Ahmedabad furniture studio marks 10 years with ‘The Chair Affair’ design platform

As Tectona Grandis Furniture completes a decade, the Ahmedabad-based studio is looking beyond its own practice. With the launch of The Chair Affair, the brand introduces a new platform that brings emerging designers and master craftsmen together, using the chair as a starting point to explore form, comfort and precision.

The idea behind ‘The Chair Affair’

Founded in 2015 by Dhruvkant Amin and Jalpa Amin, Tectona Grandis Furniture has grown from a founder-led workshop into a design house known for its handcrafted teak furniture and deep material expertise. Over the years, its work has been defined by a close collaboration with architects and designers—an approach that now expands into a more structured, institutional format.

“As we complete a decade, it is important to extend our role beyond our own practice and contribute to the larger design ecosystem,” says Dhruvkant. The Chair Affair, he explains, was conceived as a way to engage with designers who primarily work at the scale of spaces, inviting them into the more intimate, exacting world of product design. “It reflects our intent to build dialogue, expand boundaries, and position Indian design with greater presence globally.”

At the centre of this initiative is the chair—an object that, while seemingly simple, demands precision. “The chair is one of the most distilled expressions of design,” Dhruvkant notes. “It demands clarity in ergonomics, structure and material while allowing a strong individual voice.” For designers accustomed to thinking in spatial terms, it becomes a focused exercise, one that reveals both intent and execution within a compact footprint.

The five resulting works showcase a bold shift in contemporary Indian design. Samsara (VMeet Design Studio) explores permanence through a sculptural wooden frame and evolving textiles, while The Barrow Chair (Terra Firma) uses wheelbarrow-inspired mechanics for adjustable seating. The Seat of Continuum (ASAO Objects) features a carved base with a seamless, draped surface; meanwhile, Aathirai (PRAVI) champions sustainability through reclaimed teak and exposed joinery. Finally, Obliq (Sana Raja Designs) presents a geometric, forward-leaning frame that extends into a matching companion stool.

The process itself is deeply collaborative. Each selected design is paired with a master crafts person, ensuring that material knowledge and construction logic inform the concept from the outset. “With inputs from the crafts person and our internal design and technical team, drawings were refined to resolve joinery, strength and usability,” Jalpa explains. And this leads to an iterative journey of prototyping and refinement, where ideas are tested, adjusted and strengthened through making.

For participating designers, the journey begins with an open call and a carefully curated selection process. Once chosen, they enter a structured exchange with the founders and senior craftsmen. “Through this dialogue, concepts were refined to address ergonomics, material behaviour and construction logic, leading to a resolved and production-ready outcome,” says Jalpa.

Importantly, The Chair Affair also introduces a royalty-based framework for designers—an uncommon move in the Indian furniture space. “The intent was to recognise design as an ongoing contribution,” Jalpa notes. By ensuring designers remain connected to their work beyond its creation, the platform establishes a more thoughtful approach to authorship and ownership.

Looking ahead, the founders see initiatives like this playing a key role in shaping the future of Indian design. “Indian design has a strong foundation, but its original voice has often been overshadowed,” Dhruvkant reflects. “There is now a clear opportunity to reassert that identity with confidence.”

—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com

@ManuVipin

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