Sarah Sham’s West Elm Edit on all things good design and her top picks!
It is often said, design is intelligence made visible while good design is a language of sorts. Extending similar ideologies are two of our beloved—Sarah Sham, principal designer at Essajees Atelier and global decor giant West Elm. Foraying into the Indian markets with their first brick-and-mortar store in Mumbai this month, it’s set to launch a store in Delhi soon.
Founded on the legacy and ethos of the 110 year old company Essajees, Essajees Atelier was established in 2014 by Sham as an independent design practice. Speaking of good design, she elates, “Good design to me is something that’s invisible, not necessarily something that you can see. But when you use it, you feel it and when you touch it, it gives you that feeling of good design.”
When asked to dish out the top three attributes omnipresent in good design, Sham promptly shares, “I’m a sucker for functionality. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t make any sense to me!” Further adding, “Functionality combined with details sets it apart and third would be an interesting colour or texture. So, if it has a really nice grain to it, a pop of colour or a small brass accent, that is something that I enjoy.”
West Elm adorns modern and ecologically conscious homes with its sustainable and craft inspired designs and collaborations with celebrated designers. The Brooklyn based design studio is all set to open their first store, spread across 9,000 sq ft at the Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai followed by another store in Delhi. “For us, the store is a lifestyle experience where we want people to come explore and discover the beauty of our designs,” says Puneet Behal, business head of Reliance Brands Limited, which is bringing the American furniture and design chain to India. “We are here to help create a space that reflects you and what you love. That means forward-thinking, problem-solving design that unites value, quality and responsible manufacturing,” he adds about their designs, which ship to over 90 countries the world over.
As ELLE DECOR India and West Elm chat with Sham on all things design, the art history graduate lists her top picks from West Elm’s India edit…
And head here for wider selection of decor covetables from West Elm India…
