Originally reported and written in January 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

Bengaluru-based Gracy Elezebeth’s venture is a combination of her two passions — sustainability and old, vintage material. “I have always loved the look and feel of old things, because they are of good quality, and simple, yet elegant,” she says. 

The 53-year-old design consultant has, for the last 19 years, been designing 35-40 houses in and around Bengaluru by restoring and reusing this old wood. She turns the material into sustainable fixtures like doors, windows and kitchen cabinets, and furniture like chairs, tables, wardrobes, and so on.   

Was sustainability an integral part of Gracy’s life while growing up? 

“I don’t think it was a conscious thing. But we always lived a minimalist lifestyle. I have three older brothers, so I would get hand-me-downs, be it cycles or school bags. In fact, I always rode a men’s cycle. We grew up very aware of the value of things, whether it was water, food or clothes. So, the concept of recycling and upcycling was always a part of my life,” she says.

Her venture began with visits to Puducherry and Kerala, where she would pick up antique wooden pieces for herself. 

“There were numerous shops selling old furniture on the East Coast Road in Puducherry way back in 1998. There would be lovely stuff just piled up, unappreciated. I would rummage through all the wooden stuff and pick up what caught my eye,” she recalls.  

When friends came home, they loved her wooden furniture (straight-back chairs, bookshelves, and various other pieces) and would ask her to source some for them. She started buying standalone objects for friends. 

Enchanted by the beauty of old wood, as well as her sense of style, a few friends started asking her to do the interiors of their homes. 

“My first project was to do up the new apartment of my husband’s colleague in Bengaluru,” she recalls. “The client had visited our home and liked the look.” 

“At that time, I was sourcing from Pondicherry. I got shutters and planks from there and found a carpenter (who has been with me ever since). When I saw him cutting the wood, I panicked, as I was not sure he knew what I wanted. In the early days I had sleepless nights. I was not sure I would be able to deliver. But the project turned out well and from there, there was no looking back,” she........

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