Inspirational interior

Pendi is an interior design based consultancy that stands for authenticity and uniqueness. Their home ware solution is designed and made locally in collaboration with a group of young designers. They are a group of people who are passionate about what they are doing. Daily News spoke to the founder of Pendi, Natalie Pendigrast who believes in creativity and thinking out of a box, so that each time a customer visits Pendi he or she can see something different.

“The reason I started Pendi was because I was looking for a creative outlet of my own. My background is in interior design, which I have been doing for the last 10 – 12 years. I understood there was a gap in the market for lamps. When my husband and I got married, I had some of my lamp designs made for our house and people liked it and they asked me to make lamps for their houses as well. The response was good, and what started off as a hobby turned into a full time business. Our collection has grown from lamps into a complete home ware range,” said Pendigrast.

Pendigrast soon found a following of designers who saw potential in her business and found it exciting.

“Since my background and experience had been in interior design it made sense to go into a business that was related to my profession. So that is how the lamp side of it came about. I found a craftsman who could produce my designs and while working on my collection of lamp designs, I met other designers who were excited about what I was doing. They were excited by the concept of Pendi and wanted to contribute and get their designs made,” stated Pendigrast.

That is how the initiative has now been built into a whole home ware range. The idea was to have a home ware store with a group of different designers, turning out their designs using the skills of the local craftsmen.

“All of our products are locally made. So from lamps, now it has grown into a whole home ware collection. There are actually two parts to Pendi’s – the interior design services plus the home ware collection,” said Pendigrast.

“As an interior designer I have worked on many different types of projects. I worked for quite some time under an architect as the Head of his interior design team and set up Pendi together with my own interior design practice recently. Pendi is currently working on some residential, commercial and leisure projects” said Pendigrast.

At Pendi everyone anticipates tomorrow. They are a group of people who enjoy what they are doing. It is not a job. It is a calling.

“I am quite passionate about what I do here and what we all do together. It is a job I really enjoy and love. Throughout the time I was a student and intern I have done a lot of different types of jobs like administration, shipping, marketing and advertising. But the interior design field and home ware collection is something I feel that really pushes me. It pushes me to think out of the box, be creative and use my brain and come up with creative solutions. If interior designing is something that you really love to do, then go for it. Whatever career you want to have you need to love what you are doing! If you love what you do you can always face tomorrow,” explains Pendigrast.

The vision of Pendi is to do something unique and something different to what is available in other home ware shops locally.

“It should be something that is authentic and reflects our Sri Lankan lifestyle. We live in a tropical island and our lifestyle is quite unique. It is very different to what you would get in anywhere else. I like to think we focus on doing what reflects our lifestyle and our way of life,” pointed out Pendigrast.

What Pendigrast is doing is commendable because not does it simply benefit Pendi and its Customers, it benefits the local craftsmen. Everyone wins.

“We try to take advantage of materials and items that are locally found and things that have been used overtime in Sri Lanka, that Sri Lanka has come to be known for like the Batik and Cane weaving, woodwork and cement. We think on how can we use them in contemporary interior solutions? We have taken the old traditional craft of Batik, and think, how can we use this in a new way,” added Pendigrast.

There is no point going to a shop if you see the same old thing over and over again. The secret of the brand of interior designing that Pendi does it there is the element of discovery. You find something exciting and challenging every time you visit.

“Experimentation in my field is very important. If we do not experiment we will never have something new. We will be doing the same thing over and over again. And that is against Pendi’s philosophy. The whole point in this shop is that there are a group of designers and each designer has their own distinct style. And when you come into the shop what you see is part of a limited collection. So we make small quantities. So hopefully the next time you come in we will have a different collection. We are always trying to give you something new. So if we do not experiment what is the point in you coming to Pendi when you see the same collection over and over again? Plus it is really fun experimenting!,” said Pendigrast.

At Pendi they pay a lot of attention to the smallest detail, because as Pendigrast points out, it has contributes towards the final product.

“I think the smallest details are very important, because at the end of the day all the small things come together to form the bigger picture. If you don’t pay attention to the small thing and if it is a bit untidy and careless, it affects the outcome at the end. So it is very important to think about the small things,” said Pendigrast.

Pendi relies on good relationships. Pendi relies on dedication and commitment.

“Pendi is something that is very personal to us and we hope Pendi will become a household name. Something people will appreciate and love. We invite our customers to come in and have a chat with us and we would like to have a good relationship with our clients. Not just clients or customers, our studio is open to other designers to walk in and talk to us too. I like to help young designers by sharing contacts and by sharing tips or hints. Anyway I can support them even by working on a collection with them. Just share what I have learnt along the way with them,” pointed out Pendigrast.

The craftsmen are motivated and excited to try new designs and they have so much to bring to the table because they have been working in their trade for years. They have a lot to contribute with their ideas and are involved in the whole process with their creativity coming out as well.

“Sri Lankans are generally quite laid back and relaxed. So we have to stick to deadlines and we have to travel out of Colombo, spending a couple of hours on the road, and going back and forth a few times with the suppliers before the final product is displayed in the shop. So definitely it is not easy and it is challenging. But I am very proud of it, because there is so much we can do with the craftsmen and the designers. Sri Lanka has so much talent. There is so much potential. It is the backbone of Pendi and what Pendi stands for,” explained Pendigrast.

Pendigrast has a strong support system and they are also as talented as her and innovative. It is very much a family business built on trust.

“I have a really good support group. I have incredible people who work with me and who are excited about Pendi as I am. My husband and family support me with the whole process and without that help I don’t think I would be able to do this. Anukshi my partner, an interior designer herself helps me with the projects. She is a huge support to me because she helps overlook the home ware collection, dealing with all of the designers and craftsmen who help us make all the designs. There is Ena who is another designer who has been with me since day one, from the time I started lamps. She is a product designer by profession and she was happy to have an outlet to show off her designs and her skills. Her unending support and help, not just with her own designs but also with Pendi itself, makes her an integral part of our design family,” she said.

“Tamara is an artist and also our studio manager, holding down the fort and coordinating with all the designers, suppliers and customers. She helps me stay sane and again, a valued part of the Pendi family. I work here from Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday I go to the workshops and check on orders and keep the relationships going with suppliers and craftsmen. It is important to meet face to face with them,” explained Pendigrast.

At Pendi you get batik upholstery, a coffee table with Batik in it, batik lamps, cement lamps, cement pots, batik pillowcases, batik table-runners, mats, baskets and rugs. The idea is to push the boundaries of creativity.

“All our designers are freelance designers and there are around 12 or 15. Each designer has their own specialty and we give each designer their own recognition all labeled which each designers logo. They all work on their own they do not work for Pendi, but they do a collection exclusively for us which we retail here. We also work with a group, Semmen, that uplifts and encourages women in the north and north east. Inadvertently, the Pendi Design Family has evolved into a group of about 90 per cent women who all support and encourage each other with each of their businesses” said Pendigrast.