Crazy Sparks Imagination

As Designer, CEO and Founder of Mother Gone Mad Design Studio, Ritika Nanda revels in creating whacky lighting for rebellious spaces!.

You were a jewelry designer for over a decade. What drew you to lighting design?

RN: I’m a NIFT graduate who specialized in jewelry design and went to London to further my education. I practiced jewelry design for a long time after college. I was very good at it and initially loved it, but soon realized that it didn’t give me the liberty to throw creativity around and experiment with wild ideas. People buying precious and semi-precious jewelry always have a specific idea of what they’re looking for. They want something clean and beautiful which can be passed on through the generations.

I found a niche in lighting design where options in New Delhi were limited to standard (and at the time extremely boring) products or extremely unaffordable luxury lighting from Europe. There was nothing with color, nothing that was specifically for casual spaces, TV rooms, bedrooms, offices, restaurants, etc. In most homes, floor lamps, table lamps, and other decorative lighting were an ‘art statement’ while functional lighting was taken care of by ceiling spots, etc. I found an opportunity to design the innovative stuff I had always wanted to, and decided to go for it! That’s how ‘Mother Gone Mad’ was born. From young girl who wanted to act grown up, I was now the woman who wanted to hold on to my inner child. We create custom lighting that is out of the box, modern and whacky for imperfect/rebellious spaces with a sense of warmth, a reflection of the personalities that call it home.

What does ‘out-of-the-box, mad’ design mean to you?

RN: The freedom to express yourself as you please in a fun, serious or eloquent manner and the freedom to experiment with various materials and techniques, focusing on handcrafted (non-factory) custom lighting with its distinct personality and character.