Introducing to you Made with Love by Sincerestoryteller. If you know me at all or have been following along on our journey even for the briefest amount of time, you know that we love everything artisanal and home made. Fortunately being a home décor enthusiast and lifestyle blogger puts me in a very privileged position to have come across some amazing people and brands that focus on local and artisanal products. Not only are these products made with the utmost care and attention to detail but are sourced right and help in keeping certain dying arts alive. So will be be bringing one such brand to you every month. And this months Feature is on CHIKNIMITTI.
Parashmoni Deori & Pallavi Bose and together started Chiknimitti in 2020. So we had a little conversation with these two amazing women to find out more about their journey and the brand
how did this journey begin?
Hailing from smaller towns in the North eastern part of the country, both of us are very closely entrenched into the local heritage, culture and crafts of the region. As individuals, we have always known that not many are aware of the rich, diverse, and sustainable products that the Northeast has to offer and so we took it upon ourselves to promote the region and its immensely talented artisans and craftsmanship. This internal sound-boarding gave birth to ChikniMitti. Conceptualized by two women, it is an effort to produce sustainable and eco-friendly products by blending creativity with genuine concern for the environment.
While it has only been a year since ChikniMitti came into being – the idea to explore and promote sustainable home décor started in the year 2019 on a very small scale. As a person, I have always been interested in hand-made décor, DIYs, and all things earthy. I believe this interest of mine was largely influenced by my tradition and culture. Back home in Assam, I used to spend my days decorating the houses of my relatives. It was all a hobby until I shifted Delhi – and got my own space to decorate. With a strong affinity towards bamboo and cane, I decided to go back to my roots and start curating décor stuff as per my mood board. I made it a point to fill up my household with utilities made in the Northeast so to showcase the unique varieties. Alongside, I also started gifting customized products for my dear ones. It was when people started complimenting my living space, the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should start getting more involved and take it seriously. But the idea of starting a business itself intimidated me. For starters, I had zero knowledge about business – let alone try to find a name and place far away from home in an unknown city.
Finally, it was during the lockdown of 2020 that I made up my mind to give it a shot and one fine afternoon during one of our conversations over tea, the question and the crazy idea popped up and that was it! We initially started with upcycled products and after sourcing discarded bottles from friends and family we started DIYs. Pallavi is an absolute wizard when it comes to color and she started hand painting the bottles that could be used as décor pieces. We then gradually expanded our network, reached out to the local artisans, planned the logistics, tested products and that was the birth of – ChikniMitti.
What kind of artisanal work do you make? A little history about the type of products you make and sell?
As of now we are manufacturing some of our own products and sourcing the rest from 5 different states. We deal with cane, wood, bamboo, clay, ceramic and upcycled art in the form of home décor. These includes, lamps, bamboo bottles, incense stick holders, organizers, trays, vases, cane and clay plant holders, candle holders, diffusers etc. We have madhubani artwork, Jaipur blue pottery décor, clay work from West Bengal & Uttar Pradesh , bamboo, ceramics and the cane products from the North East of India.
Our platform hosts a wide variety of handicrafts (cane, bamboo, clay, ceramics, glass, wood) that can be used for decorations, utility purposes, and many more. The choices offered are all evergreen designs that are subtle, sustainable, yet eye-catching. We understand that our audience seeks aesthetics and we believe our sustainable products can help deliver that.
Where are the artisans located and where do you operate out of?
The artisans are spread across different states of India – mainly Northeast, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. We want to start manufacturing more products as well as source items from the smallest of villages across all 28 states and 8 Union territories of the country and display them on our platform for the world to get the essence of India at one place.
We are based out of Delhi and Guwahati. Our products are created and sourced by skilled artisans from the remotest corners of our country. While I take care of the handicrafts of the North East and Western Belt, Pallavi looks after the East and North Belt. As of now we are manufacturing some of our own products and sourcing the rest.
Our Impression
Having been fortunate enough to use their products first hand and let me tell you I have been blown away by these two women walking the walk. So many brands we come across claim to be sustainable and green but their products arrive packaged in plastic bubble wrap. But that wasn’t the case here. All the products arrived neatly packed in reused cartons and wrapped in newspaper and Grass (yes! dried grass). Every box had individual hand written notes. Just the love that poured out of each box was intoxicating. And Gosh those products! I think the images you see above do a lot of the talking but seriously some of the best cane & rattan products that we have come across. You can find their website HERE and even follow them on Instagram HERE for their latest updates.
See you all soon with another brand in the Made with Love series by Sincerestoryteller. Till then stay home! stay safe & stay inspired.
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