Over the last decade, modern Indian home owners and tenants seem to have been chasing the western aesthetics in interior design, turning colourful homes into minimal, neutral-tone spaces. Almost every new house, decorated or re-decorated over these last few years, seems to resemble one another: false ceilings, off-white walls, neutral-coloured sofas and curtains, western coffee tables, white bed sheets, and so on.
In this pursuit, however, homes seem to have lost more than just colour. They have lost their character.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Indian households had their own charm. There were gramophones that households simply refused to part ways with even in the times of cassettes and CDs; kerosene lamps and candle holders in the age of electricity and torch lights; rotary telephones that existed alongside pagers and cellphones; typewriters that sat on the same table as heavy computers; and so on. While some households kept them for their sentimental value, middle class homes relied on them heavily because there wasn’t always enough money to replace items.
When western aesthetics took over contemporary times, many households got rid of these possessions to attain a cleaner and minimal-looking home.
The exhaustion from living in character-less spaces is bringing vintage items back in vogue. The bharanis and jaadis that stored pickles and salt in our mothers’ and grandmothers’ kitchens are back today as pots for plants, kerosene lamps and typewriters are displayed on mantles, and cane and wooden chairs are being remodelled into sofa sets. So, if you are among those who are re-decorating, or looking to bring back character and charm to your house, here are a few stores to visit in Chennai.
Antique Home Decor
For those looking to trade in their glass-mounted dining tables, modern centre tables, and contemporary closets, Antique Home Decor can be your one-stop furniture store to give your house a vintage touch. With several furniture designs handcrafted to perfection, with intricate and detailed carvings, the store offers showcases, corner tables, dressing tables, closets, among others. With branches in Kochi, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Chennai’s Chetpet, the chain furniture hub doesn’t replicate the same piece like mass producers of furniture do. Each piece differs as artisans come together to shape and finish them by hand.
Arun Collections, The Antique Store
This 33-year-old store prides itself not just as a haven for vintage collectors, but also for art directors and costume designers of Tamil Cinema, who have, time and again, purchased watches and vintage properties for films. From Suriya’s Soorarai Pottru and 24, to Vijay Sethupathi’s Orange Mittai, Arun Collections’ vintage watch collections have received a fair share of screen time in Kollywood. Selling both online and in-store at Mylapore’s Adam Street, is the owner Arun himself, who has taken over the business from his father. From gramophones, old brass statues, telephones, to greeting cards and hip flasks, this store comes with immense potential to add an analogue touch to our contemporary world.
The Old Curiosity Shop
Sitting on Chennai’s Mount Road is The Old Curiosity Shop, that almost always drags one's attention just like the iconic LIC building and Higginbothams — both located on the same stretch. This 95-year-old store is red-bricked, with a name board that resembles a calligraphy work. A quick stroll inside is guaranteed to feel like a walk through history. Old newspaper issues, clocks, dated postcards, portraits, landscapes, paintings, sculptures, vases, Victorian ceramics, porcelain pieces, compasses, they all sit inside these walls, waiting for a home that would want to preserve the legacy of Madras’ past.
Shree Arts
Alongside antique furniture and decor, Shree Arts will surprise you with their variety of wooden vintage items that once belonged to a different person from a different century. Real wood barrels, wooden camphor storage boxes, wood pillars, old canvas paintings, cash boxes, and even coat hangers made from teak wood are some examples. Unique porcelain pieces speculated to originate from Italy, and even chess boards made from teak wood are sold at this store in Periyamet, offering pieces of timeless luxury you can take home.
A Rajan’s Old Camera Shop
Located in Chennai’s Moore Market is this sanctuary for vintage camera collectors. Much like Arun’s, several cameras from A Rajan’s Old Camera Shop have featured in Kollywood’s period films like Aarya’s Madarasapattinam. Film, Polaroid, digital; you name it and you are likely to find it sitting atop the many rows and columns of white and blue racks, inside this three-walled store, tucked away in the Allikulam complex. You can choose to add one to your existing collection, start a collection, or simply let a camera of your choice sit as a show-piece; for it has captured one too many memories in its day and can now retire as a conversation starter at a new home.