The General Items store in Bengaluru doubles up as a design gallery and community space

It’s a new world for retail and design in Bengaluru with the General Items store by Tiipoi’s Spandana Gopal alongside sourcing consultant Malini Malik. A former school provisions store in Ulsoor, Bengaluru, has metamorphosed into an artistic store of curious objects; where its ‘general items’ name is derived from its original avatar that sold notebooks and other everyday items. We peek inside the space as traces of past peek through its modern-industrial aesthetic now.

1. Rethinking luxury The store materialises as luxury rooted in simplicity, emphasising on craftsmanship and our emotional relationship with everyday objects. The focus was to retail Tiipoi for the first time in India along with other like-minded designers and studios, paying homage to multiple kinds of techniques, materials and mediums.

2. An occasional gallery The idea is to switch up the collection with a new theme every six months. The inaugural collection Showcase 01: Objects of Emotion, corresponds to the idea of a gallery displaying different exhibits. The current display explores our relationship with objects through our daily acts of living, featuring pieces by Tiipoi, Claymen, Tosha Jagad, Material Immaterial studio, Lovebirds amongst others.

3. Experience for the community Even though the store is just 300 sq ft, the space translates into a personal experience for the patrons. Spandana and Malini seek to create an inspiring haven where the visitors can interact with product makers, authors, designers and brands through regular Meet the Makers sessions.

Read More: What do women want? To shop with the female gaze at Amisha Kothari’s Mumbai store