“Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can on it!” – Danny Kaye
After starting off as a commerce student, a much-desired career in design seemed far-fetched for me. I always had a passion for drawing and loved colouring as well; both were my childhood hobbies. I gave up B.Com after daydreaming in accounts class in the first year and saw myself giving wings to my dreams. I applied for Bachelors in Fine Arts and pursued my four year course.
Tiny Perfume Bottles With the illusion of the long neck as the opening, the stylishness of the bottles comes from the off edge opening.
With the end of the final year when I saw my friends applying in colleges for post graduation, I had no idea what I had to do but definitely saw creativity around me. Along with them, I filled the form and applied for Masters at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, specialising in Ceramics & Glass Design. And I got through.
With no time, I was packing my bags and leaving for my Masters in Design. From hand painting and working on software during my graduation I suddenly realised that this course was all about material and was no piece of cake after all. Moulding clay or developing forms out of it didn’t seem easy as I started.
Chip N Dip Platter Ideal for gifting, this platter is made out of bone-china and is inspired by the form of a lotus.
The cutting of glass with tools; creating a product out of molten glass through glass blowing; or chiselling out P.O.P to create a form; developing samples in thermocol; or the surveys and researches; all this made me realise what I was doing.
The whole idea of designing a product in ceramic or glass and having the endless opportunities to create something, inspired me. The various field trips we had then, helped me to understand the market, the user, the process and the materials in a much better way.
Dinner Set The tableware is completly handmade and handpainted with brushes and sponges to create vibrant looks.
Working on projects in different materials and aspects and having a reason for the development of a certain product, is an important factor. It took me a while to realise my strengths and weaknesses. I combined my learning of colours, forms and aesthetics with my current material. My design journey from surveys to explorations to prototyping is a pool of knowledge where I learnt at every step.
While interning with Titan, I got an opportunity to explore and experience their fine craftsmanship in bone-china and with the amalgamation of my thoughts, gave birth to a new pursuit for a beautiful tomorrow.
Doughnut Vase The vase forms a part of the collection from Ankita’s brand The Home Story.
To create anything, an inspiration is always a must. For me, my inspiration came from the art of hand paintings of the past: the intricate motifs, the beautiful elements such as the paisleys, the flowers or the leaves, the twigs and the swirls. While sketching them one realises its form, its texture, the colour and what beauty lies in it. I also get inspired by the abundance of nature such as the beautiful flowers for my form. It’s incredible how a flower can make you develop a form for a platter!
Creating tableware and developing different ranges for the company, helped me understand the user and the market and most importantly, the material. I was sure that after I complete my course, home decor is the field that I would love to design for and incorporate my material and surface development knowledge.
Tealight Holder The teailght holder is made from terracotta.
Home decor has always been fascinating for me because since my childhood, I’ve seen my mother picking up items for each corner she could possibly decorate. The want of creating quality products that make a space beautiful has always been present in me.
I love visiting home stores of any genre from quirky products to the ones that have luxury products. I get extremely inspired with their themes. Each product speaks for itself and that’s what makes me understand the happiness it gives to its user.
To start with something new, is not easy. But when you know your dreams, the possibilities are limitless. With a new start-up under the name of ‘The Home Story’, I started with the concept of material possibilities. The aim is to provide quality and elegant home decor products at affordable prices. Targeting the audience, understanding their needs and delivering to them what they want is the answer to a good design.
Lumiere About 4 feet tall, this corner floor lamp was created with the concept of re-usability of glass bottles.
The core elements for the design inspiration are clean and simple forms, which are functional, user friendly and aesthetically rich. I created a few range of multi-purpose products in terracotta that users only see as a planter. I have also developed a range of mirror trays and a variety in space enhancing items. While designing these, I got an incredible opportunity to create chip in dip platters for a wedding invite.
The Home Story offers unique, handcrafted and contemporary home decor products to enhance users’ personal spaces. The products, with their simple and minimalistic design sensibilities, bring life to any space, both interior and exterior. The label is currently developing range of dinnerware, serveware and decor products.
Text By Ankita Singhal
Contact
email: ankitasinghal@hotmail.com
