A home is an expression of a person’s personality, it is a reflection of their passions, desires and their aspirations. As Winston Churchill once told, “We shape our homes and then our homes shape us”. The objects we buy through the course of years, trends and seasons start defining our personality. Though the interior designers might want to redo your house space at one-go, homes are never built in a day. It takes years of scouting through the right artefacts, linens, furnishings and conversation-starter pieces to create a space that truly reflects your individual character.
While there is no dearth of home decor brands in Baroda, Ciceroni explores few renowned local stores and some hidden brands that are true gems housing treasure trove of home products.
1. THE SHOPPE
The Shoppe is a brand that is synonymous with Gifting in home decor and serveware space in Baroda. Established by Mrs. Bhadraben Jiwan in 1978, the brand’s growth has accompanied the growth of Gujarat’s cultural capital city. Today, her sons Nishit Jiwan, Rakesh Jiwan, Sunil Jiwan and Hitesh Jiwan carry forward the legacy with their sprawling megastore at Natubhai circle.
The Shoppe has always aimed to be a one-stop shop for all home decor, home products and gifting needs. An eclectic range of world-class crockery to modern cutlery occupies a major position in the product repertoire at The Shoppe. Their extensive range of serve ware including glassware, crystalware and steelware makes it a must-visit store for any gifting needs in the city. Keeping up with the current trends, they have interesting dinner sets that are made completely from bamboo and are biodegradable. They have also brought back copper kitchenware which is making a comeback due to its health benefits. The Shoppe houses renowned brands like Luminarc, Hermann Miller, Noritake, Gitanjali and Elan. It is truly a leader in the home products market in Baroda!
Be it home appliances or decor hangings, be it on-trend cosmetics or fashion jewellery, be it aroma candles or personal care products, the store has it all. They also have an extravagant range of handicrafts and artifacts that can serve as gifting options for the next house warming party or a Diwali bash.
2. KHANDELWAL DRAPE SHOP
Khandelwal is a brand that comes with more than 3 decades of experience in furnishings and home decor in Baroda. While the oldest outlet was in Nava Bazaar in the old city, they now have a sprawling and beautiful space on Productivity Road.
They have an exciting range of bath and bed products including modern printed bed sheets and neutral toned elegant bed covers apt for contemporary home spaces. For the lovers of quirk, they offer a kitschy range of cushion covers in pop colours and funky print. Beautiful tapestry adorn their showroom as they showcase a range of upholstery in pastels, florals, jewel tones and neutrals including digital prints.
Their peacock wall-piece is extremely quirky and would add an element of creativity to your living room. Interesting showpieces like a Buddha showpiece can be an add-on to your home or office space.
3. ANSHUKRAM
Anshukram is an emerging one year old home decor brand that creates export quality products. It is an indie brand started by Suneha Patel, who wanted to bring novelty into her line by crafting unique products. Her products range from vibrant laundry bags to printed sunglass pouch and charming magazine stand to compact and travel friendly wall storage units. The wall units are very convenient to use and carry and can easily be packed for people who want to undertake long-term travel.
All its products are made of cotton and have an aesthetic appeal to it with its detailed design element. The quirky prints, the refreshing colours and the long-lasting quality at affordable prices is what makes Anshukram a brand to watch out for, especially for students and young professionals who want to glam up their homes.
4. WONKY WORKS
The moment you step into Wonky Works, you will feel the aesthetic appeal of the place. A card near the entrance says, “Old is the new New” and that is the essence of the brand. The store is made from upcycled waste material, a fact that prevails across their design philosophy.
Wonky Works, started by Ekta Doctor, is a glass art and design store that specializes in sustainable interior decor. Everything in their store is made from glass that is upcycled. The entire studio is run by a group of women led by the founder. The charm of each product is testimony to the effort and diligence that goes into its making. Wonky Works has an eccentric collection of showpieces,book-holders, serveware, bottles, mugs and message bottles,doorknobs, wall hooks and planters made from upcycled material. Fashion forward individuals will dig their collection of fine glass jewellery.
With such a remarkable concept and a mind-blowing collection, Wonky Works is a brand that should be on you NEXT-PURCHASE LIST.
5. HARMONY ARTS
Harmony Arts is a 23 year old brand that provides a lavish collection of wall paintings that spans across all budgets. Started by brothers Bharat and Rajni Mehta, this brand two stores – one in Sayajigunj and one in Alkapuri. The Mehta family, art aficionados by nature, wanted to promote folk art that reflects the culture and heritage of various parts of India. They have a wide array of folk paintings as well as modern art for the art lovers in Baroda.
They have been collaborating with Bauadevi, a renowned Mithila painting artist and a Padma Shri awardee, since the past 2 decades. The Madhubhani paintings from Bihar, Patachitra paintings from Orissa and Bastar frames from Chattisgarh are defintely worth buying if you want to bring art in your every day life. If you’re considering redecorating your home or moving to a new place or just giving your living room a facelift, you must visit this art gallery to bring in fresh designs.
