Walking into a retail store, your eyes fail to rest on just one place as you find yourself spellbound by the vibrant colours, textures, ensembles, and the many curious creations the place has to offer. ELLE DECOR India assembles a trove of design-forward stores in India that fling open doors to an exciting world of aesthetics, patterns and perspectives! Scroll along and bookmark…

London

Kama Ayurveda

Kama Ayurveda, the beauty and skincare brand with its roots in India has now made its first home in London as well. With its first standalone store at 207, Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill and an exclusive concession at Harrods, London, the multistorey location in the heart of the city promises an immersive shopping experience on the ground floor, as well as two treatment rooms housed on the lower ground floor.

Designed by renowned Jaipur-based creative Marie-Anne Oudejans, the interiors, with a majorly red and gold colour palette, denotes a lively, modern Ayurvedic apothecary cabinet, encompassing bold geometrics, intricate traditional motifs and Indian architectural codes. Enlivened by murals of Kerala revolving around the elephant; one of the brand’s totems, the store houses an impressive lighting sculpture created in collaboration with contemporary Indian design house Klove Studio.

Mumbai

Louis Vuitton, Jio World Drive BKC

Louis Vuitton unveils its largest international luxury store inside Jio World Plaza, the newest venue touted for its super elevated luxury retail. The store brings to life a design range with soft creamy-hued stone and metal floral mesh, merged together.

Designed by Rooshad Shroff, the store is imbibed with an embroidered wooden panel weaved with french knots and a hand painted Burma teak table that becomes another standout attraction. The colour palette of pastels, with hints of gold, makes the space complete!

Moonray, Kala Ghoda

Inspired by the phases of the moon, Moonray, a fashion label by Karishma Swali is located in Kala Ghoda and reveals itself in all-white interiors. The store focuses on instilling a sense of calmness and tranquillity.

As you enter, in the centre rests a table with an oblong inlay crafted from onyx in pale pink and marble in muted green. The use of earth-friendly materials such as hand-coated limestone, onyx marble, wood, glass and steel fixtures creates a calm atmosphere. The studio adopts an elliptical design, resembling the moon’s orbit, with fluted, curved walls and circular lines blending into the background and complementing the arched windows of the heritage building. 

Extra Butter, Mumbai

This one’s for the sneakerheads! Merging the skylines of New York and Mumbai, Extra Butter, a 5,000 sq ft store in Lower Parel brings the love of sneakers to the city. As you enter, the store with sky-high ceilings encompasses the iconic elements of New York. Taking inspiration from film, art and theatre, elements like a massive light installation, which looks like a film reel or the iconic subway tiles, made of Kota stone spell a reimagined visual canvas of the two geographies! 

Inside Extra Butter one witnesses ideas such as a custom made hand-woven seating and an all-white interior to preserve the focus on the sneakers, add a quirky touch to  the space!

New Delhi

Abraham & Thakore, Delhi 

Abraham & Thakore, the Indian fashion powerhouse’s  second store in Delhi, including their recently launched outlet in Phoenix Palladium, Mumbai, is one to look at! Being the ‘Masters of Minimalism’, the Delhi store engulfs an idea of clean, craft-driven and modern aesthetic. Designed by Studio Organon, the bespoke terrazzo for the flooring featuring graphic and checkerboard patterns adorns the space with a contemporary feel, complemented with a touch of minimalism. 

Saurabh Dakshini, Founder of Studio Organon says, “A lot of the store’s design is inspired by the brand’s creations. For example, we took the straight lines that appear in many Abraham & Thakore saris to create a feature that is now consistent across all their stores.”

Eka 

Eka, an eco-conscious clothing label, embarks on its first retail presence in Lodhi, New Delhi. The store is a profound ode to Eka’s elements of sustainability utilising materials like wood reclaimed from doors and windows of old Chettinad houses. Teleporting us to a feel of traditional Indian homes, the store consists of flooring made of oxides, lime plaster and terrazzo which embodies the epitome of postcolonial Indian design to reflect the belief of simple living. On the other hand, use of whites represents a sense of minimalism and luxury.  

“The world of EKA is an imaginary place. It is whimsical, poetic, and romantic; a canvas where I bring several characters to life and dress them in my creations which are sensory, emotional, familiar, and hand-touched, with their essence tied to storytelling. Its functionality and ethics are an extension of my principles.”, says Rina Singh.

Pune

The Japandi themed furniture store

Japandi style is a blend of Scandinavian designs and Japanese aesthetics that offer a sense of elegance and functionality. This Japandi themed furniture store by Mirari design, located in East Pune is a 1,500 sq ft store with tones extracted right from a neutral palette!

As you enter the store, a curved rattan screen partition stretches up the double heighted ceiling, with twisted stairs and mezzanine flooring lending the space a character. Materials like solid wood, rattan, lime wash and combination floorings give an authentic touch to the store while creating a consistent colour palette for the interiors.

Rajasthan

Tilak Stone Arts India

Tilak Stone Arts India, located in Rajasthan is a store brimming with artistic craftsmanship of the stone carved idols. 

“Tilak Stone Arts India is more than just a store; it is an exploration of the boundless possibilities of marble—a material forged over centuries, yet forever captivating. With its remarkable collection, meticulous craftsmanship, and an ambience that seamlessly intertwines spirituality with contemporary design, this enchanting space invites you to experience the transformative power of stone, creating homes and lives infused with divine splendour,” remarks Shashwat Gangwal, Designer and Managing Director of Tilak Stone Arts India.

Hyderabad

Peacock Life by Shabnam Gupta

Peacock Life by Shabnam Gupta, is a two-levelled 6,000 sq ft store that has inculcated a rather vintage look, which brings the art and culture of India alive! As you enter, warm white tones, wrapped with pops of colour are spread throughout the store, while keeping the focus on the products. As you make your way up, two terraces stretch till the end, with a Georgian glass door to separate the indoor space from the outdoor. The indoor space is filled with terracotta planters and pots with two vibrant hued elephant figurines resting at the main entrance. The whole store stands as a culmination of traditional elements put together, to complement the products which are showcased!

Shabnam Gupta explains, “We have intentionally maintained a textured grey throughout the entire space barring a couple of rooms to make sure the product is the hero.” 

Kolkata

Antar-Agni

Encompassing a 900 sq ft space, Antar Agni has launched its store in Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata. The store follows a motif of blending traditional elements with minimalism. The mosaic tiles deliver a pop of texture to the neutral toned lime washed walls, creating a combination of modern and earthy elements. 

The store is designed in a way that the central room branches into smaller personal spaces through limestone arched doorways which gives a unique perspective to the store.

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