That's the state of Freedom Tree, the newly opened design studio at Raghuvanshi Mills. The store offers textiles, accessories and fragrances for your home, without clearing your bank account. Well, at least not too much
That's the state of Freedom Tree, the newly opened design studio at Raghuvanshi Mills. The store offers textiles, accessories and fragrances for your home, without clearing your bank account. Well, at least not too much
In a quiet corner in the busy Raghuvanshi Mills, overlooking a cemetery, is a massive first floor space full off odds and ends, knick-knacks and pretty things for your home. The brainchild of Latika Khosla, of Takete Maluma the cult home accessories store in Bandra, Freedom Tree is a design consultancy specialising in trend and colour strategies. Their newly opened store, however, is a place to showcase products by their team of designers.
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| An assortment of bed linen, durries and cushions at Freedom Tree. |
They've ventured into business with products under four categories textiles, lights, furniture, ceramics and fragrances. Every line comes with a specific colour story and an ethnic touch. Take Agartha, the legendary city in earth's core, for example. In cobalt blue and white, the designs represent Agartha seen through leaves of a tree and are perfect for day lunches.
Another design story used in their textile and bed linen is Kizangu, inspired by the floating lace plant. The lacy, flowery print in mauve and turquoise make for pretty rugs and cushions.u00a0
But if you're not interested in stories and just want some colour, they have something for you too. If you're intimidated by their bold prints, picku00a0 from their ceramic ware in solids. Cute mugs, with slots for spoons (Rs 160) and cheery salad bowls in lime green (Rs 1,500).
Their style of display makes the store even more fun. Everything is within reach and a lot of the furniture is in use as "in life", explains COO, Samantha Murton. Tomes of Amartya Sen and David Baldacci sit next to each other in their bookcase (Rs 10,800), which looks like a bunch of hollowed cubes balanced over each other in steps.
A bed line is displayed under a sewing machine, while another lies casually by the steam iron. A bright aquamarine blue cabinet displays colourful table linen from each of the drawers. "It's because design is a work in progress. For the designers, a design is never complete. So, all of them keep coming here and adding something to the In Life section," says Samantha.
At Freedom Tree, it isn't just about charm and pretty stories but also about functionality. Take a look at the set of four nesting tables, each a little shorter than the other (Rs 10,400). Each fits under the other so you can stack it neatly when not in use and bring them out to use as a centre or side table.
It's perfect for our matchbox homes. The reusable jars of fragrant candles (Rs 360 to Rs 1800) have calibrations on the side so that when you're done using the candle you can re-use them as measurement jars. "Most of us never throw things away. There's always some other use for things," laughs Samantha.
At: Building Number 28, first floor, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel. Timing: 10.30 am to 8.30 pm, closed
on Monday Call: 24984443
