THE CHOCOLATE HOUSE

Studio Patternmaker Turns a 50-Year-Old Home into a Cocoa Retreat

- Seema Sreedharan

Once a cherished family home, now a haven for chocolate lovers - a 50-year-old Ahmedabad home finds new life as Toska Chocolate House, a space where memories and indulgence intertwine.

Set in the lively Bodakdev neighbourhood, the 2,000 sq. ft. space has been thoughtfully reimagined through adaptive reuse by architect Parthavi Patel of Studio Patternmaker. Rooted in the client’s deep personal connection to the home, her design approach preserves its essence while introducing a contemporary yet timeless aesthetic. The result is a café and retail space that bridges legacy and reinvention, capturing the soul of Toska Artisan Chocolates in a setting that is both intimate and immersive.

Toska Artisan Chocolates takes its name from the word Toska which in Russian means longing or homesickness, and in Greek, evokes nostalgia - an inner pull or ache for a distant place or time gone by. For founder Ishan Pansuria, chocolate is a bridge to the past, inspired by moments shared with his late father. Honoring this connection, he chose to establish Toska Chocolate House within his family home, creating an environment where flavors and stories come together in a richly layered experience.

Guided by this deep-rooted connection, the transformation embraces the home's original framework, ensuring its spirit lives on in a new form. Existing architectural elements have been carefully preserved, while modern updates make the space more open and functional.