The art of leaving things be

Studio Vasaka turns inward with their workspace in Haryana

06 Aug 2025

If this work studio were a person, it would be the quiet one at the party — the one you end up talking to all evening. It doesn’t demand attention with bold statements or shiny surfaces. Instead, it invites you in with unfiltered light and details that reveal slowly. Born out of necessity and shaped by honest questions, Studio Vasaka’s 445 sq ft workspace in Panchkula, Haryana, designed by co-founders Karan Arora and Varchasa Duggal, resists perfection and leans into simplicity, existing as a place to just think, make and live.

“This project set the tone for the kind of work we want to keep doing — personal, quiet, and rooted in intention” — Varchasa Duggal

Light floods the meeting room, illuminating a custom Black Indian stone table and Bharat Bricks exposed wall; Photography by Vaibhav Passi

ZERO TRENDS GIVEN

Unlike studios that wear their style on their sleeve, this space takes a quieter route. There are no competing colours, no loud accents, no trendy surfaces; only a neutral backdrop designed to hold the project underway.

“The palette leans into warm greys, soft whites, raw brick reds, deep blacks, and a lot of green — thanks to the plants that have slowly taken over,” shares Varchasa. Here, materials weren’t forced into performance but invited to be themselves. The concrete ceiling remains unapologetically raw and the exposed brick and lime-washed walls proudly uneven. Nothing is polished, nor sanded down. Design, it seems, doesn’t always need a finishing touch.

Custom furniture anchors the workstation corner; Photography by Vaibhav Passi

The custom terrazzo and marble inlay feels more like a sketch than a floor; Photography by Vaibhav Passi

SOFA WITH A BUILT-IN BOOKSHELF? WE’RE IN

The raw materiality carries into the finer details. Custom wall lamps mount globe lights on slices of wooden logs. In the washroom, a simple sconce is mounted on a raw wooden tray acquired by the architects during a trip to Bali, giving part fixture, part keepsake. These elements are unique to the studio and can’t be sourced elsewhere; they feel personal, like souvenirs woven into the space.

“And then there’s the accidental hero of the studio — a custom-built sofa with an extended side platform that doubles up as a bookshelf.” The corner comes together effortlessly. A table lamp here, a towering fiddle-leaf fig there…the kind of space made for sinking in and zoning out.

FROM FLOOR TO SOUL

“The flooring was hands-down the most fun part,” shares Varchasa. “It felt like we were sketching directly onto the ground.” Grey terrazzo inlaid with marble offcuts by hand, the duo spent hours improvising the form. By contrast, the open pantry wasn’t as easygoing. With only one side enclosed, its fully open nature meant it had to do all look good, stay tidy and feel like a cozy cafe. This balance took some fine-tuning but it is now one of the studio’s most loved corners.

The open pantry showcases a plant-lined facade with Curo Cast planters and an IKEA lamp; Photography by Vaibhav Passi

LIKE A STILL LIFE

They say everything can be broken down into simple shapes and in this studio, it’s rectangles all the way. Geometric, sure, but far from cold. There’s a gentle kind of geometry at work here, where every edge is intentional yet never too sharp. It feels composed, not calculated, like a landscape painting reimagined through architecture. Patterned flooring that catches light like a slow-moving stream, brick walls standing tall like distant hills, live-edge lamps sprouting like trees and plants framing it all like nature would. Together, it reads serene indeed.