BeatRoot Co abstracts South Indian architectural motifs into modern furniture

Within the realm of product design, the juxtaposition of tradition and modernity is a charming and interesting phenomenon. Carved with intricate precision while embracing sleek forms, these pieces embody cultural heritage in a contemporary shape, where past practices and aesthetics merge with the present, breathing new life into the current design landscape. In the same reign, traditional Indian architecture has served as a rich and succinct source of inspiration for contemporary furniture design—Myriad examples of modern furniture showcase expertly crafted peices with complex carvings, with motifs of jali screens, radiant as well as muted, earthy tones, sustainable materials and practices, and spatial notions inherent in traditional Indian architecture, fusing cultural tradition with modern aesthetics.

In addition to honouring India's architectural and cultural heritage, this fusion of traditional and modern design components produces distinctive and alluring objects that appeal to those seeking a hint of cultural authenticity in their living and working spaces. This key inspiration found its way into the sculptural furniture designs by Chennai-based studio BeatRoot Co studio, whose works are rooted in the relevance of locally crafted materials, motifs, and techniques. They also cater to their geographical context of Tamil Nadu, its prevailing architectural elements and culture seeping into their product designs. “We are from Chennai, and traditional Chennai architecture is what we grew up seeing—it is in a sense, within us. Hence, we naturally lean towards it, and it helped set ourselves apart,” shares Shreelekha Lakshmipathy, creative director at Beatroot Co.

The Indian design studio aims at conceiving a holistic ecosystem for its products, from its idea to brainstorming forms and styles to discussing aspects of production and perceivable issues in results. “As a designer, you are tasked with designing a product or its features. With BeatRoot, our job is to design not just the product but its ecosystem—from its idea to retail and back—the seamless workflow circle. We design the process of the product. This shift in mindset took us a couple of years to understand and gain clarity of,” adds Lakshmipathy. Every product goes through its share of trial and error before it is launched, ensuring that it is user-friendly and fit to be in the market. “We start with a product idea. We brainstorm forms and styles and take them to our unit/craft cluster. We discuss aspects of production, the perceivable issues, and more, and come back to the drawing board. We then work on the design, using 3D modelling and renderings to understand the product scale and positioning and once we finalise a design, we make the drawings and share them with our unit for a prototype. We let the sample sit around with us for a few months, use it and take a call to put them into production if we still abide by it. While the item is in production, we do product shoots and set a timeline for launch. Post initial sales and after every production batch, we reconsider the product and continue the cycle,” says the Indian furniture designer.

In an endeavour to create objects for the present with hints of a traditional past, and aesthetics fitting the future, the studio collaborates with independent artisans and small-scale industrial units to craft sculptural designs that blend the abstract with familiarity. The Ghoda Chair (horse in Hindi) in Teak wood is finished with a matte varnish, drawing inspiration from Bengal’s 'Bankura' and Tamil Nadu's 'Ayyanar terracotta horses' that have been a culturally significant sculptural motif in Indian tradition. According to the product designer, the chair design showcases a minimal, playful interpretation of the horse as an entryway seater or side unit. The Chettinad Chair in Teak wood finished with monocoat oil, stems from elaborately carved wooden pillars of large palatial homes found in the Chettinad region. A sculptural seating with an intricately carved backrest is reminiscent of traditional Indian pillar brackets, with four monolithic legs with a carved seat. With an element of visual weight, these furniture pieces embody in fullness, the studio’s design philosophy, suggestive of a sculpture that juxtaposes with form, scale and texture. “For a product to be purchased or used, it needs to be relevant to today's setting. It should fit the style of the homes that we believe is our market. We see an inclination towards Scandinavian design and we try to infuse that context within our designs. We tend to try all variations, to see how it can merge seamlessly, to look visually balanced,” concludes Lakshmipathy.

Resuming this journey of modern designs inspired by traditional elements, BeatRoot Co is currently working on Thombai, a fabric pendant lamp with appliqué work made by the artisans who craft the decor for temple chariots. A set of stools and pedestals will also be added to the furniture collection, with more pieces of wall objects this year.

Text by Ria Jha