Our Process: Collaborating with Master Artisans
We believe luxury is the mark of a human hand. We bridge the gap between contemporary hospitality design and India's heritage craft, ensuring every installation carries a story from the community that created it.
A glimpse of the massive handwoven cane light fixture for Biergarten during its creation. We worked closely with the weavers in Kerala, designing the framework and weave density to achieve a beautiful pattern when illuminated.
The initial stages of weaving the Biergarten light fixture. We designed the metal framework and then collaborated with artisans to test different weave densities, ensuring the final piece would cast the perfect ambient light.
An artisan carefully works on the intricate cane structure of the Biergarten light. This collaborative process, combining our design with their traditional techniques, is central to how we bring soul into our projects.
The bare metal skeleton of the oversized light fixture before the weaving process began. This image reveals the structural engineering required to support such a large, handcrafted installation within a commercial space.
Meet Ramzu Bhai and his son Ahmed, Kumbhar potters from Kutch. Here they are, standing proudly with a sample of the white terracotta tiles we co-created for the Brassa restaurant project, a collaboration managed entirely over Zoom during the lockdown.
Meet Ramzu Bhai and his son Ahmed, Kumbhar potters from Kutch. Here they are, standing proudly with a sample of the white terracotta tiles we co-created for the Brassa restaurant project, a collaboration managed entirely over Zoom during the lockdown.
The artisan's courtyard in Kutch, where the handmade tiles for Brassa were laid out to dry. Choosing to work with local communities is a conscious decision to make our work more meaningful and memorable.
The artisan's courtyard in Kutch, where the handmade tiles for Brassa were laid out to dry. Choosing to work with local communities is a conscious decision to make our work more meaningful and memorable.
Assembling the Channapatna modules for the Lucky Chan ceiling installation. Each piece is handcrafted from wood and colored with 100% natural, organic dyes, a traditional technique passed down since the 1700s.
Assembling the Channapatna modules for the Lucky Chan ceiling installation. Each piece is handcrafted from wood and colored with 100% natural, organic dyes, a traditional technique passed down since the 1700s.
About Our Process: Collaborating with Master Artisans
When we designed the massive light fixture for Biergarten, it was not just about the aesthetics. We spent weeks in dialogue with our weavers in Kerala, running iterative tests on weave densities. We needed to ensure that the framework we engineered would cast a specific, warm, ambient shadow pattern once illuminated. It is this level of technical collaboration that transforms a standard interior into a living space.
We do not just buy local products. We co-create. Whether it is white terracotta tiles for Brassa or Channapatna wooden modules for Lucky Chan, our studio acts as a translator between the architect’s drawing board and the artisan's workshop.
The Reality of Craft
It is rarely the easy path. Working with the Kumbhar community in Kutch or wood turners in Channapatna requires immense patience. During lockdown, we managed the Brassa tile project entirely over Zoom, refining samples until the scale and texture matched our design vision. This approach is labor-intensive, requiring multiple site visits and constant technical communication.
Why It Matters
These are not perfect factory replications. Natural dyes from Manjista root or turmeric may have slight variations, and hand-lathed wood will have its own character. We specify these materials because they ground our projects in reality. When a guest walks into a space we have designed, they are not just seeing a restaurant. They are interacting with history, skill, and a narrative that belongs to the artisan as much as it does to the venue owner.
Maia Design Studio
At MAIA, we believe spaces should speak. Our studio brings together a team of curious minds who prefer chasing stories over following trends, working directly with master craftspeople to inject soul into commercial interiors.
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