Passionate about finding the right outlet for her creativity, with a strong sense of commitment towards the environment, Bengaluru based interior designer Alifia Shabbir creates artefacts from metal scraps By Sudipta Dev

Alifia and Shireen

Alifia Shabbir, principal designer of Bengaluru-headquartered Design Mint, has created a unique identity for her company that markets artefacts and utility items made from metal which is thrown away as scrap. An interior designer, Shabbir has always been passionate about environmental science and making useful items from things that are discarded. “I have had two passions in life – environment soundness as well as interior design,” states Shabbir. One and a half years ago, Shabbir started Design Mint as a brand which is focused on designer products on metal, and a lot of the metal used is recycled. “We do the design keeping in mind that the object will be created from scrap, and make products which are user-friendly. We make them as multi-usable as possible – aesthetic shelves you can also use for pots or places to keep books, even candles and utility oriented products that look good too,” says Shabbir.

The family is in commercial kitchen business and has its own manufacturing unit. “That is where the scrap is generated. I reuse the scrap to make metal artefacts out of them,” informs Shabbir.

The target clientele ranges from home to commercial spaces to hotels and restaurants. The company has got a good response from the hospitality sector which has been liking the creations. “All those places are looking for something different and that is what we aim to provide, something new in terms of decor. We also do a whole range of buffet risers, magazine racks, all that are used in hotel rooms/ restaurants. We are a mom-daughter duo. We do the designing and prototype a lot of the products, which we have to do before moving it out to the public itself. We create the concept and design the product, write it down on paper and brainstorm on it. We then take it to the factory floor and create a full scale model of it. We work with the fabricators and oversee every aspect, from painting to finishing,” says Shabbir, who is helped in her initiatives by her mother Shireen, the co-founder, and finance and strategy head of the company. Art has always been a passion for Shireen who has taught painting, handicraft and embroidery for many years. “I have also done painting on ceramic and supplied to hotels and clubs. Few years back, when I joined my husband for business, art took a back seat.” She informs, “Both decided to create their own identity and start the artistic endeavour of Design Mint.”

“Our clients like the fact that we do something so artistic with metal, along with the fact that the products have both aesthetic and functional purpose. Slowly we are able to bring awareness to everybody. We are also learning and increasing our range of products,” says Shireen.

Extensive range

While most of the products are ready-to-fix, the company also specialises in customised creations. One of the larger installations is at a sweet shop in Bengaluru – a 50 piece beehive kind of art piece made of metal, which has been back lit. “We have sent our buffet risers all the way to Mumbai to Hotel Marine Plaza. Our products have gone to spas, gardens, homes and offices. We also design fancy tables and chairs. We are now accessorising metal with wood and also handicraft material like rope/embroidery threads. We are trying something different,” mentions Shabbir. They also do some outdoor furniture for areas like terrace tops, etc. The larger pieces are not made from scrap, which generally has a limitation as far as size goes.

According to Shabbir, the challenge lies in creating an object from the scrap and making it look artistic. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. “We have to keep on thinking and innovating new ideas. When we go to the factory and on the floor, we see a piece of scrap which is of no use to anybody. But we try to see how it can be used creatively to make some thing useful out of it,” says Shabbir, adding that this is their contribution towards environment conservation and preventing the scarp from going into junk, or reprocessing.