CHENNAI: This Diwali, a popular gift-giving idea doing the rounds on social media was a cement diya stand with an idol of Goddess Lakshmi made of terracotta affixed on top. The idol could be customised based on preferences. The idea behind the design was to continue the tradition of lighting lamps on auspicious days in a contemporary way.
This is just one of the many concepts by three friends and architecture students — Srilakshmi Sridharan, Ann Mathew, and Nandita Warrier. They are working on bringing back old and antique objects with a cultural value through their two-month-old Instagram page called Little Things. The trio passed out of Meenakshi College of Engineering in the city two and a half years back.
“We wanted to practice environment-friendly architecture. All of us shared an interest in art. We sat, brainstormed and decided to have a start-up by fusing our aesthetic sense, eye for detail, and creativity, and putting it to good use. The motto is to offer decor alternatives that can be reused, recycled and repurposed,” said Sridharan.
The trio works in different architecture firms and pursues this as a hobby on weekends. Thus far, they have 11 products that include candle holders, diya stands and planters. “One of our seniors has a timber factory. They source timber from old buildings and use them sustainably. We visited his unit to understand the process and use the timber. We’re also hunting for objects disposed by street vendors and road-side second-hand shops. These objects should remind people of forgotten stories, and that’s how we shortlist the materials for our products as well. We chanced upon lamps with a cross symbol on it. These were said to be used in the early days by converted Christians in their homes,” said Matthew.
Their biggest challenge is to convince clients to go for recycled products because of the price factor. “Budget has always been a problem. We sold 300 cement diya stands during the festive season. We’re working on something Christmas-y for the upcoming year-ender. By giving an object multiple purposes, we’re only increasing the longevity of it,” said Sridharan. Little Things has prototypes on its Instagram page and manufactures based on orders. They ship across Chennai.
Priced from `100. For details, visit their Instagram page: Little Things, or call: 9655557878