Escape by Creatomy, founded by Prateek Sabharwal, mindfully creates lifestyle products and décor accessories with traditional craft techniques and modern-day aesthetics. The brand pushes the boundaries of material exploration, bringing together the old and the new.
Its new collection is quite versatile and a testimony to the brand philosophy that good design is for everyone, and aims to enhance the user’s experience through improved functionality. While they look great in the living room, these furniture pieces will fit well in the dining space and study as well. Its focus is not only aesthetics but also usability and practicality. By challenging convention and bringing something new to the table, the brand is able to offer customers innovative and exciting products that stand out from the competition.
Prateek has a passion for creating unique pieces of furniture that not only look beautiful but also add a touch of glamour to any space. He draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including nature, art, and architecture, and the end products are characterised by unique textures, bold shapes, and a contemporary aesthetic that is sure to make a statement in any space.
Giving us a lowdown on the collection, he tells us, “The main inspiration is the indigenous tribes of India, with a particularly larger influence from the Northeast. We did a lot of research about the lost tribes and took photo journals of certain photographers as reference material. Mostly photo journals and books we collected were our inspiration. All of the items that inspired the collection were daily use objects. For instance, the Pin Chair is inspired by the hairpin that the tribes used.”
The entire collection has focused on optimisation of wood. “For things like tribal groves, we try to use the end pieces of wood. Typically, when you’re manufacturing, the end pieces are discarded. But we use such end pieces of wood, and give them a form. And it’s an abstract form that is created by the shape of the wood itself. Depending on the varying thicknesses of the tree, the end pieces have been used and sliced and then stacked to create the tribal grove, which are sustainable as well,” he explains.
The brand uses a Japanese technique called Sugi Ban where solid wood is charred, and the products are finished in natural oil.
Every item in the collection is ergonomically well thought out. Take for instance the Scoop Chair; the way the arches flow on the inside is designed just like how a person would sit comfortably on foam and the arch that is created has been replicated onto that. “So, it’s a very comfortable chair to sit despite not having upholstery. We are always looking at pieces that have not only sculptural quality but also serve a purpose. Pieces like the Hoo Pendant Clamp can end up being more of a sculpture than a light fitting, but for every sculpture, we give some kind of utility to it. Even in the Naga Console, we’ve left a break between the left and the right sides, mainly as a pedestal on which sculptures can be placed,” adds Prateek.
Price starts at Rs 1,01,400.
Available online.
—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com
@ManuVipin