DIY with Wood – A new path to an effective living

     

 Customers, in general, give importance to the consumption of a product’s value, instead of making attempts to generate the value of a product on their own. Conscious customers, on the other hand, prefer the “Do It Yourself” (DIY) process, not just for the fun of creation or the learning opportunity, but to produce something special and close to their heart which cannot be acquired from a purchased product. Today, we met a person, Mr. Rajagopalan, who is an ardent believer of DIY wood products.

The DIY Man:
Mr. Rajagopalan, a retired BSNL employee, is passionate about nature, trees and wood. An energetic man, even in his seventies, he feels that the DIY way brings a sense of contentment and improves creativity in life. He believes that trees and plants also have emotions and supports this theory by citing the low count of people actually dead in the past thousand centuries by the fall of coconuts or tree branches on them. Another interesting fact about trees is that they continue the consumption of carbon-di-oxide from air, even after they are cut down and converted into furniture, making the environment fresh.

He has planted a number of trees and plants around his house and when one of the trees had to be cut down owing to issues with the Electricity Board, he was depressed and heartbroken. He was not ready to part with the log of wood and hence decided to use the block of trunk as-is and converted it to a showpiece, after varnishing and coating several layers for pest control. The happiness he gained from this process was immense and thus began his passion of DIY showpieces with similar cut logs from neighboring houses.
He is interested in decorating his home on his own, not only for the reduced costs, but also for the resulting satisfaction and originality. He makes different products using wood, marble etc. Such products, though with minor imperfections, will definitely have more value for future generations, simply because they will be handmade and unique.

The DIY mode is more about creativity and satisfaction and if you are saving money in the process, then that’s a cherry on top of the cake! Start learning about wood and its importance and teaching your kids too right away!

A Café with consciousness – Le Café D

On hearing a lot about this new café shop in our own Coimbatore city, I decided to give in to my curiosity and pay the place a visit. For many years now, coffee shops have been the go to place when you prefer to have hour long conversations and discussions, especially on political and business related topics. Business deals worth billions worldwide are closed in such coffee shops. In the 1800’s and 1900’s, cafés played a major role in the political changes that happened in the Eurasian countries. When my friend and I visited Le Café D situated in the eastern end of the city, I was awestruck with its similarity to country side café that I spot in the bohemian region.

The ambiance and food:

I was ready to expect a usual air conditioned café with the standard menu, but to my surprise the café turned out to be something completely different. Every single piece of artifact and tables in the café oozed with creativity. There are two tables painted in vintage green color in the outer area to enjoy the evening breeze. While one table has been fashioned using an old cradle as its base with a table top, the other one is made out of a vintage block of wood with flower motifs from wooden pillars on the top and bottom of the table.

Once you enter the café, there is ample space to walk around and enjoy watching the surroundings or even the kids who skate near Decathlon. The table at the cash counter is a traditional one with drawers. The eatery area has a long glass top table that has been remodeled out of a vintage font storage box from a printing press. Each of the partitions has been filled with sorted stones, which shine under the night light.

In one corner, there is a wooden vase again colored in the same vintage green shade. Upon closer inspection, you realize that the vase is actually a dead vintage Mridangam (a musical instrument). Another artifact, an old lamp, is in the process of being installed in the pavement area to add to the café’s ambience. Thus, the overall design of the café gives the feel of zen interior design by staying minimalist and comfortable.

The menu was pretty interesting and diversified ranging from American burger and European pastries to our own Indian tea, making it the perfect place to share thoughts and experience.

The man behind the creativity:

Mr. Vijay, the CEO of the coffee shop is the person behind its creative décor. In today’s world of consumerism, business owners have a tendency of assigning the decor and design of any place to a third party. But Mr. Vijay worked on the ambience himself, giving importance to each detail, in order to add value to the shop and also to stimulate creativity in the minds of all his customers. The core concept of starting cafés was to encourage communication and engagement among people, giving them a different outlook about life. Le Café D proves to be a perfect example to this concept.

Teak - Part of Millenniums old Dravidian Culture

          We visited a furniture shop a few days back, where we heard the sales executive talking to a customer about the superiority of teak based products. Most of us do not question the quoted price and quality of teak products due to lack of adequate knowledge in that field. Hence we decided to do some research and present certain facts about teak wood.

About Teak:

           The word “Teak” originated from the Tamil word “Tekku” meaning the same. It is found in abundance in the tropical regions, especially in South and South East Asia, Africa and Colombia. Teak falls into the hardwood category, along with rosewood and ebony. The outer layer of teak is yellowish white in color, while the inner region is golden brown or dark brown with black lines on it.

History:

           Teak has been a part of most households in the Dravidian region, mainly Tamil Nadu and Kerala, because of its strength, beauty, durability and medicinal purposes. It also has resistance to termites and other pests, owing to its high oil content. History has evidence of Romans being interested in teak wood for building their ships and also for medicinal purposes. Teak was exported to Rome in exchange for gold, ivory or wool. Teak wood was primarily used in our region to make kitchen utensils as well as home décor products. During the British Rule, teak wood was used extensively to make furniture which are strong and stable even today.

Types of Teak:

          Teakwood is categorized based on the region in which the trees are found. In India, the two major types of teakwood available are forest teak and plantation teak. Forest teak is obtained from trees that grow naturally in the forests and are ready for use after 14 years. Plantation teak, on the other hand, can be used after it is 8 years old. Natural teak is preferred over plantation because of its quality and beauty. The popular teak wood categories in our country are Malabar Teak, Konkan Teak, Nagpur Teak and many more. The price of a teak wood product depends on the variety of teak that it is made from.

Points to remember:

·         Ensure that the product is actually made out of teakwood not just by the color of the product but by observing the straight grains that would be visible on its surface, which is unique to teak wood.

·         Confirm with the seller about the teak variety used to make the product.

·         Teakwood products must be refurbished once in two years, to increase their life.

·         Try to avoid chemically treated wood types like rubber wood and compressed wood since they can cause health hazards. However, apart from being eco-friendly, natural wood products have an ability to absorb Co2, thus making the home a better place to live in.

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West inspires from East - East dupe the West in this millenium

“Such is the time now, when we are trying to imitate the West, while the West is actually getting inspired from our culture.”

When I was staying in the Central Europe a few years back, I got to know a lot about people, economy, traditions and life, in general. I was able to see the impact of the industrial revolution, which had occurred centuries back, still lingering in the people. The people had turned into Pan European, causing a severe drop in traditional wood based-products made with the artisan’s own hands along with an increased dependency on metals and machines, favoring the mass production of products. But, after the recession in the year 2008, people became more conscious of what they were buying and consuming, thus stepping out of their socialistic and economically secure life, and trying to lead a simple life concentrating on authentic products.

The situation is similar in our country as well. People are being caught in the consumerism mania, thereby purchasing products based only on style and design, without acknowledging the main factors like product quality and the actual materials. India is a country boasting of diverse varieties of wood available in abundance in our forests, yet people prefer the purchase of rubber wood and compressed wood imported from countries like China and Malaysia for a higher price.

Here, I would like to talk about two conscious consumers, introduced to me by my friends..

Conscious consumer 1:

Mr. Jirka Mucha is a professional Veena player and composer as well. He lives with his family in the city of Mladá Boleslav, in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. He has been inspired by the Indian way of living and leads his life in the same way, using only Indian products for his day-to-day activities. Using Vicco Turmeric toothpaste, wearing cotton dress are some examples. He believes that the traditional Indian way of living makes us a better human being and provides scope for more creativity, His house and its surroundings ooze with Indian spirituality.

Mr. Jirka is currently waiting for a break in his career in the Indian Music industry.

Conscious consumer 2: 

I had a chance to know about another family from Czech Republic, who lead a self-sustaining lifestyle. They work and strive together to lead a healthy life. They grow their own vegetables and rear their livestock for their family’s needs. Their reason for this simple: they do not want to be a part of the chronic consumerism that is slowly engulfing the entire world.

The kind of lifestyle that this family is currently leading was the same lifestyle that most of the Indians were following before consumerism captured the markets in the name of liberalization.

Let us get inspired from these people and start being conscious about any products that we purchase, including furniture, since it would be a part of our families for a long period of time.

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Be a Conscious Consumer : Forgotten Barbie Doll of Tamilnadu

We came across a wooden doll ( Marapachi pommai ) and in process of knowing about Marapchi's history. We were amazed by the values and purpose of Marapachi dolls and how chronic capitalist market destroy a product which stands as identify of a culture.

Story of Marapachi Dolls:
Marapchi dolls were given as gift for newly married couple as gift  which in latter years were given to their childrens as toys for centuries in Tamil Nadu and other Dravidian regions . Childrens enjoy by giving wooden dolls adults roles . Marapachi is made out of reddish wood in earlier years.

Benefits of Marapachi  Dolls:   Marapachi is made out of reddish wood which has health benefits. In childhood days children were while playing with  Marapachi dolls they bite it so wooden dolls outer layer gets dissolved with saliva and swallow by kids which will help for better digestion also immunity.

In 1950's & 1960's rise of billion dollar doll market in western countries which started to slowly enter into Asia via China and India also supported by cinema medias showcasing Marapachi dolls as spiritual tool and dolls such as barbie the best friend of children.
Now a days mostly Marapachi dolls are kept in Bommai kolu during Navarathri days and also showpieces.

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Discovered Creative Consumers - A way of passing cultural values to next generation

Last week we met a family who were in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu for vacation. We were discussing about art , environment and recycling products.During discussion we shared about Lumbertome​ and how we are trying to bring wood based business and art to limelight. Getting interested with our work they showed us a area near kitchen where vintage small wooden box which they collected and refurbished. Wooden box has traditional manthani , mini pickle jar & a book prepared by grandchildren detailing about different receipts that their grandmother made during here time we felt this is also a way to remember their ancestor and their values.

Creation of Grandma's Recipe Book  :
Grandchildren came up with idea to document in remembrance of their Grandma Kamala Radhakrishnan (a) Subbalakshmi (Chuppu ) and her diversified recipe. So each one of her children & grandchildren around world decided to make one recipe in similar way Chuppu Grandma prepared dishes. These recipe were first recorded and edited together as Chuppu's Kitchen digital book. Later they made a Chuppu's Kitchen Recipe Book and shared with every children and grandchildren family. Also with recipe book kitchen utensils used by Chuppu Grandma was also shared between families. So each family of Chuppu Grandma have book with utensils in kitchen and follow her ancestor food culture in regular life.

We were admiring the way consumers are evolving and bringing  creative ideas to make shelter into home also cultural values into their modern life.

More interesting stories about wood , handicraft & antique based producers & consumers in Lumbertome.

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