Photography by Ishita Sitwala

A new design landmark in Indore calls you!

From sculptural dividers to floating stairs, Designest in Indore reimagines retail design

BY

In the heart of Indore, a city in Madhya Pradesh quietly cultivating its own design language, a new retail space evokes curiosity. No flashing signs and no overly-adorned windows vying for attention. Just a clean threshold, beguiling curves and a sense that something interesting is ready to unfold within.

Designest is a 3,000 sq ft showroom by young visionaries Tanya and Siddharth Gupta and brought to life by P S Design’s Priyanka and Piyush Mehra. This is not a space that merely displays kitchens and wardrobes. It orchestrates them. Every wall, every vault, every material choice plays a part in a narrative where architecture leads and interiors follow.Β 

"The design philosophy was to create an architecturally driven shell which accommodates a detailed interior within. The spatial divider is a prime example here as it signifies our design philosophy while playing a major role in the showroom’s circulation." β€” Priyanka and Piyush Mehra, Principal Architects

Photography by Ishita Sitwala

Sculptural landmarks

The entrance is marked by a sculptural curved divider that subtly disrupts the path ahead, carving a journey that leads you through a series of four kitchen displays, each staged like a design scene rather than a product pitch.

Walk past the kitchens and you arrive at the quieter core. A sampling room, a back office and a staircase that quite literally elevates the narrative. Crafted from folded metal and appearing to float midair, this stairway is as theatrical as it is functional.Β 

As you ascend, a dynamic material display is in view unveiling new finishes that are rotated like chapters in an ongoing story. Upstairs, the atmosphere shifts again. A bedroom suite with a walk-in closet leads to a curated selection of six wardrobe setups designed to inspire rather than overwhelm. The layout is intentionally fluid, allowing displays to evolve while the architecture holds steady.

The monolithic, freestanding wooden space divider forms the centerpiece of the store's interiors. Paired with the vaulted ceiling, it imparts a distinctive character without the need for decorative accessories. The light oak finish set against the store’s white canvas creates sophistication; Photography by Ishita Sitwala
The spatial divider is designed to intuitively guide visitors as they explore the four distinct kitchen setups arranged around it; Photography by Ishita Sitwala

The skeleton that holds it togetherΒ 

The space stays true to what the designers call the Architectural Style of Interiors β€” an approach where the bones of the space do the heavy lifting. β€œWe wanted to create a shell so strong in form that it wouldn’t need too much accessorising,” Priyanka and Piyush explain. And it shows.Β 

There’s a calm confidence in the material and colour palette too. Warm white walls, light oak wood and nothing that shouts for attention. Instead, the space whispers, letting textures, light and shadows do the talking. And while the space is polished and composed, the process behind it was anything but effortless. That statement-making divider, for instance? It was the most challenging element. It had to be perfectly level on both sides to stand free and was as much about engineering as it was about design.

Experimentation over expectationΒ 

Even its foundations are rooted in intention. The showroom is constructed entirely using locally sourced materials like wood, steel, cork and brought to life by local craftsmen, grounding its contemporary aesthetic in community values. The space feels unapologetically non-commercial, and that, the duo says, is the point. β€œAny new design is an experiment β€” especially if it’s exploring uncharted ground. This one feels like a risk we’re glad we took.”

 

Read more: Label Tilfi’s flagship store comes to Mumbai designed by Insitu Design Studio

The sculptural spatial divider soars up to meet the double-height vaulted ceiling, creating a striking architectural statement; Photography by Ishita Sitwala
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