At the intersection of architecture and artisanship is Rucharani, the founder of Sutary, a bespoke furniture design brand whose name aptly translates to “the work of a craftsman.” Drawing inspiration from nature’s artisan—the सुतार पक्षी (woodpecker)—Rucharani has built a brand that mirrors the bird’s dedication to creating spaces that are functional, personal, and artistically integrated with their environment.
An architect by training, Rucharani’s journey took a decisive turn when she pursued a Master’s in Furniture Design from CEPT University. This educational foundation and her professional experience at various organizations provided the perfect backdrop for establishing and nurturing Sutary into what it is today.
Under Rucharani’s guidance, Sutary has emerged as more than just a furniture brand—it’s a storytelling medium where modern aesthetics seamlessly merge with rich cultural narratives. Each piece created is not merely functional but serves as a meaningful expression of craftsmanship, embodying both dedication and cultural depth.
What sets Sutary apart is its team of skilled craftsmen who bring Rucharani’s vision to life. These artisans combine traditional woodworking techniques with innovative problem-solving approaches, ensuring that every creation balances beauty with functionality. Their meticulous attention to detail and commitment to sustainability ensures that each piece not only captivates visually but stands the test of time.
As a design entrepreneur, Rucharani continues to shape Sutary’s evolution, creating timeless pieces that honour both heritage and contemporary design principles—truly embodying the relentless, purposeful spirit of the woodpecker that inspired her brand’s philosophy.
Rucharani of Sutary
In this candid conversation as part of DTalks, Rucharani opens up about her experiences as a furniture designer and shares her insights.
Q. How would you describe your signature design aesthetic, and how has it evolved while working in India?
Rucharani: Heritage Modernism– a fusion of historical elements with modern design principles.
India, when travelled well lets us witness arts and crafts in various forms, right from the places of worship to the everyday rituals, from culinary to architecture, from ways of draping an unstitched fabric all over the body to experimenting with the jewellery metal, we have had multiple foreign influences and yet we have always figured out ways of blending the two whilst not letting go our past. Change is the only constant but how to adapt to the change is- transition and that’s where Sutary draws its inspiration from.
Q. What influences and inspires your current work? Could you share some movements, designers, or elements of Indian culture that have shaped your practice?
Rucharani: Have you seen the tattoos on people’s bodies? Decorating them beautifully, adored by the owner and crafted by the artist for them. Now, have you seen green Gondans (tattoos) on our women’s arms or faces, fading into the skin as they go about their modern lives, clenching hard onto the traditions. These Gondans when observed closely are simple shapes inspired from the nature around. These are the original abstract forms of birds, Tulsi Vrindavan (architectural product), animals and plants designed in a graphical way, this is Modernism while keeping the traditional thought intact.
Q. Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you move from the initial concept to the final execution?
Rucharani: We travel frequently, collecting visual data and documenting them, helping us create a mood board for later. We then research various folk art, folk stories and local craftsmanship. Once the information is collected, we list down products needed by us for our modern lifestyles and then we start brainstorming by sketching and creating 3Ds, boiling down to 2-3 ideas with potential. After making the required technical drawings for the artisans we start prototyping them with substitute material and later with actual material. This might need revisiting of the designing phase which goes hand in hand.
Q. Your work often involves collaborations with artisans and other creatives. What draws you to these partnerships, and how do these collaborations enrich your design practice?
Rucharani: We tend to look for a sheer willingness to experiment and one who is not rigid to follow regular practices, one who is active in problem-solving helping us learn in the process. An experienced artisan knows his/her material well and we wish to work with people who have done the groundwork and can help us in achieving the results. It’s important to have such a team, as it gives us designers the flexibility to create what we visualise.
Q. Looking back at your portfolio, which project represents a significant turning point in your career, and among your recent works, what project are you most proud of and why?
Rucharani: Our chair called Asan (आसन) has received good reviews by senior designers of the industry in our recent exhibition in Raw Collaborative, Gandhinagar and will be displayed in the Isola Design Festival representing the ‘Design is Human’ category in Milan Design Week, Italy. The product has paved the way for us to be recognized by various designers and architects whilst helping us understand feedback on our product and its market accordingly.
Q. What unique challenges and opportunities have you encountered as an emerging designer in the Indian design industry, and how are you working to overcome these obstacles?
Rucharani: The design community and Industry for emerging designers is welcoming with wide arms but it is challenging to convince the market of the profession. It is very recent where people have understood the Interior designers and Architect’s scope of work but Furniture design is still looked at as a jargon.
Q. How do you approach sustainability and eco-friendly practices in your designs, particularly considering India’s traditional wisdom and contemporary environmental challenges?
Rucharani: Indian lifestyles are known for being sustainable (economically and ecologically) resulting in eco-friendly practices and one such habit is to maintain products and hand them down whenever the time arrives. Furniture is one of the biggest contributors to landfill. It has become consumable with cheap materials with weak joineries, at Sutary we are trying to rethink our approach to furniture design by not making it for immediate disposal but to last, attaching stories and emotions by one user to another.
Q. What’s your most exciting recent design or art discovery that’s influencing your current thinking?
Rucharani: We are working on a home décor and furnishing product which has taught us so much in the process and has opened the vast universe of textile for us to explore. I have been fascinated by the versatility of the techniques used by the artisans and it is making me understand detailing in newer ways. From micro to macro and vice versa, it has been teaching me- design in simplicity and how reaching the simple is a complicated thought.
Q. How do you build visibility and reach out to potential clients – what platforms and strategies have worked best for you?
Rucharani: It’s a work in progress but joining networking platforms and participating in various exhibitions has been our prime way of introducing ourselves in the market and the community. We even search for platforms associated with furniture and home décor and approach them shamelessly.
Q. From your experience, what are the crucial dos and don’ts for young designers trying to establish themselves in India, and what professional forums or communities would you recommend they join?
Rucharani: Everyone is going to learn with their own experiences and one should be ready for that.
1. Do read a lot.
2. Explore the real world as much as you can.
3. Do create a strong design philosophy rather than going with the trend.
4. Be inspired but not influenced.
5. Trust the process of designing, do not worry about the outcome in the 1st attempt.
Q. As you look ahead, what kind of projects or directions would you like to explore?
Rucharani: Collaboration is the future of the Design fraternity and we would like to work with fellow designers as furniture design consultants learning from the partnership and exploring newer possibilities of design.
Q. For aspiring designers looking to make their mark in India’s design landscape, what wisdom would you share from your journey?
Rucharani: Design is just one aspect of entrepreneurship, you will have to be malleable to undergo different roles in your journey and you should never shy away from these experiences. Perfecting the design is one thing, execution is challenging in India, but it will never disappoint you once you navigate your way through it.
Courtesy of Rucharani
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