Art of upcycling

Adarsh Mishra was happily engaged for more than a decade in his business of exporting carpets and textiles, but the global recession in 2009 saw his profits plummet. This encouraged him to go local and do something targeting the Indian market. With his research, he realised that the outdoor furnishing space is largely untapped in the country. “I asked the existing big players to give me the franchise for Delhi but they refused. I started a company with a friend but we had some disputes. So finally in 2015, I came up with Handmade World, which catered to the two loves of my life — home décor and outdoors,” says Delhi-based Adarsh.  

What sets his venture apart from others is his staunch belief in the beauty of handmade things as opposed to machine-made ones. He deals in categories such as funky furniture, coffee sets, cushions, rugs, swings, poolside furniture, lamps and chandeliers and many more and aims to give modern homes a look and feel of a retreat while working with either traditional or transitional decor styles. Adarsh, who studied at Institute of Arts in Sydney, designs maximum items and works with a team of designers from National Institute of Fashion Technology and National Institute of Design. Talking about what inspires him, he says, “I travel a lot and I am very observant. Recently passing through a village, I noticed a cot made of jute and wood and I thought, what if we make the desi khaat with videshi material. Thus, a brand new cot was made, which can be easily considered a luxury outdoor item. If we don’t think out of the box, the customer will go somewhere else.”

He is also a proponent of upcyling. “I realised the taste of people in home décor was gaudy, as  everyone was choosing blingy items. I wanted to give my items a rustic yet colourful feel. I teach my kids the importance of refurbishing and so obviously, I need to walk the talk,” says the 41-year-old father of two.        

Procuring raw material from Indonesia, Germany, Thailand, as also the local junkyard, Adarsh uses everything that can make his products stand apart. Although he agrees to do customisation, he leaves no stone unturned in pushing the original artwork. “90 percent of times, I am able to convince the customers. But if they are adamant, I don’t risk losing the customer and relent,” he laughs.

Though his brother wants him to join the family construction business, Adarsh says he is happy doing what excites him i.e designing. He already has a store in Maharashtra and is coming up with one in Goa soon.