Indian Elle Décor has named Pakistani architect and designer Attiq Ahmed co-winner, along with India's Valay Gada, in the Young Talent category at the 13th annual Elle Décor International Design Awards (EDIDA) in India, reports Newsweek Pakistan.

Ahmed is the founder of Turning Tables, which is a furniture and lighting design studio based in Lahore. He won the award last month for his innovative work in 2014, which he says was totally unexpected: "I haven't won anything in my life so it was a fantastic acknowledgement! It's such a great platform to get Turning Tables' exposure and pave the way for our entry into India's design world."

Elle Décor's February-March issue states Attiq “imagined a collection that takes cues from both Colonial and Mughal eras, where he relies on his contemporary aesthetic to create intuitive, ‘Made in India’ works” using “an array of materials like wood, metal, brass, marble and more.”

The magazine also gave credit to the 38-year-old designer for his Alien and Laaltain lamps, Tablas, occasional table, and Espasso two-seater and chair.

Turning Tables' designs are sold through Origine Fine Art, a Delhi-based design gallery exclusively, the collaboration which Attiq credits for his EDIDA win.

"Manufacturing joint pieces with Origine Fine Art is what made me qualify to win the award and I hope to see similar platforms spring up in Pakistan because it's a fantastic way to get your name out there and get recognition for your work!"

Butterfly table by Turning Tables —Photo courtesy: Turning Tables Facebook page

Describing their design aesthetic, Ahmed shares. "Turning Tables' work is both about formal possibilities of design as well as a playful exploration of construction techniques and pairing of materials and design inspiration. What makes us unique is that we only have 20 design editions per design run and those pieces are split between Lahore and Delhi so the chances of running into one of our designs are remote; they're limited pieces."