From creating luxurious wedding décor, to putting together charming, personalised spaces, Sabah Sheikh has been winning hearts all over the city. Pearl Mathias talks to the brilliant artist to see what else she has in the pipeline
Do you remember ogling at your screen when picture perfect images of luxurious, vintage décor concepts began emerging on Facebook? Sabah Sheikh is the mind behind the creative conceptualisation of several such themed concepts. Décor company Artisan Atelier, which is her vision and brainchild, soon set the bar for extraordinary décor styles, as whimsical, fairytale décor sets became a rage. Now, taking her successful endeavour a step further, she articulates the philosophy of rustic décor by launching Ātisuto, the rebranded and reconstructed version of her company. In case you were wondering, Ātisuto is the Japanese term for artist, and is used perfectly in this regard. Sabah is an artist who creatively expresses herself through decorative design elements. Although the new brand will retain an essence of her classic, vintage designs, the company will now also proffer fresher, rustic and more organic concepts; it is set to become more natural and personalised than it was. Other than weddings and large events, Sabah wants to create an affinity toward rugged natural beauty. Through Ātisuto, she will be extending her expertise in the home decoration and styling space. Rustic décor will no longer be restricted to commercial spaces; it will now be used to do up your home too! Take a look at what she’s telling us about it all.
What made you choose organic elements for your designs, as opposed to the more popular, contemporary elements?
I have worked with contemporary elements and, in fact, we still use a hint of these, if required. Ātisuto is inspired by pale colours and wild, organic foraged greenery. I think that by using materials and floral elements from surrounding areas, décor can appear so enchanting! It can look different and fresh. I want to create intimate, organic designs. For instance, a seeded eucalyptus with draped fabric is organic, airy and beautiful — and it also happens to be the hottest wedding trend of 2016.
What do you plan to achieve with the rebranded and reconstructed Ātisuto?
Through Ātisuto, I am trying to break the monotony of wedding décor. I encourage my clients to find their own personal style, celebrating their ideas by incorporating them into their wedding. It could be a tiny detail or a big structure, but the idea is that it should resonate with my client’s personality and make them feel special on their big day. I am also venturing into services other than wedding décor: photo-shoot styling, brand events, product launches and commercial and home styling too.
What are your designs reflective of?
My designs reflect my client’s visions. I often describe my designs for people who love to visualise them in their minds. I try to use as many ‘fresh’ elements as possible and anything that defines my client the most. Couples are now looking for a more personalised touch and unique inspiration that they can relate to. The trick is to use different colours for each function and to use accents and tones that pair well together to create the overall look. Attention to detail, rare artefacts and textured backdrops can bring the story to life. In other words, celebrate beautifully!
Tell us about your plan to launch Ātisuto’s dedicated ‘flower studio’?
Ātisuto’s dedicated ‘flower studio’ is a make-your-own bouquet concept with rare flowers and unusual packaging. Its aesthetic will be similar to that of Ātisuto: rare, organic and minimalistic. This extraordinary flower shop will allow you to design your bouquet yourself — single blooms, and an assortment of uncommon flowers. Also, our packaging style will be very different — not the typical cellophane wrapping styles that people are used to! I’m partnering with my sister to develop exceptional and inimitable styling concepts and make them more accessible to everyone.
Your trendy wedding décor is well known. What are the more uncommon areas you conceptualise designs for?
While weddings will continue to be my forte, I am venturing heavily into the home styling space. I think that doing up someone’s home would be as much fun as being part of their wedding process. Ātisuto recently had the opportunity to style a popular organic café in Bandra. I will also render services for photo-shoot styling, brand events, anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays, product launches and commercial styling.