... A world apart, also made of small creatures, muffled sounds and overlaid smells, a perfectly balanced universe where giant multicolored butterflies imbibe essences invisible to our eyes, gigantic flowers create short lived micro environments, vines, moss, lianas and parasitic orchids vie for possession of the towering skyward reaching trunks, symmetries and unthinkable geometries of plant forms, alchemy and the magic of the interactions of the flora and fauna which all have a role in the complex mechanisms of nature at work in the forest.

The jungle;

that air saturated with oxygen which fills the lungs, those shy but well-designed rays of sun traced by a divine hand that travel across the tree tops and fill the mind with energy.

Such, in a nutshell, is the essence.

Not if we look at it from the limited point of view of the ego, but if we transcend our thoughts (and everything we have been taught) and look at the big picture, at the genuine ebb and flow of life.

As humans we have always been taught to fear the Jungle.

We were told to stay away from it. They said it was dangerous, wild, unregulated, unstable and unpredictable.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Look deep into Nature and then you will understand everything better

Albert Einstein

The Jungle:
where Nature defies Culture

As a perfect representation of the essence of Nature (her rationale, telos and destiny), the real Jungle (not the one in the books) follows the strictest rules. Laws that apply to every organism and every form of life.

Only when the human being has dwelt enough in this estranging environment, then the fog of culture dissipates and a simple realization arrives.

Life is neither a single unity nor a dispersion of atoms.

Life is a mosaic (dynamic and vibrant) where even the smallest organism is an unavoidable part of the One.

To understand this is to see that everything society taught us is but a fabrication, a lie and a parody of what real Nature is.

As an antidote to this view, the Jungle Concept Design researches and tries to implement the hidden structure by which Nature is firmly built.

In the Jungle colors are unthinkable
... because they speak!

They listen, react, dance and respond to each other.

Living there was like a jazz concert ... except in Nature nothing is improvised.

Francis Mundackal,
creator of the
Jungle Concept Design

The Jungle Concept Design

The Jungle Concept Design can be briefly defined as a philosophy of green design which structures the composition of the semi-natural elements according to the logic and coherence of Nature.

The aim is not only to achieve a resemblance of the outward appearance of Nature, but especially a mimesis of her profound harmony and consistency. To observe, mirror and depict the directions in which plants and flowers structure and give birth to one another, how the roots work their curves up to reach the perfect nutrients from the soil and how all natural features are interdependent and create an environment so preciously thick and rich.

A complex imbrication – where every piece is essential and foundational in itself – which highlights the density of meaning inherent even in the smallest aspects of Nature.

The task of the larger leaves is to protect small leaves.

The smaller leaves grow under the shelter
of the larger leaves.

Plants needing more water have leaves and structures that facilitate absorption, they grow near to those needing less water.

Plants that need more light grow higher, protecting those that prefer the shade

The Jungle, contrary to what may seem, is a perfect mechanism in its forms and colours.

It is the most orderly universe that exists.

A new concept of Nature,
ideal for our Time

When words do not suffice any more to make an actual, poignant meaning of Natural beauty, ila creations aim at reaching, envisaging and reproducing the intrinsic natural architecture.

From the smallest details to the sensible soundness of the whole compositions, ila semi-natural creations embrace the Jungle Concept Design and focus on finding a place for the unmitigated feeling of pristine Nature in our everyday living spaces.

Discover more about ila decorations.

There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness

Theodore Roosevelt

Francis Mundackal

I was born in the western Ghats of Kerala, in southern India. From a very early age Nature left her mark on me, leaving an indelible impression upon my soul and senses.

For more than 35 years I have devoted my time and life to the design and creation of semi-natural decorations, bringing a natural feeling into the spaces of human living.

I have gathered the sum of my visions and experiences in the Jungle Concept Design, which precisely expresses my unquenchable thirst for the genuine feeling of Nature.

As Main Creative at ila I am always in search of the natural quintessence and to balance it with the Art of Architecture and Interior Design.
My heart will always be in Search of that Lost Jungle.

Francis Mundackal

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