1. 106 Home Review May 2016106 Home Review May 2016
“Design can be art. Design
can be aesthetics. Design is
so simple, that’s why it is so
complicated.” – Paul Rand
Design is an all-encompassing phenomenon
that captures the intricacies of life, the
bounty of nature and all things in between.
Good design gives a different perspective
to mundane things in our lives while being
powerfully evocative at the same time.

2. Home Review May 2016 107Home Review May 2016 107
A DRAMA
OF DESIGN
TEXT BY REHANA HUSSAIN

3. 108 Home Review May 2016108 Home Review May 2016
The Japanese design philosophy is a branch
of design that follows a simple and modest
approach. It reminds one of the calm,
understated Zen aesthetic that the Japanese
are so well-connected to.
Reshma Chhabria Kumar scooped up
these Japanese design sensibilities, added
a dollop of Indian values to them and
conjured up an exquisite concoction by
the name of HIIH. Pronounced as H2H,
the young home artefacts and decor brand
brings a collection of well-crafted, beautiful
decor pieces for those selective in their
interior design pursuits.

4. Home Review May 2016 109Home Review May 2016 109
Reshma Chhabria Kumar, an interior designer
by profession with a Diploma in Interior
Design from P.V. Polytechnic, Mumbai, has
14 years of experience in the field, having
worked with eminent architects such as
Shaukat Mukhi and Pronit Nath for six
years and then establishing her own design
consultancy, Design Studio in 2006. But
with interior designing, she felt that she
couldn’t always put her ideas and concepts
into practice.
She shares, “Sometimes the freedom of
expression can get curtailed when designing
for a client. Being an interior designer, I
always felt a void in being able to design
every small detail including the décor pieces.
This was my avenue of expressing and filling
that void.” This is what inspired her to start
out as a product designer. But it was when
she moved to Tokyo that she eventually gave
wings to her dreams of forming HIIH.
At present, HIIH retails products in the
categories of vases, candle stands and
dining decor pieces. However, they are
geared up to launch their next product
range this month which will add lamps,
clocks, statues and other varied decor
pieces clocking a total of 100 odd new
designs. Each product by HIIH has an
uncommon twist to it, thanks to the
Japanese aesthetics involved in the
designing process.
The seven core Japanese aesthetic principles
of asymmetry, simplicity, austerity,
naturalness, subtleness, tranquillity and
breaking away from convention are
seemingly at play in HIIH’s products. They
possess a minimalistic quality combined with
intricate details, well-known to India. This
forms a brilliant, good-looking decor piece
which also has all the qualities of being a
conversation starter. For Reshma, it’s the
“Japanese people and their culture” that
have made the most profound impact on
her designs.
The brand’s ideology is simple - the belief
that every piece in an environment has a
purpose, and that it must be well selected,
well crafted, and beautiful.

5. 110 Home Review May 2016110 Home Review May 2016
Her experience in interior design gave her
an edge, as she has worked with some of
the best artisans. She adds, “I’ve met a lot
of extremely talented artisans who didn’t
have the platform of the design knowledge
to push their expertise. We have tried to
channelise that, and the experience has
been fantastic so far.” The extent of her
rapport with the artisans, both Indian and
Japanese, is evident in the fact that they
are given the freedom to source the apt
raw material required for the products
they create.
A typical HIIH artefact takes a maximum of
four weeks from start to finish and they tend
to customisation requests from patrons who
order regularly. These one-of-a-kind decor
accessories can be procured from their own
website or www.engrave.in. However, there’s
good news for those keen to touch and feel
these collectibles in person, before making
a purchase, as a little birdie tells me that it
might be a gleaming possibility in the
near future.
HIIH
admin@h2hshop.com
www.h2hshop.com