Recycled decor
From refurbishing counters with reused wooden planks to turning pani puri wagon strollers into a restaurant’s condiment stand, Prajal Pradhan’s range of incorporating recycled decor in his interior designs is certainly impressive. His ideas are clever and provide a much needed breath of fresh air where decoration options are concerned. The Week caught up with the architect for his insights on the prospects of recycled decor ideas.
Text: Priyanka Gurung
Photos: Pratik Rayamajhi
Is recycled decor a new trend in the interior design circles?
Not really, there aren’t many people who can to whole heartedly incorporate recycled decors as a theme. I assume some designers prefer to stay away from it because it is very risky and time consuming. There is always the possibility that the results will be different than your expectations.
My first attempt with this recycled decor theme was the restaurant, De Rustic and that’s mainly because they had a limited budget of around Rs 150,000. You can’t restyle an entire restaurant with that money. It was shocking at first but eventually, the challenge led to some very creative ideas.
Do you think those interested can attempt a DIY style renovation with recycled decor?
One has to keep in mind that there is a thin line between shabby and rustic. You have to be very careful not to cross this line and for that, I’d say some research and expertise are required. Recycling random items into decor items looks like a lot of fun but it can be tricky. It will certainly consume a lot of your time. But sure and, if you are ready to put in the effort and time, go ahead.
When you first attempted to decorate an entire restaurant space with recycled materials, were you surprised with the results?
The budget limitation certainly forced us to be really creative. We wouldn’t have gone down this route if we weren’t restricted in this manner. However, it was a lot of fun. The key word here is experimentation. We did a lot of that and there were some unsuccessful ideas. There are some aspects that I’m not completely satisfied with, however, all in all, it was an interesting project. There are many inspirations to take from it as well.
Now that you have worked with this theme a number of times, have you tried putting a new spin on it?
The budget is a big influence on the concept we try. While working on De Rustic and the recently opened Bajra café, we had to be innovative with many recycled items but one can up the scale of their interiors with this theme as well. An apt explanation would be the work we did at Hotel Swornim in Naxal.
At this boutique hotel we tried a Newar fussion theme. The hotel has been designed keeping in mind the owner’s Newar heritage and culture.
It’s a concept that people can try in their own homes as well. Even if they can’t go for elaborate designs, sometimes, it’s only a matter of creatively placing old traditional items as a gaghri or god and goddess’s statues in appropriate places.
There are other projects where I’m using cement blocks as bedroom side tables or cleaning out old TV and turning them into book shelves. Experimentation can lead to many innovative pieces.
You usually have to spend a fortune if you want to buy lamps in interesting shapes. But here we just used things that were lying around our homes. From funnels to jam jars, with a little creativity, anything can be an option. I have used this concept at other project sites as well. It’s fun, makes your decor unique and, to top it off, is really cost effective.
Preserving and protecting your chalk drawings
It could be your favorite quote or a funky art work, either way chalk drawing on surfaces can be a trendy addition to your interior. And contrary to popular belief, there is way to preserve all your hard work and make your chalk drawings permanent.
To make your chalk drawings permanent, lay your chalkboard out and carefully spray it with a thin even coat of hairspray from at least 10 inches away. Make sure you cover the surface entirely and evenly. The aerosol is important because it sprays small even droplets.
Note: It’s important to know that not all hairspray is created equal. For this use, your hairspray needs to be:
• Aerosol
• Ingredient should be water, not alcohol.
• Free of silicones (that includes ingredients like dimethicone or trimethicone)
Also there are small corners where we simply applied Nepali paper on the wall. Again, all we needed was fevicol. There texture made it look like wall paper itself.
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