The elegant simplicity of a name plate

Now you can make a style statement even before you open the door! Just as the facade of a building defines its status and tells us something about the kind of people occupying it, a name plate also defines the homeowner. A name plate reflects a person’s personality and attitude. Artistic, unconventional name plate designs make one’s name stand out. Creatively designed name plates have become a striking add-on to entrance gates and doors adding a touch of class to homes as well as offices. Parents even adorn the doors of their children’s rooms with bright coloured creatively crafted name plates.

Because a door is both a barrier and an access way to the space beyond it, every door has a ceremonial aspect to it. The design of a door often acknowledges its symbolic importance and gives a home a focal point. Traditionally, people have given a lot of importance to the front door, framing it with side lights or decorative columns and a pediment. In Indian homes, the ceremonial welcome (of a bride, newborn or even a guest), called the dwar puja, indicates the importance of the front door. The look of a door hints at what can be expected beyond—an impression of the scale and purpose of the room behind it. “Doors should suit the style and proportion of a room’s architectural character,” says Ratan Joneja, an architect and interior designer by profession and the mind behind Identiti name plates.

Usually made of wood, glass, ceramic, plastic or metal, a name plate is a decorative way to convey information about the owners or residents of a home or building. Identiti and Panchtatva Mumbai-based name plate boutiques are two of the most well known names among name plate creators. They have made name plates available in wood and glass with terracotta figurines, bamboo, wood cut outs, hand cut calligraphic letters, different natural textures, coconut shells, acrylic colours, coir and brass accessories like bells and ghungroos! With a touch of imagination and creativity, a customer can mix and match raw materials, styles and colours to make a name plate that enables whatever it’s placed upon to exude a desired aura.

Nature: the artist’s inspiration
The Panchatatva collection is an exclusive blend of contemporary and traditional name plates. I decided to meet up with the minds behind the art and so I met the young couple Abhishek and Shraddha Goyal who had started their venture with Rs2,50,000 as initial investment. They started off with handcrafted gifting solutions and later evolved to specialise in name plates as their key revenue earner.  Shraddha a commercial artist from Sophias experimented with murals and other handicrafts and now uses her own hand written calligraphic font on different materials like natural textured wood, railway sleeper wood, bamboo, coir, terracotta, coconut shells, glass, MDF (medium density fibre), jute and brass delivering exclusivity in the name plate. Shraddha states, “We wanted to use natural raw materials in their absolute raw form. We also believed that we would create something unique and very different from what existed in the market. We did a lot of research, visited art galleries, exhibitions, art stores, to study the market before starting Panchatatva. The focus was on the extraordinary.” Inspired by nature, they started collecting natural raw materials like coconut shells, natural twigs, tree branches, dried leaves, stones and pebbles. Says Abhishek, “Our natural functional, economical and uniquely customised name plates will add a style statement to any exterior.” From its launch at the prestigious Society Collection Exhibition in 2006 to a successful participation at Furniture & Furnishing Fair at Mumbai's Nehru Centre, Panchatatva has captured the hearts of many around the world. Growing popularity on the web is coupled with sustained exports of its quality product line and Panchatatva plans to get an ISO Certification in the year 2009. Apart from Kolkata & Delhi, Panchatatva plans to appoint more resellers and distributors across the country and further expanding it to the global village.

Identiti another exclusive name plate brand defines itself as a statement of elegance that celebrates individuality. For those who fancy exclusivity, each plate is designed customised to suit your taste and requirement using glass, wood, fiber, stone and metal. Identiti owned by Seema and Ratan Joneja has outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Noida and Lucknow. Says Ratan Joneja, “In 2004, we started a small mom and pop store with a small sampling of name plate designs which became such a rage, we decided to start our furniture accessories company, Pampered Home, with a range of name plates. The varieties encompass design, handmade and calligraphic name plates.

Materials like wood, glass, terracotta clay figurines and pots, bamboo, banana fibre, coconut shells, coir, brass accessories are used in manufacturing of name plates. For name plates to be hung on the exteriors, water proof wood is used to take care of direct rains and extreme climate. Seasoned wood such as teak, babool, railway sleeper are also used for manufacturing exterior name plates. For low budget interior residential name plates, woods such as commercial MDF (medium density fibre), commercial plywood, veneer, pine wood are used.

Gift a plate
Personalised gifts show that someone has really gone out of their way to do something special for a loved one. Name plates are a rage as gifts for a housewarming, an anniversary, graduation or a wedding ranging from plaques for a baby's room, friend's table decor, children's door name plates, front door or home entry plaques, wooden signs for an office door to my space name plates with a choice of carvings and graphics.

Customisation
Identiti designs plates that suit apartments, and villas. It also stocks door plates, and an instant range (you decide the design, and it's ready in minutes), personalised name accessories and key chains priced between Rs350 and Rs475 and Rs25 per character.

Custom made calligraphic font is used for the Panchtatva name plate designs making them different from those sourced from other manufacturers. Any other font as desired by our customers can also be designed upon request. The time required to make the name plate depends on the name plate design and its complexity. It also depends on the customisation required in it. Panchtatva produces around 1500 – 2000 name plates a month. These residential indoor name plates made of commercial MDF wood, natural wood, acrylic paints, terracotta figurines, pots, and brass accessories can be easily cleaned by wiping it with a damp cloth. Panchtatva name plates cost between 700/- for wooden to Rs30,000 for a 6ft -7ft name board.

Make a beeline
You can order a designer name plate without leaving the comfort of your home. Place an order on www.identiti.in and the product will be delivered to your address within a few days. Panchtatva has also incorporated an interactive module on www.panchatatva.com, where people can design their individually customised artifacts, instantly getting details such as, the dimensions, delivery schedule plus courier charges to be linked to a payment gateway, where people can order online. A back end system would be more complex giving the production team the final design and production sheet, mentioning details, such as the size & accurate placement of each raw material.

So try your hand at projecting the image that suits you through the elegant simplicity of a name plate!