Interview: Ellementry Founder Highlights Indian Craft with Modern Sensibilities
- Design Featured
Arushi Sakhuja- 12 minutes read
The brand ellementry is known for its minimalist appeal and thoughtful designs. Bringing a touch of beauty to our everyday lives, they offer a variety of home decor, furniture, lighting and soft furnishing accents among others. So, what makes ellementry special? It’s built on six important principles: Handmade, Fusion, Sustainability, Form & Function, Cultural Revival, and Food Safety. An extended arm of Dileep Industries, which has been exporting Indian handicrafts to global brands for over 30 years, ellementry is the company’s retail arm.
Leading this fresh and exciting journey is Ayush Baid, the founder of the company. He dreamed of a place where Indian crafts could shine right here in India. And it’s clear that people love it—now they have 17 stores and 10 shop-in-shops across the country, with even more on the horizon. LuxeBook recently had a lovely chat with the founder to learn more about his inspiring journey.
Your family has been exporting Indian crafts for decades. What led you to focus on Indian consumers rather than just catering to overseas markets?
While Indian craftsmanship has long been admired globally, I felt there was a gap here at home- a space for thoughtfully designed, handcrafted products that resonate with modern Indian sensibilities. During my time at UCL, I looked at the family business from a new angle and realised that the Indian market was evolving, but access to functional, food-safe, artisan-made homeware was still limited. That’s what inspired me to launch ellementry, to bring these timeless crafts back into our own homes in a way that feels fresh, relevant, and deeply rooted.
ellementry is known for its beautifully handcrafted yet functional products. Why was it important to combine design with everyday function?
For us, design and function are never separate conversations; they coexist. From the very beginning, we’ve followed international standards of food safety because we believe that beauty should never compromise safety or usability. In India, this wasn’t a common approach in handcrafted products, and that’s where we saw an opportunity. Our pieces aren’t just rooted in beauty & tradition, they’re meant to be lived with, used daily, and passed on. That’s what makes them meaningful.
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As more people embrace mindful, sustainable living, how does ellementry support this shift while continuing to grow as a brand?
Mindfulness and growth don’t have to be at odds. At ellementry, sustainability is at the heart of what we do- whether it’s the materials we choose, the techniques we use, or the artisans we work with. We rely on traditional Indian crafts and natural, sustainable materials, ensuring our products are kind to the environment and made to last. By celebrating slow living and conscious consumption, we’re not just growing as a business, we intend on building a lifestyle.
How do you come up with new collections at ellementry? Where do you usually find your inspiration?
Our inspiration often begins with nature, traditional techniques, and everyday rituals. We look for the quiet beauty in small things- a leaf’s silhouette, an old form of pottery, a morning tea ritual, and reinterpret it through a contemporary lens. Every collection is about striking that balance between what’s familiar and what’s surreal. It’s about creating understated luxury that’s both purposeful and beautiful.
ellementry’s stores have a very calming, earthy feel. How important is the store design in telling the brand’s story?
We don’t think of our stores as “retail spaces. ” They’re homes- warm, sensory, and thoughtfully designed to help you imagine how each piece might live in your own space. From the calming hues to the way the light falls, everything is intentional. We want people to take their time, feel at ease, and enjoy the experience of styling their homes. It’s not about making a quick purchase, it’s about creating a connection.
If someone is just starting to explore home styling or gifting with ellementry, where do you suggest they begin?
I’d say start with our curated gift sets. They’re a beautiful introduction to what we stand for, be it kitchenware or home decor & even wellness now! These sets capture the essence of our brand: thoughtful design, conscious utility, and a sense of everyday beauty. Whether you’re gifting yourself or someone else, they’re a gentle way to ease into the world of thoughtful living.
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What makes an ellementry home different from a regular modern home? Is there a signature aesthetic or feeling you want people to experience?
An ellementry home, I visualise, carries a sense of rootedness, just like how each piece is handcrafted and carries a unique story. We want our spaces to feel lived-in & not just curated, to inspire everyday beauty, shared meals, and meaningful connections. That’s the feeling we hope people carry home with them. I’d say that an ellementry home invites you to pause, with a sense of thoughtfulness, and it’s not about trends or excess; it’s about depth, warmth, and intention.
