The furniture librarian

MY BIG IDEA

Viraj Mahajan developed an interest in furniture design when his family's furniture supplier moved abroad. Despite having no professional experience in the field, he turned a hobby into a business, set up the Furniture Library in 1997, and today runs it alongside his family's leather export company.

Background

I'm a Delhi boy through and through. I did my schooling here, then graduated in B.Com from Delhi University. I then worked for a few months as a trainee with the Bank of America "" doing the usual odd jobs "" before joining my parents' business, a leather garments company called K C Export.

Designs on furniture

Around seven years ago, I moved with my family to our farmhouse in Mehrauli and it happened that we had a problem sourcing furniture "" the lady we used to buy from earlier had moved abroad.

It was then that I started playing around with different design elements. It started as a hobby and later developed into something serious.

Interior Consciousness

You might find it strange that I got into furniture design without any experience, without even having done a course in it. But honestly, it came naturally to me.

The only explanation I can offer is that while growing up, I was more attuned to the furniture pieces and interiors in my house than most people tend to be. Our house interiors were always very thoughtfully designed and my parents were connoisseurs of furniture in a sense, so I was always aware what each piece was.

Anything inspires me

When I first started designing, it was in the classical 16th century European style, which I was most familiar with, but then I moved on to other styles. I constantly make mental notes of interesting elements I see around me, and try to build my designs around them.

Anything can serve as inspiration "" even, say, a glimpse of Chinese characters on a vase. I designed a four-poster bed for a British couple; they wanted something with an Oriental look and one of the elements I incorporated was the roof-over-a-roof look of many Chinese houses. I simulated that look on the bedposts.

Designing for Oman

One of the projects I cherished most was doing the interiors for the Oman Embassy. I was contacted by the architect and I immediately began researching the country's culture, popular motifs and images.

When I presented my ideas to the ambassador, he told me he had full faith in me and gave me full freedom to proceed with the design. That gave me a lot of satisfaction.

We don't keep catalogues

What is on display at our showroom is just a fraction of our designs. Bear in mind that many of our designs are one-offs, made for specific clients.

I also don't like to keep brochures because copying is widespread in this business and I want to avoid "inspiring" others.

Why furniture 'library'?

The reason for the name is that there's no limit to what we can provide "" much like a well-stocked library will have books on all kinds of topics. Anything's possible; we work with designs depending on what is suitable for each client.

The future

We are looking at expansion. I have got a couple of proposals from Dubai and will consider those. I have also done houses in Brussels for people associated with the French Embassy and the European Union.

The leather business is still running and doing well. There's no real connection between the two businesses, except that both require a very sharp eye and a feel for finishes. But I manage quite well.