House of Makana – a Maldivian tale of history, warmth, sustainability and timeless beauty

Reeds of water hyacinth dotted with stalks of lilac flowers, wrung into beautiful lightweight baskets, seven or eight year old climbing palm vines of rattan from the dense forests of Indonesia harvested with difficulty and woven by caring hands, trunks of the ever-resilient teak getting only better with age, that have been sawed and dusted to perfection. These are just some of the stories that jump at you when you glance around the beautiful showroom of House of Makana… and that isn’t even the best part yet!

house of makana founder

It was a mere three years ago when co-founders of House of Makana and spouses Hamdhoon and Nadia wanted to turn their passion for travel, architecture as well as interior design and style into something that could make their space feel more homely and beautiful. She thought back, “..especially when we wanted to furnish our home, it was very hard to find good quality furniture with a nice design. We also wanted it to be like some of the places that we traveled to, and wanted to have art and nice furniture”. Unfortunately, what they found especially back then, was not it. You know what they say.. “If you want something done right, you must do it yourself”.

“…so we had the idea, let’s create our own brand and designs, which are contemporary and can fit in anywhere like a home, even a guest house..anything”

~ Nadia & Hamdhoon~ Founders

 

When looking to name this new venture, the couple looked to the King of the Maldivian shores, known for traveling everywhere and perching without discrimination – the majestic Grey Heron or Maakana. Taking a look around the exquisite House of Makana showroom that always seems to have the perfect light, you can see something that is hard to come by in a dry and repetitive world; furniture with an actual personality…and what a beautiful and relaxed personality it is. “We have chosen something that is inspired by resorts as well, but can also be homely. So we wanted to combine that ‘paradise living’ with home style. I think many people also would like to style their home in a way where they feel the natural vibes”.

What she describes as contemporary with a mid-century style, most who take a look at the collection would swoon at the beauty of the classic “V” in classic Chandigarh seats by revolutionare Pierre Jeanneret that just begs for relaxing with the nostalgic. Growing up, many Maldivians can recall playing around the base of similar chairs, with the natural tones woven into their memories. The sleek black twist on this traditional piece is suave, sultry and as contemporary as it gets.

 

One of Nadia’s (and our) favorite pieces is the petrified wood table top. This piece of furniture has seen water rushing over it where wood is imbued with pyrite, silica and calcite to form the glossy exterior that gives you a glance back at thousands of millenia inside your homes. With nature at the helm of design, each table is therefore always unique.

“We wanted to build a brand in Maldives where it is inspired by designers and a personal touch has been added to it”, she explained. From the Pierre Jeanaret inside the 1950s Shah’s home in India seen in the Vilu chair, to the Italian craftsmanship of 70s Tito Agnoli in the curves and all edges as well as the C-25 Hans Wegner masterpiece from the 1950s, taking a walk in the showroom is a stroll through time. Nadia noted how the style is a bit bohemian, yes! but transcends that and veers off into contemporary Japandi; the style that combines the minimalism and relaxed vibe of Japanese and Scandinavian design.

“We are actually offering consultation at this time, where people can show us their spaces and we can recommend how they could style it depending on their feelings and how they want the place to look. We can give recommendations, do styling and also custom design. Since we work with our own manufacturers, customers can send us their design or show us a picture of what they want and we can make it for them”

~Nadia~

As Hamdhoon pointed out, it isn’t uncommon to have to change apartments within the atolls as well as the Greater Male’ region, the extremely lightweight and highly durable materials can truly last all the bumps and curveballs of a lifetime. Teakwood alone has a life expectancy of about 75 plus years, and you would be missing something great if you don’t take a look at the beautiful teakwood plates and bowls around the showroom. One of the most surprising parts about the entire collection; exactly how affordable it is when taking into account beautiful handmade craftsmanship, quality as well as durability – especially compared to homeware and furniture that usually have the guarantee of two years, tops!

Decor and interior in futuristic 2023 appears to be turning to the simplicity of the past. Let the warmth of beige and nudes hug the cool tones of sleek and modern. One of the best parts about the beauties at the House of Makana is that about eighty percent of all the craftsmanship and love that goes into making these handmade pieces is done by women. Truly, “timeless, handmade and high quality”.

Words by Jumana

Henshe.co

Timeless & Handmade

House of Makana is a design and furniture house based in the Maldives, renowned for designing, developing and marketing a daring and elegant collection of furniture, lighting and interior objects.

Timeless and daring collections that evoke emotion and tell meaningful stories. Curiosity, courage, and creativity – House of Makana is here to do things differently for the life you live.

We proudly design elegant products that are handmade by original artisans around the globe.

Our aim is to present pieces that have the power to transport us to faraway places. Our goal is to bring you high quality & stylish furniture, lighting, and decor at a reasonable price