Say No To Drugs & Yes To Bugs

Turqoise - we remember it as Old MacDonald’s farm on acid. At this Bandra home store lived wooden cats with twisted grins, multi-hued roosters crafted from terracotta, kooky bugs of every kind and a flock of magical birds, all of whom went underground when the store shut a few months ago.

But trippers don’t be bummed. We re-discovered the psychedelic herd yesterday as Turqoise opened at a new Bandra Reclamation spot right by Candies.

You Look Familiar

Old favourites like lotus mobiles and wooden tables with marble tops create an instant familiarity, making you feel right at home here at Turqoise. And yet there are enough fresh faces, hands, paws and claws to not make a visit to the store seem like a wasted trip. Dominating the new wares is a whole line of hanging metal lamps that look like elaborate, glowing bird nests and start at Rs 6,000. The same metal work is used to craft less appealing wall mirrors that invoke pieces of grand armour. Speaking of grand, other XL creations at the store include five wooden vats of varying sizes that fit into each other like Russian dolls; Sita carved out of an actual tree bark; expansive drift wood mirrors and a six feet Buddha (we’re so over these) that can be custom made in different colours and costs a whopping 1.2 lakh rupees.

Claws and Maws

You’d think a marine-themed trash can standing tiptoe on three gold feet would strange us out (we love it!), but it’s really the tired pop-artish paintings that did. We beg the old MacDonalds at Turqoise not to take this new route. While shopping here, ignore staple home store fare – candle stands, Buddha busts, leaf diaries - and see new additions like steel stool that looks like a damroo, white hand-shaped book ends (inside joke at the store is that it’s one tight slap for your books) and super cute single stem metal flowers that make for cheerful gifts.

In the animal kingdom, new arrivals include green frogs deep in meditation – Turqoise owner Bosco Dmello’s favourite product - and adorable pink elephants. Also check the basket of canvases painted with different creatures including penguins and sea lions. But the best carrier for animals at this store is the new line of dishes - off white plates and snack platters with tiny, self-coloured ceramic turtles or frogs clinging on to one side. A little too sober for their style maybe, but a refreshingly different use for Turqoise’s favourite muse. Beast, you are a beauty!

See our shopping slideshow for what to buy at Turqoise.

Getting there: Shop no 20, ONGC Colony, next to Candies, in the lane opposite Lilavati Hospital, Bandra Reclamation, call 26402123, Rs 600 for hand-shaped bookends.