Furniture brand Magari’s Kochi store, launched this month, is a sprawling space that resembles a vacation home. And that was the intention. In a thoughtful exercise in adaptive reuse, the 80-year-old ancestral home, Papali House, on Chittoor Road, was restored without stripping it of its legacy and old-world charm, with the idea of giving the store a ‘lived-in’ sentiment rather than a commercial vibe.
Beyond the heavy wooden front doors is a warmly lit space, fitted out in Magari’s signature collections. Each room has been curated with pieces that reflect the city’s sensibilities, blending contemporary design with the traditional. “Familiar in the region as a mansion with a deep-rooted identity, restoring Papali House was both a challenge and an opportunity for us,” says Karun Mathew, one of the founders of Magari. “The transformation demanded sensitivity, and respecting the past while inviting the future.” “We allowed the house and the city to guide us. We decided to retain the home’s interconnected plan,” he adds.
The original façade of the house has been retained, and the layout is open and intuitive. Rather than segmenting areas into typical retail categories, the placement of the furniture has continuity, just as it would in a home. “We want people to wander, discover, and dwell. To feel welcome and intrigued — not overwhelmed,” says Mathew. The freshness of the greenery outdoors, reflected through the large glass windows, accentuates the character of the space. The 9,000-sq.ft. store extends to what was the backyard of the house, showcasing its collection of outdoor furniture and furnishings.
A view of Magari’s new store in Kochi.
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The design follows a distinct narrative, using Kerala-inspired rugs and fabric as wall pieces. The dark Kadapa stone flooring, the high ceilings, and dramatic lighting by sustainable and artisanal lighting brand Oorjja add sculptural depth. Sheer fabric panels, designed by textile artist Unmesh Dasthakir, act as functional partitions and an expression of Kerala’s landscapes. Alternating wall textures — from smooth grey to coarse beige — give the space a fluid quality. This is Magari’s fourth store in south India; the others are in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.
This piece, inspired by the Tamil Sangam era, revives the age-old practice of sitting cross-legged on the ground to have a meal.
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Launched eight years ago by three partners — Mathew, Vishal Wadhwa and Amitha Madan — the Indian furniture brand draws its inspiration largely from the mid-century modern aesthetic. Each collection presents a fresh take on material and form, with individual pieces designed to spark conversation — a low dining table in stone, for instance. This piece, inspired by the Tamil Sangam era, revives the age-old practice of sitting cross-legged on the ground to have a meal. Part of the Aayutha collection, this black, matte-finish granite table has grey rough stone legs and is supported by brass. The pieces in the Aayutha collection use stone, wood and brass and some of them capture the geometric patterns of the Tamil script.
It is not all set in stone, though. The playful Massera collection draws from the possibilities of the pliable and soft play-doh. The contours in this line are softer, rounder and plusher.
The Ivai collection, on the other hand, makes use of sharper silhouettes in Italian dyed veneers, fused glass, steel and stone. The Timeless collection, which harks back to classic designs, interprets them in modern ways. For instance, a solid wooden table with a granite top, or a chair with a cane side panel.
A view of Magari’s new store in Kochi.
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Magari’s collaboration with Amaresh Anand Designs, a design studio based in Bengaluru, is a mix of quirk, comfort and drama. It features a range of products including chairs, sofas and tables. The single and three seater sofas appear snug with armrests designed as circular enclosures. The day beds have been conceived in a similar way, where a family of three can lounge around. The Hampi tables, inspired by the 15th-century Hazara Rama temple in Hampi, come in striking colours with a glazed finish. These circular tables have wooden bases with a coating of Chennapatna lacquer. This line includes cabinets and chairs as well. Magari uses ashwood imported from Australia for most of its products, but it also uses teak.
The store has a material exploration table that invites visitors to interact with the materials — they can touch and compare textures and colours.
A view of Magari’s new store in Kochi
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Magari has collaborations with other brands as well, such as Aristo India, which deals with custom-made wardrobes, Abaca, a sustainable outdoor furniture brand, Blind Love, designer window blinds, and Beruru, an outdoor lifestyle brand, in addition to Oorjaa.
While Magari’s products speak high-end design, they are firmly rooted in India’s heritage crafts and traditions.
Published – August 22, 2025 05:38 pm IST
