KOCHI: Have you ever walked into a space and felt a sense of wonder? That is what you are likely to experience when you enter Dtale Decor on Seaport-Airport Road near Kakkanad. Every corner in this expansive interior decor and furniture store oozes luxury. Started by fine arts graduate Sreejith Pathangalil in 2015, Dtale has become a landmark for home decor enthusiast who are looking for something a class apart.
Contrary to the premium ethos of his brand, Sreejith’s journey is that of humble beginnings. Having started his career with an art gallery in Mattancherry with just Rs 5,000 loaned by his mother in the late 90s, Sreejith now employs over 300 people. “Even while I was pursuing graduation in the College of Fine Arts, Thrissur, my focus was more on into product design, furniture and interiors. I was very craft-oriented. This evolved into a desire for starting my own business. I came to Kochi looking for opportunities and my mom became my first investor,” says Sreejith who is in his mid-40s.
After researching the furniture market in India, Sreejith realised that it was flooded with products from Indonesia and China. He attempted to bring about a change in the design preferences among country’s customers. “We wanted to make customised products that cater to the taste, habits and utility of Indians by employing Indian artisans.” And thus was born Dtale, an amalgamation of the word ‘design’ and ‘tale’, a name that reflects the story narrated by each piece of furniture handcrafted to perfection. “Possibly due to my background, Dtale is part art gallery and part furniture fashion store,” adds Sreejith. This is perhaps why Dtale’s flagship showroom in Kochi and the second store in Thrissur are referred to as galleries on the website.
And truly like an art gallery, one section leads into another, seamlessly creating a cohesive whole while at the same time featuring a melange of makes, styles, finishes and materials including contemporary, traditional, tropical and urban. “Customised design services are what we focus on. We also associate with international designers to make sure our clients get what they want and more,” says Sreejith.
As a design consultant who has worked some of the biggest brands across the world, Sreejith aims to make Dtale a name to reckon with on the international platform. “At present, our factory production centre is equipped with the capacity to produce enough products to fill 40 shipping containers every month. We currently export to eastern Europe, west Asia and other neighbouring countries. We have an exclusive plan for launching an art cafe for budding architects and designers. Apart from this, our roadmap is to set up stores in cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru in the near future,” says Sreejith.