NewsVoir
New Delhi [India], November 4: From remote artisan communities to contemporary home decor, founder Nitika is bringing traditional Indian craftsmanship into modern homes through natural materials, thoughtful design and a more conscious approach to living.
The Beauty of Living with Craft
Some homes impress through the grandness they hold; others, through how everything comes together. A woven basket beside a favourite reading chair, a natural-fibre planter softening a sunlit corner or a handcrafted tray that moves effortlessly from breakfast to evening entertaining. These are the details that make a home feel personal.
This sensibility lies at the heart of Pine Cone, a six-year-old bootstrapped venture founded by Nitika Gupta. A lifestyle product design graduate from NIFT Gandhinagar and an IIM Calcutta alumnus, Nitika brings over 12 years of corporate experience across product design, product management and brand management. Her goal and vision is to give lesser-known Indian crafts a renewed place in contemporary living, transforming inherited skills into decor pieces that balance aesthetic appeal with everyday utility.
A mother to a young daughter, Nitika draws inspiration from the world around her, including the artisans she works with. “We live to learn” and “Never say Never” are principles that shape her approach to community building, craft revival and building Pine Cone. At Pine Cone, natural materials, clean lines and Boho-Scandinavian-inspired aesthetics come together in handcrafted home décor designed for modern homes, relaxed interiors and homes that reflect their owners’ personalities.
The Hands Behind the Craft
Behind every woven form lies a material, a technique and a body of knowledge passed down through generations. Pine Cone works directly with artisan communities across Assam, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, drawing on traditional Indian basket weaving, cane webbing, coiling, stitching and macramé.
Water hyacinth, Kauna grass, salt reed and English willow are shaped into contemporary home decor, kids decor and custom storage. The products range from handwoven water hyacinth baskets and Kauna grass baskets to trays, organisers and personal accessories. The result is artisan-made home décor that retains the character of its material while responding to the needs of modern homes.
Nearly 90 per cent of the artisans associated with Pine Cone are women from rural communities. The brand works directly with approximately 25–30 artisans and connects with wider village clusters comprising an estimated 300–400 craftspeople. This helps women contribute to household incomes, support their families and provide for their children’s education.
In Jammu, her hometown, she volunteers and conducts free artisan training workshops in collaboration with the handicrafts department, helping traditional practitioners understand evolving markets and the wider opportunities within the handicrafts industry.
Building this ecosystem has required patience. Language barriers in parts of the Northeast and the logistical challenges of transporting goods from remote Himalayan villages can affect production timelines. Yet these realities reinforce the importance of sustaining craft through long-term relationships, practical support and design interventions that allow traditional skills to remain commercially relevant.
Thoughtfully Made for Living
Pine Cone’s approach to contemporary Indian home décor goes beyond individual accents. Its offering brings together four complementary categories: home décor, kids’ décor, customised storage and bulk gifting. Rooted in traditional Indian craftsmanship and shaped by the needs of modern living, each combines natural materials, considered design and everyday functionality.
Home Décor: Natural Texture, Contemporary Living
The home décor collection spans planters, baskets, trays, wall décor and handcrafted table décor, offering ways to introduce warmth, texture and individuality into a space. Handwoven water hyacinth baskets offer practical organisation, while Kauna grass planters bring a natural finish to indoor greenery. Handcrafted placemats, table runners and trays add natural character to dining spaces. An English willow pendant lamp adds sculptural interest, bringing warmth and character to a space.
With clean silhouettes and organic textures, these pieces complement both pared-back interiors and more layered, expressive spaces. They offer a way to bring traditional Indian craftsmanship into contemporary homes without relying on conventional decorative motifs.
During the festive season, a thoughtfully arranged dining table or a tray ready for guests can refresh a space without an elaborate makeover. For those exploring handmade Diwali gifting ideas, handcrafted table décor and natural home décor offer considered alternatives to conventional gifts. Designed for repeated use, these pieces remain relevant long after the celebrations.
Kids’ Décor: Room for Little Imaginations
Launched last year, Pine Cone’s dedicated Kids’ Décor category brings the brand’s design philosophy to children’s rooms, nurseries, schools and play spaces. Nature-inspired baskets, mirrors and accessible storage combine playful forms with practical use. By giving toys, books and little treasures a place of their own, the collection encourages self-organisation while making room for imagination and discovery.
Customised Storage: Designed Around Your Space
A well-designed home is not simply one that looks beautiful. It is one that works beautifully, too. Pine Cone addresses everyday storage needs through customised woven storage baskets and made-to-order solutions tailored to individual spaces.
From wardrobe organisers and laundry storage to pull-out solutions for furniture units, each piece can be made to suit specific dimensions and practical requirements. The woven finish brings warmth to functional corners, allowing storage to become part of the interior rather than something to conceal. This approach combines utility with the understated appeal of natural materials.
Bulk Gifting: Thoughtful by Design
Pine Cone’s gifting offering brings the same considered approach to festive occasions, weddings and corporate initiatives, including CSR gifting. Customers can choose from existing offerings, including home décor, bags and yoga mats, to suit different recipients and occasions, or explore customised options based on a specific brief.
Whether for festive gifting, wedding favours or corporate hampers, the emphasis is on useful, thoughtfully designed pieces rather than generic giveaways. For bulk orders, Pine Cone works to maintain consistency across products while allowing for the natural variations inherent in handcrafted work. This balance makes its offering relevant to organisations and individuals looking for handmade home accessories with a distinctive, artisanal character.
Across home décor, children’s spaces, made-to-order storage and gifting, Pine Cone brings traditional Indian craftsmanship into contemporary life. Each category reflects the brand’s commitment to creating pieces that combine practical purpose with natural materials and considered design.
Beyond the Festive Season
Pine Cone was born on Instagram, which remains an important business channel. Its presence has since expanded to its own online store, sustainable and handcrafted marketplaces including Okhai, LBB and Vajor, select retail stores in Delhi and Goa, and artisanal pop-ups across cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.
The brand is also developing its corporate presence through LinkedIn, reaching out to hospitality businesses, corporate spaces, schools, nurseries, spas, wellness centres and boutique design stores. Customised corporate and CSR gifting offers another opportunity to bring handcrafted home décor by Indian artisans into workplaces and institutional settings.
As interest in conscious consumption grows, Nitika sees potential for further expansion in India and international markets, particularly Europe and the Americas. For Pine Cone, the opportunity lies in showing how traditional Indian craftsmanship can evolve without losing its identity.
Sustainable home décor is not simply about choosing natural materials. It is also about selecting useful, thoughtfully made objects that remain relevant over time. Pieces designed for multiple purposes, adapted to individual needs and crafted with care can become lasting parts of a home rather than temporary additions.
In a world of fleeting trends and instant purchases, Pine Cone offers a quieter proposition: choose well, use often and live with the things that matter. The most enduring objects rarely demand attention. They earn their place, day after day, until they become part of the story of a home.
Discover Pine Cone: pineconeindia.in | Instagram | LinkedIn
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