I’ve been absolutely obsessed with Naga furniture. Their beds (often used as benches or coffee tables), chairs, stools, masks, musical instruments, and more have gained popularity amongst the interior design community, especially over the past year. Naga furniture is usually made from a single piece of wood, and usually does not have any nails, which is a sign you can look for to verify the authenticity of the pieces. Original pieces are incredibly sturdy but deceptively lean, and you will feel it in the weight of these pieces. And if well maintained, they last a very long time.
I’ve been going to Lall’s in Sunder Nagar for the past two years, and have picked up a bunch of pieces, from vases to Naga stools and planters (probably not meant to be planters, originally) from them. In fact, I was introduced to all things Naga furniture because of Lall’s. The gentleman you’ll find at the store, Ramesh Goyal, had been pushing me to visit their godown in the back and beyond of Greater Noida. And aren’t I glad I finally made a trek.
The three-storey godown is a gold mine for everything from Naga, Himachal & Tibetan furniture, decorative items and panels, endless racks of stools, vases, old-school Naga grinding tables (which make for stunning coffee tables!), hand-painted panels, musical instruments and much much more. Lall’s is originally a wholesaler; so expect to find everything in bulk. The staff who man the warehouse encourage you to explore, and helped in pulling out pieces from stacks and stacks of furniture.
I ended up buying a bunch of planters, iron vases, and (what I embarrassingly call) “table stools”. If I had any space left in my house, I’d pick up a chair and a grinding table in a heartbeat! They’re very well priced when compared to (and not to say it's a fair comparison) but the likes of Philips Antiques. Based on the quantity you buy, the rates get better, so I’d highly recommend going there with a long wish list in mind.
Their warehouse is also a good hour from Khan Market/Sunder Nagar on a holiday (I went on Dussehra, so roads were empty.) From where you’re going, expect a long drive!
All in all, if you love furniture, interiors, decor, and are looking to buy Naga furniture, I recommend perhaps starting with Lall’s in Sundar Nagar market and then making your way to their 3 storey Greater Noida warehouse. In case you’re going to the latter, please inform Mr. Ramesh Goyal by dropping him a Whatsapp on 9953893364, and tell him you got the reference from LBB.
Enjoy!