PROJECT PASSION

HELLO! DELVES INTO THE CREATIVE MIND OF ASHIESH SHAH, ONE OF INDIA’S LEADING DESIGN LUMINARIES, TO DISCUSS HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, VARIED PORTFOLIO AND FUTURE PATH

- NAYARE ALI

He has straddled multiple mediums in the design world, earning accolades and awards along the way. His extensive portfolio ranges from movie star homes to plush penthouses, concept stores and more. He is a firm follower of the wabi-sabi philosophy and recently designed the magnificent Khatotia residence (pictured) in the posh neighbourhood of Malabar Hills in Mumbai. The intrepid Ashiesh Shah shares with HELLO! details of his latest work, passion project, his design philosophy and more.

You are a Parsons School of Design graduate who set up his own design firm, Ashiesh Shah Architecture + Design, in mid-2000. How has your journey evolved since then?

When I started out, my focus was on the interior design of homes. While the work was immensely satisfying and garnered a lot of positive feedback, it was limited in its access to the people who got to experience and engage with it. Projects such as the high-end store Le Mill and fine-dining restaurant Nido in Mumbai gave my work a more public platform. A wider audience was able to experience these spaces I created, which eventually led to new projects. With time, I had the opportunity to develop my design language. The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, an ancient philosophy of balancing elements, has been a strong part of all my projects and has manifested in my design objects, too. Custom designing products for my projects from the beginning of my practice led me to foray into product design and further to the launch of Atelier Ashiesh Shah.

You are now working on this design-forward house in Malabar Hills. Please share how you went about creating the home, the requirements of the owners, at what stage of completion it is, the influences, etc.