Meher Attari and Neha Taneja’s upcycling journey with wood in Hyderabad

Meher Attari and Neha Taneja upcycle vintage wood into contemporary furniture, showcasing a blend of heritage and modern designs.

With the idea of creating something unique from recycled/vintage wood set Meher Attari and Neha Taneja embark on an upcycling journey. The friends-turned-business partners from Hyderabad handcraft furniture using old, upcycled wood, for contemporary homes. With an eye for design, creation and innovation, the duo share common interests which helped them translate their passion into a full-fledged enterprise, The Woodpeckers, that sets out to transform reclaimed teak wood into visually-appealing functional pieces.

Their furniture showcase, a collection with around 120 pieces — antique headboards turned into planters/partitions, functional consoles and coffee tables blending into a space, diwan beds with rattan work, sideboards, nesting tables, exquisite cabinets, rattan and accent chairs and accessories — (priced between ₹6500 to ₹2 lakh) were recently exhibited at Saptaparni. With the tagline ‘charm of the past meets the creativity of the present’, the company specialises in curating vintage, contemporary and artistic pieces and breathing new life by refurbishing and restoring vintage wood with modern designs.’

“We pride ourselves in making sustainable choices by using new and recycled wood that embodies eco-friendliness and creativity,” says Meher, a native of Bhopal who married a Hyderabadi. Having run a magazine Nadeem Glory — covering Indian heritage royalty, art and culture — before she turned amother, Meher has had some experience in collecting vintage wood for her own house. Neha, a corporate employee for the past 20 years, saw Meher and her husband pick up a lot of old wood - rafters and doors while building their own house in Aziz Nagar. Having known each other for the past seven years (their daughters are close friends too), the women combined their strengths to collaborate on a business idea.

Meher’s heritage background and Neha’s creative mindset come together to blend vintage wood with modern design elements. While their USP focuses on restored and recycled teak, they also incorporate sheesham and mango wood to enhance elements of style. Neha says, “We have to consider finer details too. For instance, if you place plants in a planter whose base is made of plywood, the base can rot due to water and later attract termites We tried to create a planter with a teak base and legs underneath, to ensure that watering doesn’t damage it.”

Restoration involves a lot of practice and a trained eye to assess quality. A team of three carpenters assists them in identifying the wood (the furniture is made at at Aziz Nagar). The response to their recent exhibition has been overwhelming, shares Meher, showing us a picture of a screen/partition picked up by filmmaker Elahe Hiptoola. “We didn’t know how to react because we began this hobby out of passion.”

While they have no plans to open a physical store, they hope to showcase their work through social media platforms, exhibitions and launch a website. “We are small and unique, but we see ourselves as artists and young entrepreneurs,” says Meher. Neha adds, “ We want it (collection) to be consistent because our furniture is timeless and classic.”