Set in Cement!

Decor equals finesse, charm, elegance and extravagance. For those of you who think cement can never be any of these, you’re in for a reality check. These days, a number of upscale eateries and lounges are realising the the charm of industrial decor. Using pipes as lamps, wheels as clocks, barrels as tables etc. Cement is one such material that is now being used to create decor pieces and the one that is creating them is Balaji Sampath. Through his startup, he has been whipping up a storm. He shares his ideas and journey.....

Making a huge shift from being a Civil-engineer would not have been easy, but Balaji shares that this background actually helped in designing home decor pieces. He says, “Design has always been my passion. Initially, I started with designing small furniture pieces that were custom made.” Balaji became fascinated with the decor pieces that he saw and decided to put them to test here. “These days, a lot of restaurants and lounges are looking at industrial decor to give a modern yet rustic look to their space. The use of pipes, cement etc for tables, lamps in growing rapidly,” he shares adding that since he was well acquainted with concrete, he knew how it worked. Talking about how concrete works as material for home decor he says, “Cement when used as the base for any piece, gives it  a rustic yet polished and minimal effect. It also brings out minute detail which is hard to achieve in other materials. But having said this, it’s also very brittle hence, a lot of trial and error needs to be done.” Balaji still remembers the first piece of decor that created which was a candle holder. Talking about how he gets inspired to create these masterpieces, he says, “Inspiration for my work lies around me.”

Talking about the kind of things he creates using this complex raw material, “Cement can be used to create a number of table, wall and floor accessories. Combining them with materials like glass, corkboard and jute, the finish product is a perfect blend of classic and contemporary style.” The lookout for that one perfect decor piece that is minimal yet well made is always on. Cement decor pieces might be your answer to it. Speaking from experience, Balaji shares the kind of things that cement can be used for. “It can be used to make desk lights, floor lights, planters, phone holders, stationary holder, photo holders, candle holders etc, “ he concludes.