Crafting Contemporary Heirlooms
Rooted in Chennai's heritage yet crafted for contemporary living, Madras Makers blends reclaimed wood, meticulous details, and timeless design into pieces that feel like stories passed down through generations.
In 2013, the duo—architect Prem Balasubramanian and designer Carola Winnie—set out to challenge India's culture of disposable décor with a studio rooted in patience, precision, and permanence. Together with Prem's brother Prashant, they built Madras Makers, a name that pays homage to Chennai's layered history while looking firmly to the future.
Known for their "fat-free, without frills" philosophy, they create furniture and interiors that are as soulful as they are functional, blending reclaimed timber, meticulous craftsmanship, and a quiet reverence for proportion and tactility. In a chat with FOUR, they reminisce about their journey and what keeps them going!
FOUR: Could you elaborate on the creative synergy between the two of you as co-founders with backgrounds in architecture?
Prem: We have similar tastes and opinions regarding spatial tensions and subliminal emotions contained in an architectural space. This helps us draw parallels in how we negotiate and punctuate the space with our furniture. This constant ebb and flow of ideas helps us push each other in terms of our design vocabulary.
Carola: We are a team of three actually, including Prem's brother, Prashant, who manages the operations and is the engineering mind behind all our work. Between Prem and me, he is the talkative one with grand visions, while I am the quieter and more intuitive counterpart. It is truly Prashant, who at the end of the day makes the work happen amidst both our idiosyncrasies and daydreaming!
FOUR: "Madras Makers" instantly evokes Chennai's history and culture. How do you translate "nostalgia" into furniture for a modern luxury consumer?
Carola: Today, "luxury" has become a cliché that is attached to everything that partly or temporarily fulfils the whims of an event. From the very first piece that we have been making at Madras Makers, the quotient of luxury is embedded without having to be stated, because of the reverence to materials, thoughtfulness of the craft and a sensitive approach to the tactile experience of each piece.
FOUR: In a market flooded with mass-production, what keeps you committed to heirloom quality?
Prem: We believe wood as a material is not for one man's consumption. Naturally, what we make must indulge the minds of at least a couple of generations. So, we strive for this by making incremental improvements to every aspect of our organisation.
Carola: Madras Makers began as a quest to make quality furniture for us. Over the last ten years, Prem and I have slowly populated our home with beautiful pieces, almost like a chronicle of the life we built over a decade. Our furniture and projects are shared stories with each of our clients who have felt the same sense of beauty and evocative charm.
FOUR: How do your in-house team and precision tools work together to bring a design from sketch to reality?
Prem: We draw upon the idea that when wood is milled in our hands and our machines, it is to unravel its true beauty manifested through a detailed approach to crafting furniture pieces. Our work is usually a back-and-forth process, beginning with sketches, design development, prototyping, and iterations until the final work truly stands as a charming testament to the beholder and the maker.
FOUR: How do you balance the "fat-free" minimalist aesthetic with the need to feel luxurious?
Carola: Our pieces are crafted, not manufactured. We have tried not to box them into a particular style, but our expression is primarily guided by the tooling and skillfulness of the craftsman while keeping a keen eye on proportion, ergonomics and most certainly the sensory experience.
FOUR: Beyond reclaimed wood, what reflects your commitment to social and ecological responsibility?
Carola: I believe there is a slow shift towards conscious buying... At Madras Makers, we believe that good design should holistically permeate every home, so it makes a cultural shift from the inside out. If we can appreciate timeless design, craft and the importance of heirlooms, it will gradually have an impact and a transformative effect on the architecture of not just homes but the entire urban scape.
FOUR: Is there a creation you feel most embodies Madras Makers' values?
Carola: I would like to talk about two pieces: The Mi Chair and the Tula Tambour console. The Mi Chair is the first piece where we used bent lamination as an integral part of the chair's expression. It creates a design that is like a slick protagonist taking centre stage.
The Tula Tambour Console is our first piece in Mahogany. The opening and closing of the tambour every time is a sensory delight. Mahogany gains a unique patina over time as it gradually turns from a fresh rose gold hue to a deep burgundy.
FOUR: For a luxury audience, what advice would you give on selecting a timeless heirloom?
Carola: My advice to the buyer would be to populate their home, or any space for that matter, with care and a certain slowness. Build your repertoire of furniture, just as you would a wardrobe, because it ultimately defines who you are.