The hassles of the world sometimes get to you to the point where you forget that life is about having fun, playing around and enjoying every moment. Permission to Play is a collection by The Plated Project that refuses to take design too seriously. Instead of beige minimalism and safe palettes, it offers a joyful dose of irreverence through DIY mirrors with decals, flat-packed flower kits, playful wall birds, and curvy little shelves.
More than décor, it acts like a “permission slip” to stop overthinking, decorate with instinct, and rediscover the joy of play. The inspiration came from a realisation that many of us have lost our sense of play. “We noticed we were creating more for performance than for joy, so we gave ourselves a month-long pause — no pressure, no expectations — just making things that felt alive again. That freedom shaped the collection,” says Chitresh Sinha, the founder.
A big source of inspiration came from art projects with her daughter. Watching how children instinctively approach colour and space sparked the idea of translating that sense of presence into design objects anyone could enjoy. “It’s magical how kids use colour without second-guessing themselves. This collection was my way of bottling that feeling and sharing it,” he explains.
The materials reflect the same playful intent; recyclable paperboard for DIY flowers and birds, peelable wallpaper decals, and shatterproof mirrors. Everything is light, flexible, and tool-free, encouraging experimentation. “The process itself was just as playful — one memorable day had the entire team sitting on the floor surrounded by petals and cutouts, and someone joked, ‘It’s giving art school assignment vibes,’ and that energy carried through the whole collection,” Chitresh laughs.
The collection has a “dopamine colour palette”, butter yellow, poppy red, blush pink, cornflower blue, sea green, and gloss silver.There’s a kind of burnout that comes from being constantly measured and productive, and play is one of the first things that gets pushed aside. This collection was a way of emphasising that joy is not trivial, it’s essential. What’s also interesting about Permission to Play is that every product sold helps fund meals for children across India. “That’s the loop we wanted to close — the idea that by restoring a sense of joy and play in your own life, you can help restore something just as vital for someone else,” Chitresh concludes.
Prices start at `650.
Available online.
Email: ananyadeval.m@newindianexpress.com
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