Lata
Dayal on her venture - Ethnic Interiors
Expensive does not mean Beautiful...Flashy does not
mean classy, just anything may not be tasteful....
When
any
occasion demands gifting, we scratch our heads and
wonder where to head for that special gift, a gift
that is not crass and commercially crafted. We seek
a gift that can satisfy our inner being and bring
infinite pleasure to the soul of the recipient.
Then
comes the thought that something like that can be
located in the handicrafts shops downtown. The thought
alone scares
one, to think of traveling to the ends of Mumbai,
wasting an entire day and realize that it adds indirectly
to the budget of the gift. If only something like
that was available in Thane, is what you wistfully
think!
Yes,
there's a place in Thane that draws you in like a
magnet. You just cannot simply pass by and not help
walking in, and that is- ETHNIC INTERIORS.
The
proprietress, of Ethnic In
teriors
is Ms. Lata V. Dayal.
She opened her very exclusive showroom in 1998, to
showcase the best of India.
There
are two kinds of people, Planners and Drifters. Planners
always stop to see where they are headed, what they
are doing what they can do and then work towards achieving
and fulfilling it. Drifters flow along with time and
accept whatever life hands out to them.
Lata
falls in the former category,for
she was always clear in her mind about what she desired
to do. She decided that she wanted to work fulltime
for pleasure and that it should not be a temporary
timepass for a bored housewife.
Being
artistically inclined and possesing a keen 
aesthetic
sense she went ahead and did just that. Thanks to
the strong emotional encouragement and financial support
of her very understanding husband, Mr.Vinay Dayal.
Not that she jokingly adds, that one fine day, he
just told her the few lakhs lying in the bank and
she could just take it !
For
a young woman just blossoming in the garden of life,
getting married, moving into a new state, starting
a family, thinking and convincing her new family members
about her individual busines
s
venture and converting those ideas into a successful
reality, in just a few years, is no mean achievement
!
Her
shop is well stocked to cater to various budgets and
tastes and the prices range from Rs.3/- to Rs.20,000/-
One thing she is definite about is, every piece picked
up at her shop has to be original and quality stuff
with a great finish.
She
tries to see that everything displayed at the shop,
is no doubt traditional art, but modified to suit
modern lifestyles- very contemporary. The handicrafts
besi
des
being a thing of beauty has to have a utility value,
else it is a waste of Mumbai space.Plus it has to
be value for money.
Her
Happy customers come back for more, with their family
and friends. Her shop is loaded with beautiful wrought
iron, wooden and cane -3 in 1 furniture, functional
copper enamelware, Warli and Chakla table accessories,
Trays and coasters in Santhal, Mithila and Warli,
jewellery boxes, unusual Bastar door-handles and napkin
holders, Warli art wall mirrors, unusual lamp bases
and shades, hand painted dinner sets, single mugs,
tea sets, dongas etc.
The
linen section has hand weaves in bold coloursand
hand-printed vegetable-dye prints. Ikats, bedspreads,
table napkins etc. There are Dhurries in cotton, jute
and cotton wool.
The fragrance sectio
n
has aroma oils, pretty perfumed candles, floating
jellies, incense sticks and Diffusers.The Diffusers
are clays lamps above which one can add a few drops
of your favourite aroma oils in water and light it.
The heat from the lamp diffuses the pleasant fragrance
all over the room.
Another
thing I simply flipped for is the carved wooden spectacles
holder. It would make an ideal gift for any person
needing to keep them away from any scratches or damage
and easy retrieval for frequent use, and yet be a
lovely showpiece.
You
will also love the Rajasthani glass paintings done
on reverse with powdered semi-precious stones, also
available incorporating this art are telephone diaries
anyone will be happy to own.
What
I am now curious about is, what beautiful things she
has sieved and filtered through to squirrel away for
her home!
Address:
Shop No. 25, Amrapali Arcade,
1st floor, Vasant Vihar,
Pokhran Road No. 2, Thane (W).
Contact No:
(91-22) 5426994
E-mail: lata.dayal@thaneweb.com
