularly known as
the “Little France of India”, this multi-ethnic land holds a unique
culture that reflects both Tamil and French influences on its art
and design.
Drawing from the surrounding landscapes and intrinsic cultural
characters, Pondicherry art and design exhibit an innate beauty
and artisanal charm. From ceramics to wood crafts to traditional
doll making, follow our cultural mascot Airavat to explore the
distinctive details that reflect the spirit of the town. Bon Voyage!

The French Consulate, Pondicherry. Ref: Peoplevillage

The French may have left in the early 1950's but the heritage

AFRICAN BUSH CAMPS – KHWAI LEADWOOD TENTED CAMP – MOREMI GAME RESERVE – BOTSWANA

Energised by creative experiences, South African designer Christopher Browne and Debra Fox started Fox Browne Creative in 2009. Their vision goes well beyond the bush; with a belief in tactile interiors, an inherent creative vocabulary, and a touch of humour in all designs, the designer’s roster includes top safari lodges, residences, and hospitality projects in Africa, UK, USA, India, Latin and South America.

“I always was interested in design from a very young age and would spend hours sketching imaginary houses. After a very brief stint in design school, I travelled the world and by chance found my way into the Safari Lodge design world on my return to South Africa”, says Chris of his design background.

The designer’s most recent hospitality project was the exceptional Leadwood Tented Camp situated in Botswana. Set within the Okavango Delta’s commu

A CLAY LANGUAGE

The young, contemporary ceramicist on her process – every planned and unplanned detail of it.

Characterized by a larger than life synopsis, Astrid Dahl creates ceramic works of sculptural abstraction, inspired by botanical beauty and the magnificence of scale. Working from an isolated farm in Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands of South Africa, Astrid is drawn to the material in its truest form – clay.

Read on as we discover the ceramicist’s artistic process, the inspiration behind her works, and how the simplicity of white clay is the perfect medium for the dramatic shapes, light, and shadow that she plays with.

1. What

Synonymous with the quirky and the eccentric, Christopher Duffy’s work is inspired by concepts of gravity, illusion, and geometry. The designer’s brainchild, Duffy London Design Studio boasts furniture wizardry with designs exceptional enough to make one’s jaw drop.

The House Of Things had the honour of curating some pieces from the design virtuoso. But what inspiration lies behind his designs? We chatted with Duffy about his design process, the method behind his madness, and just what makes Duffy London the hippest furniture brand in town.

Q.1 Each of your designs seems to challenge the concepts of gravity and illusion. What does your design process entail?

When considering the ‘design process’ it always starts with the particular illusion or visual effect that we are trying to achieve. We want to make something that we find exciting and that will excite others.
Once we have a visual that explains the concept or idea, we then decide which piece to best adap

Modern art is the creative world’s response to the rationalist practices and perspectives of the Industrial Age at the turn of the 20th century. Artists worked to represent their experience of the “modern” life in innovative ways, defining what exactly art should be and do for a culture.

One of the first artists to step away from traditional painting was Henri Matisse, who led Fauvism in the 1900’s. Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso emerged as masters of modern art – their art inevitably interpreted in relation to their eventful life stories. Infamous as rivals, but more contemporaries in nature, Matisse and Picasso developed a new visual language that gave birth to Fauvism and Cubism – the most popular art movements the world has seen till today.

A LOOK AT FAUVISM AND MATISSE
“To copy the objects in a still life is nothing. One must render the emotions they awaken.”

– Henri Matisse

A philanthropist of wearable and culinary art, Tahir Sultan has had a vivid lineage with feet submerged in Indian and Kuwaiti cultures that have shaped his unconventional explorations on deconstruction and experimentation. The collaborative synergies of different traditions and cultures cede him to constantly push the envelope. His creative olio of mixed and matched elements encapsulate the traditional details and manipulate the preordained notions- both on runways and suppers.

Over a tête-à-tête with The House Of Things, we caught up with Tahir as he took us through his top picks for a stunning table, favourite recipes, and style tips for the festive season.

If you could pick only 3 spices, what would they be?

I can’t. But salt pepper and chilies are a vital part of my diet.

What are your pick

MASTERS OF MODERN ART

Discover some of Astha’s favourites from the origins of Modern Art – from the bold
experiments of Frida Kahlo to the radical innovations of artists like Picasso and Matisse,
encapsulating a defining moment in art history.

Henri Matisse Landscape, Nice, 1919

Jacques Villon with Henri Matisse Odalisque on a Terrace (Odalisque sur la terrasse), After Matisse1922

Pablo Picasso Les Demoiselles d’AvignonParis, June-July 1907

Henri Rousseau The Dream, 1844–1910