Esvee Atelier

Esvee Atelier, based in Hyderabad, India, epitomizes Indian contemporary design. Led by Srikanth Varma and Keerthi Datla, they craft bespoke furniture, fusing sustainability and safety with architectural finesse.

Jack W Lennie

Jan 12, 2024 — 7 min read

Edition 3 Feature (September 2021)
We Interview: Srikanth Varma and Keerthi Datla
Location: Hyderabad, India
Photo Credits: ©Esvee Atelier

What is it that you do and how do you do it?

We have a design studio and an atelier, where we design, make and sell our furniture in the same space. Clients can choose from existing designs or commission bespoke pieces that are made to order. Because of the design time and the craftsmanship involved, our furniture sits within a premium segment.

I studied architecture and then I did a Master’s in Furniture and Interior Design at the National Institute of Design, India. The scale of the product intrigued me in a way, it being on a much smaller scale than architecture. I also always like to design in a specific way with a particular attention to detail, and I think designing furniture needs that level of attention, because you start to feel it if something goes wrong. After my master’s, I worked with studios and corporates in India and then worked in Dubai for some time, gaining further knowledge in product/furniture design. Keerthi and I are both business and life partners, and we moved back from Dubai to India in 2018 and started Esvee Atelier the same year. Keerthi has a marketing and advertising background, and our shared love for design made us pursue our dream of starting a design studio together.

When we set out to start a studio, we wanted to establish an image for Indian contemporary design. When you talk about Scandinavian contemporary design, or Japanese or Italian contemporary design, you have an image of it in your head. But when it comes to India, it is the things from the past that are always appreciated; nobody knows about the new. So, we set out to create an image of contemporary design for the Indian continent. It’s a mammoth task, but we have started moving in the right direction. We use solid wood and brass as our main materials: teak wood is a common material here, and brass is very much a part of our culture.