In the intersection where digital precision meets craft, The Wicker Story has long been a pioneer of “craft-design”. Under the vision of Hyderabad-based architect and founder Priyanka Narula, the studio has evolved from the nostalgic experimentalism of its first piece, Imli, to orchestrating 100-ft-long jointless installations that defy the perceived limitations of cane and rattan. Now, Narula has returned to the intimate scale of the home with her latest collection, Whispers of the Wildwood, a poetic exploration of the forest.
While previous works leaned into the rigid beauty of Fibonacci-inspired geometries and DNA-like structures, Whispers of the Wildwood breathes with a new, organic softness. It is an invitation to slow down, drawing its language from the meandering of rivers, the density of forest canopies, and the textured resilience of bark. “True inspiration is often found in the quietest corners of life: a flicker of childhood nostalgia, the remembered warmth of a mother’s touch, or a solitary evening walk. These are the slow, sacred moments that bring me back to myself amidst the chaos of life,” says Narula.
Each piece, such as the Pagdandi wall unit and the Bark bench, utilises cane and rattan to mimic natural movements like the flow of woodland paths or the gentle sway of wild grasses. The Dawn to Dusk Standing Lamp captures the golden-to-purple gradient of a setting sun through intricate weaving, while the Bark Jhula harks back to the weightless freedom of childhood.
The collection marks a shift toward a more expressive palette, featuring earthy hues like sunlit honey, deep moss greens, bark browns, and vibrant forest reds. By combining these natural tones with contemporary, fluid silhouettes, the collection invites a sense of “modern calm”.
“The most challenging piece in this journey was undoubtedly the 10ft Orchid,” says Narula. To capture the essence of such a delicate subject at that massive scale, the designer shares that that they had to rethink their approach to colour entirely. “We treat colour as an emotion. To achieve the visceral depth of a true ‘blood red,’ for example, we didn’t use a single pigment. Instead, we developed an array of five blended colours to replicate the natural complexity and layering,” she recalls.
The Wicker Story also displayed some of their creations at ID Design 2026 earlier this year. The design studio undertakes a number of bespoke commissions every year, in order to push the boundaries of their previous work, with these projects typically being more large-scale installations. “Recently, we’ve had the privilege of executing expansive works reaching up to 90ft for private residences,” shares Narula, adding that being a handcrafting, slow-production studio, they maintain a very intimate relationship with their process. To ensure the integrity of every piece, they do not retail through external galleries or third-party stores.
The studio manages to distil the sprawling complexity of the wild into a singular sense of modern calm. It is a celebration of slow design that invites us to stop, watch closely, and let the art of the loom reshape the art of living. Ask Narula what’s next for The Wicker Story and she states: “More stories, in material research, lighting and weaving.”