One evening in 2020, Indira Prashant stood in her dining room, scrubbing yet another food stain from her tablecloth. As a mother of two children, she had long accepted that spills, stains, and scratches were a part of daily life.
But as she watched the fabric wear thin from constant washing, a thought struck her — why wasn’t there a tablecloth that could withstand family life without losing its elegance?
What started as a simple need — table linen that was both beautiful and practical — evolved into The Yard House, India’s first brand offering wipeable, anti-slip, plastic-free cotton tablecloths. Today, the brand has found a place in over 10,000 homes, selling more than 30,000 products in just three years, proving that necessity truly is the mother of invention.
From a pet project to a business idea
The 44-year-old Indira’s journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t a conventional one. With a background in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani, an MBA, and a career spanning Colgate-Palmolive and Flipkart in marketing, she decided to take a break from corporate life in 2012 to focus on raising her two daughters. What started as a conscious decision to be present for her children soon led to an exploration of her long-time passion: home decor.
“I have always loved working with hardwood, brass, and antique textiles. I also have a deep appreciation for block printing and indigenous art,” Indira shares. Her keen eye for aesthetics was what initially drew her to table linen. “Tablecloths have the power to add character to a space. But with toddlers at home, I was washing my tablecloths every three days.”
A chance observation sparked her idea. “I was using mattress protectors for my kids and realised that there was a fabric that retained the softness of cloth while also being spill-resistant. That’s when I thought — why aren’t we doing this for table linen?”
500 days, 11 prototypes, and unwavering determination
The journey to creating the perfect wipeable, anti-slip tablecloth was far from easy. Indira faced rejection after rejection. “Everyone said no. Manufacturers weren’t convinced the idea was viable,” she recalls.
Determined to make it work, she dived into research. She met with textile experts at Anna University, explored chemical finishes, and visited factories across Gurugram and Tamil Nadu. “I became obsessed. I travelled, spoke to countless people, and experimented endlessly,” she says.
It took over 500 days, but finally, two blockprinters from Jaipur — Ajay and Arun — placed faith in her vision. Her 11th prototype was a breakthrough. The fabric retained the softness of cotton, was spill-resistant, and had an anti-slip feature, giving birth to ‘The Yard House’.
Handmade, sustainable, and proudly Indian
What makes The Yard House unique is not just the practicality of its products but the thoughtfulness behind their creation. Indira was clear from the start — her brand would honour India’s cultural heritage in the form of prints and fabric.
“We source cotton fabric from Erode and Surat, and the block printing is done in Jaipur. The treatment that makes the fabric wipeable happens in Tamil Nadu. Then the finished product comes to Bengaluru, where the head office is located. This fabric travels across three states before it reaches the customers’ homes,” she explains.
Block printing, however, posed its own challenges. “Jaipur’s artisans have a level of skill and precision that is unmatched. Even the pressure applied to the block has to be perfect, or the pattern gets misaligned and smudged. We tried finding block printers in Tamil Nadu, but the accuracy and output weren’t the same,” Indira adds.
The handmade nature of the process means that production is slow and weather-dependent. “The blocks have to be carved by hand. Then, the red paint is applied first, followed by other colours. Each layer must dry completely to avoid smudging,” she explains.
To meet rising demand, The Yard House later introduced screen printing and woven solid fabrics. But Indira’s commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship remains solid, just like her prints.
A gamble that paid off
Launching a new product is always risky, but doing so during the COVID-19 pandemic added an extra layer of uncertainty. Factories were shutting down, international orders were drying up, and businesses were struggling. But this played in Indira’s favour.
“Manufacturers were open to experimenting because they had the time and the mind space for my idea,” she explains. “My first collection was tiny — just 35 pieces with seven prints, five pieces each.”
She created a website on a whim and reached out to a few Instagram friends to talk about her products. What happened next was nothing short of a revelation. “Within an hour, I got my first order. And in a few days, the entire collection was sold out.”
What began as a pet project for herself quickly transformed into a full-fledged business. Today, The Yard House has a team of seven women and works with five partners, each employing around 70 artisans. The brand’s bestsellers include tablecloths and reversible placemats, and they continue to expand their range.
Balancing practicality with aesthetics
One of the biggest challenges Indira faced was finding the right balance between functionality and design.
“Our biggest hurdle is tackling haldi and achaar stains. Coffee, wine, and chocolate wipe off easily, but turmeric is stubborn. Some people suggested laminating the fabric, but that defeated the whole purpose of having a plastic-free, breathable cloth.”
Instead, The Yard House focuses on customer education, helping buyers understand how to maintain their table linen. “We suggest clothes with busier prints for families who have the probability of more spills on a day-to-day basis,” shares Anjushri Anil Kumar, who works in the designing process with Indira.
The brand has also invested heavily in design. “We spend a lot of time perfecting colour palettes and prints. Anyone can copy a concept, but what sets us apart is our aesthetic sensibility. Customers come back to us for our designs,” explains Indira, who has also applied to patent her designs.
“We start by brainstorming design ideas. Post which we decide the colour palette and create a mood board accordingly, based on the theme, or the season,” says Anjushri.
Bootstrapped and profitable
In an age where startups chase funding rounds, The Yard House has remained proudly bootstrapped. “My mother is my partner, and we have run the business profitably from day one,” Indira shares.
Their numbers speak for themselves. The company is set to close the financial year with Rs 3 crore in revenue, with 65% of sales coming from its website, and 35% from Amazon. The demand is so high that some customers have spent up to Rs 65,000 on their tablecloths.
“As a mother of two, their tablecloths have been a lifesaver. My table is protected and home looks aesthetically pleasing as well,” shares Shantal Shashank, a homemaker from Chennai.
The brand’s next big move? International expansion. “By the end of 2025, we want to start exporting abroad. We are also looking at expanding into other rooms — think screens, bedding, and more.”
Looking ahead
For Indira, the greatest joy is knowing that her products have struck a chord with customers. She still remembers her first non-friend customer, Smriti Khanna from Mumbai. “I had no idea who she was, yet she trusted my brand. That was my turning point.”
As The Yard House continues to grow, Indira remains committed to quality, design, and sustainability. With each wipeable tablecloth, Indira is proving that practicality and beauty can coexist.
With exciting collaborations and new designs launching in the summer, Indira Prashant showcases the power of believing in an idea — even when no one else does.
Visit The Yard House’s website for more details.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All images courtesy The Yard House
