It’s a bit like opening the secret door in a C.S. Lewis book to enter the world of Narnia where the marsh- wiggle Puddleglum says, “I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can, even if there isn’t any Narnia.” The fantasy furniture of colonial India preserved lovingly by its die-hard fans may just about let us do that.

The attic is full of furniture and I make my way to a glossy, well-made dining table whose top is suspiciously thick. “Did you see how it pulls out? It can expand from six feet to ten”, says Elamma Kuruvilla. Elamma started furniture restoration in 2003, but her love for restoration goes back to her grandfather who once ran the erstwhile Wren Bennett. She shows me an elegant table and yanks out an extension from below the top, flips it over and voila — it turns into a card table! “It has the most beautiful legs,” she says with a collector’s passion. I turn my gaze down to admire delicately upturned feet somewhat like an ostrich’s. In the next alcove, Elamma has restored a Jaipur bench. Ornate floral ceramic tiles are carefully fitted into the back, replacing earlier kitschy pictures and a wooden oval is pleasing at the centre. Two long iron hinges on the sides allow the back to flip. Ideally, the bench is placed between the living room and verandah. Vintage pieces are like personalities with peculiar qualities, often serving unusual uses.............Read more

Source web page: The Hindu