Designing a garden retreat at home?

Cottons and Satins is a made in India home furnishings brand that is anything but cliche. At a time when one can choose from Instagram decor stores and craft-forward brands like Good Earth, what gives this Delhi brand the edge?

Well, Mala Sapra, who set it up as a small boutique in 2011 in Meherchand Market wanted the focus to be on textiles with both western and traditional accents. In time, it expanded to Worli in Mumbai, and went beyond fabrics to include furniture. They specalised in Indian motifs with western colour palettes but that’s not all — it was about curating a space one can call home.

Clients would make the trek for their fabrics in paisley and Suzani patterns, available by the metre. Often, they went home with matching ready-made cushions.

Now, on Khader Nawaz Khan?Road, Nungambakkam, where the interiors brand has opened its first South Indian venture, there are these cushions in cosy settings, together with furniture and cutlery.

“I believe Chennai has a huge potential for our products considering how we ensure we do not let go of the traditional and cultural elements in our products; it’s rather a mixture of both. Our Mumbai store is a bit earthy and farmhouse-style, while Delhi is more plush. Chennai is a mix of both worlds,” says Dushyant Sapra, head of business operations at Cottons and Satins. The store showcases their products via three living rooms and a bedroom, which will get redesigned every few months.

Counting dragonflies

Motifs like elephants, dragonflies, and palm trees make repeated appearances in furnishing fabrics, wallpaper, cushions, bedding, tableware and curtains. Their Sunflower Butta, Parade, and Dragonfly Lumbar collections of cushions and fabric are aimed at festivals like Diwali and feature viscose and velvet with fringed borders, while Eden, Ombre, and Poppy collections use textured and embroidered cotton, jute, and cotton linen. In addition to their own designs, they also import metal, glass, and ceramic vases, candles, and other accessories from the Netherlands, Thailand, Belgium, Istanbul, France, and the U.K.

Cutlery with tropical and floral motifs are a big hit here. Known to be popular among architects, decorators, and design enthusiasts, the brand has collaborated with Chennai-based designers to understand the audience better. “We believe pearl veneers and brass or metal hold a big part in the hearts of people here, especially when seen in furniture. Our products were already in demand online in this city,” adds Dushyant, who often collaborates with customers to create suitable spaces.

A separate section of the store features bedroom miniatures to aid consultations. “That’s my favourite space; it’s where all the brainstorming happens and so many new ideas come up,” Dushyant concludes.

The store is above OMA on Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam.

cottonsandsatins.com