• Pendi team on working with local craftspeople and meeting customer expectations

Pendi’s six-year journey began with a lamp, when founders Natalie Pendigrast, who has a background in interior design, and Dilanke Hettiaratchi found that it was difficult to find a variety of decorative lampshades in Sri Lanka. They made a few lamps, received a good response, and launched Pendi with 4-5 designs, a Facebook page and a pop-up store. The latter got positive feedback as well, which led to the couple accepting more orders and eventually opening the store located in the Lakpahana Compound, Colombo 7.

They then met other designers who were looking for a space to showcase their products, and the Pendi team thus began working and collaborating with other designers. Pendigrast spoke about their journey, saying there has never been a fixed plan and that they have had to adapt to events out of their control and evolve over time.

Today, Pendi has a staff of five, excluding the founders, at the store, work with 70-80 artists and designers and have a collective team of close to 100. The founders, as well as Pendi Communications Specialist Dineli Philips sat down with The Daily Morning Brunch to share more about their journey, the products and services they offer, and what Pendi has in the pipeline.

Custom-made items

Even though the Pendi store seems to have almost every indoor item imaginable, lamps continue to be their main focal point, though they have expanded from lamps to a range of homeware. Working with different artists and designers also brings an element of diversity to the Pendi collection.

“Working with all the designers means that there is a lot of diversity in the shop in terms of product ranges. In terms of quality, we do look at the products and if there are any issues, we send them back and replace the products,” Hettiaratchi said.

Elaborating on this diversity further, Pendigrast said: “What we didn’t want to do was to have only one style of something in the shop. So there are ceramics from lots of different people, and even though lamps are our main point, we have lamps from other people as well. We encourage other people to design their own lamps and put them here. The point is to have diversity and to encourage people out there to be creative. There is no one right way to do something. Your imagination is your limit. It can be anything you want it to be.”

According to Pendigrast, Pendi works on a lot of projects for custom orders with architects and designers, and also with retail customers who require custom-made items for their homes. When working on a custom order, they first have a conversation with the customer, where they get a clear idea of the customer’s expectations.

She explained that they work within certain limitations. “For example, where lamps are concerned, we can’t work with glass, because there is no glass-making in Sri Lanka that we have found. But if a customer brings us an existing glass jar, we can wire it and turn it into a lamp for them,” Pendigrast shared. Another example she shared was with regard to the size of an item. “If someone wanted a three-foot pot, we would explain that the people we work with are small home-scale businesses. That size does not fit in their kiln, because they have a home studio.”

A prototype or sample is always made, and changes are made if the sample doesn’t match the customer’s requirement. This is a process that takes time, but Pendigrast shared that their customers are patient and understand that Pendi works with small-scale designers who don’t have the capacity for mass production.

Pendi also makes sure to work within the customer’s budget, and Pendigrast explained that if a customer wants an item made of brass, which is expensive, but has a specific budget, the team would offer alternatives, like steel that can be painted in the shade the customer desires.

Appreciation for homemade items

Describing their target customer, the Pendi team said they are people who are a bit cheeky with a sense of humour. They are also people who are enthusiastic about experimentation, and want to do something new and creative.

“We have seen that people’s attitudes have changed. For example, they are more appreciative of what’s made and what’s sourced here. And they actually ask for the backstory of these products,” Philips shared.

Pendigrast shared that this appreciation for homemade and locally-sourced items has been a growing trend, especially in the last few years, when imports were restricted. “There is definitely more appreciation for how much effort goes into making something here as opposed to something that’s made in a big factory and imported. Certainly, those items are much cheaper, but there is so much more that goes into a lot of the things in the store.”

She also praised the patience customers have, saying they understand that small-scale businesses take time. This too, is due to that appreciation for homemade items, Pendigrast said.



Relationship with customers and designers

A feature that makes Pendi stand out is the importance given to relationships, both with customers and designers. The founders said they take a hands-on approach, and are at the store almost every day. They know their customers, what they are looking for and their feedback.

“We have a mix of people who come into the store. If we are to describe them, our customers are people who are enthusiastic about interior design and want to do something different in their living space or homes, while also trying to manage their budget,” Philips shared. She added that a loyal following has built up over the years, but shared that going forward, Pendi has plans to expand this following and let people know about Pendi and the creative team behind the brand who are dedicated to reinventing spaces, regardless of the client’s budget and ideas.

A close relationship is also present between Pendi and their craftspeople. Over time, the team has become family, and they have also evolved into a support system. The founders shared that initially, designers would ask them about size, colour and so on, which led them to put together teams that can support each other. And in turn, these teams have supported Pendi.

Experimentation plays a vital role in their work, Pendigrast shared, explaining: “One of the things we try to do is see how we can use traditional crafts in a way that makes it relevant, where you can use it ten years from now as well.” She added that, with batiks for instance, they have upholstered a sofa with batik, done a coffee table top, and lamps, and are even offering batik ceramics.

“We are always changing and evolving. That’s the only constant here. We have got new designers and collections lined up,” Pendigrast added.

Plans going forward

In terms of what’s in the works, Philips shared that their focus is now on raising more awareness on what they do and are capable of doing. Pendi also wishes to take on more interior design projects, and already has a few projects in line. They are also branching into their own line of products. “As much as we have different designers and creative people bringing in their products, we are in the process of creating more budget-friendly lamps and also high-end lamps,” Philips shared.

This year, the Pendi collection will showcase more lamps, homeware items, and home accessories. They are also expanding on furniture, and Pendigrast shared that they plan on adding a range of locally-made wool carpets to their collection.

Within the next two months, Pendi also hopes to offer interactive sessions between customers and craftspeople and designers as a continuous service, which can be booked for birthday and special occasions as well as for tour groups visiting Colombo. They also plan on offering in-store interior consultations for customers.