The Beginning of Vaarsa London
Have you ever looked around your home and wondered if it’s telling a story—your story?
I think about this often. It’s why I created Vaarsa London.
Vaarsa London is a home and lifestyle brand offering curated homewares, décor, and everyday pieces that bring beauty, function, and heritage into modern homes. Every product is handcrafted by skilled artisans in India and chosen for its story, craftsmanship, and uniqueness. But Vaarsa didn’t start as a business idea; it started as a personal journey.
The beginning.
I was ten years old when my mother taught me hand embroidery for a school competition. Until then, I didn’t even know she had this skill. I won first prize, but the real win was the feeling of creating something with my hands, something meaningful and beautiful.
The path.
Life, however, took a different turn for me. I chose engineering at IIT Delhi over design at NIFT, even though I’d been accepted to both. That choice led to a decade in management consulting and tech startups, first in India, eventually in the US, where I relocated to pursue higher education and build a new life.
Creativity had taken a backseat in my life, but it never truly left. It showed up in stage plays I participated in during college, dance classes I enrolled in on weekends, late-night pottery sessions I made time for after work, and most of all in how I decorated my home.
New York was exhilarating—travel, food, culture, and a completely different way of styling homes. I admired the soft colour palettes, the seasonal décor swaps, and the understated elegance.
But something was always missing. I missed the vibrancy of Indian craftsmanship; the warmth of handwoven fabrics, the richness of brassware, the patterns and textures that spoke of home. Eventually, I started weaving little pieces from India into my New York apartment, and that's when the energy around me started changing. Instead of living between my two worlds, I started embracing the cozy comfort of both.
Friends noticed. They often asked where do I get my things from. I started opening up about what I am feeling and doing, and soon realised I was not alone in wanting this format of connection and identity expression. I also realised that often those who desired this connection did not have the same access or eye for craftsmanship as I did.
It planted a seed: Could objects we choose for our home build a deeper sense of belonging, especially when living far from where we began? Could I empower people with those tools? What is the best way to bridge the gap?
Purpose.
I shared the idea with my mother, and she simply asked, “Why aren’t you doing this already?”
Honestly, it wasn’t a simple leap. Leaving a stable, well-paying corporate job, especially on a visa, was daunting. But I started thinking about the idea more seriously. I immersed myself in pottery and spent time with artisans. I saw their joy in the craft, but also the very real challenges they face—low margins, slow sales, and the pressure to compete with mass production.
Even in India, a country with centuries of artisanal tradition, many crafts were practically endangered. It struck me: perhaps the motivation I need could be to give back to the communities whose artistry had helped me feel at home abroad.
London Chapter
And then came a favorable twist of fate—my husband’s work relocated us to London.
London was the missing piece. The city’s cultural scene was electric, a masterclass in blending old and new. The South Asian diaspora here felt different from what I’d experienced in the US—larger, older, more rooted, deeply connected to heritage, with a real appetite for embracing more. I knew this was the place to bring my idea to life, and it had to be reflected in the brand’s name.
The Final Piece
One morning, over coffee in Notting Hill with a friend, I heard a word I’d never forgotten since: Vaarsa. In Marathi, her regional dialect, it means inheritance. It immediately resonated with me. Not just for how beautiful it sounded, but because it captured exactly what this brand stands for to me: a tribute to my inheritance from my mother — Indian heritage, love for craftsmanship, and a keen eye to make any house a home.
and then, Vaarsa London was born.
Vaarsa London is more than a shop— every piece is curated to carry a legacy, a nostalgic charm, and a reimagination of use in the modern home. It’s an invitation to all home decor and culture enthusiasts to tell your story through the space you live in. And in your way, find that beautiful balance between where you come from and where you are now.
This is just the beginning. Follow us on Instagram @vaarsalondon and explore our collections at www.vaarsalondon.com.
