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House of Marigold : Treasuring time

By Elke Moebius | Vjmedia Works | April 07, 2015

In the quiet by-lanes of Ahmedabad, dwells a villa dressed up in a Baroque appearance and houses designer watches created as precious pieces of jewelllery. The House Of Marigold is truly a home to opulence.

Marigold Watches is the dream child of Shilpa Marigold, who designs and curates these precious pieces of time. Delving into product intricacies, Marigold watches are bespoke designer jewellery watches and the only brand in India with this concept. Offering watches in various price ranges, these time pieces have been inspired with elements of nature which are rooted in our traditions and history. At the House of Marigold, every watch has its story and that's what makes them special.  
 
The sheer price of Marigold watches is testimony to the luxury they embody. However, House of Marigold caters to the discerning customer and have a collection of watches with a lower price range as well.
 
Standing tall, the old-world structure embodies the luxurious offering within, where the gates open out to gardens that welcome clientele to The House of Marigold.

Creating a mood where time stands still, the visitor can leisurely spend time at the store and browse through the collections displayed inside. The journey is designed for the customers to experience nature and architecture before they can meet with their core purpose of visit.
 
The concept here is a little off from a regular watch boutique. House Of Marigold is an attempt (we'd say quite a successful one!) of having the customer experience time in its true sense and in the process stay aloof to number of minutes that pass by. The store is is demarcated into the museum, the history wall, the studio and the Baroque garden.
 
The museum is the first encounter with time that the customer comes across. Here, the customer is taken through the history of time itself and the various systems developed over centuries for people to know time. The showcase includes mock-ups of various time systems as well as priceless antiques. This experience is supported by two voice over options- one of a Discovery Channel spokesperson and the other of the most famous Gulzar Saab. Gulzar's rendition of time here is soul stirring. The voice over starts with the sound of a clock ticking followed by the words, "Yeh mere kadmo ki awaaz hai (This is the sound of my footsteps).” The noted lyricist has given the voice over as an autobiography of time. This experience preps the customer to move on into the store with a heart filled with love for timepieces.
 
The progression towards the watch studio space is through a history wall, which speaks of the history of the world's most famous watch companies. The touch of panache is the grand finale of this history wall, which ends the journey with Marigold watches.
 
Standing as an old abandoned villa, Shilpa instantly fell in love with this place because of the spaces it created.  It offered the perfect blend of outside space and the width of the staircase, as Shilpa was very clear have an old world appeal, where the palatial size of the staircase and the existing marble floor were essential.
 
Coming to the core of the store, the watches are encased in glass shelves and resemble jewellery display. Soft ambient light, Baroque style feel and dark wood furniture with ancient carvings make up the language of the space. The sculptures and showpieces enhancing the feel of the space have been sourced from various parts of the world.
 
The space housing these beauties has apt ambient lighting for the customer to flow through the space but the watches themselves cannot be seen in their true appeal. For this, LED lights have been installed within the shelves so that the watches can be viewed in their natural form.
 
The studio space has a fluid transition to the outside- a Baroque garden of sorts. Offering a taste of the old-world charm, the store exterior includes a waterfall, pots and an inviting gazebo space. This space works well for product launches and for various other gatherings. "It makes sense to have a gathering space within the store itself, so people can enjoy their evening and experience the products at the same time,” says Shilpa Marigold.
 
The space is much more than a store for Shilpa's clientele. "Most importantly, this space is for me. I have a special corner there where I can sit here for hours and work on my designs. Not only the garden, this whole store is first for me as an accomplishment of a dream,” she adds
 
Come to life as a result of a passion nurtured for years, House Of Marigold is Shilpa Marigold's dream brought to life. Turning the pages of history deepened her passion for time and it reached beyond the fancy of watches. Thereby, the museum materialized to show people the impact of time on our lives, where the essence of time manifests in different forms throughout the store. The House of Marigold has a very clear focus, all spaces have to breathe time and infuse this core element in the customer.

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