Fellow Yellow reimagines the traditional market for a new generation with Krishna’s Back to Roots, a farm-to-table store in Hyderabad that showcases fresh, locally sourced produce.
Markets once pulsed with conversations; now, canned music fills the silence,” reflects Geethu Gangadharan, Principal Designer at Fellow Yellow Design Studio. This sentiment became the foundation for Krishna’s Back to Roots, a 1,800 sq. ft. organic food store in Hyderabad. Rooted in the architectural language of traditional Telugu homes and the communal energy of local markets, the design evokes a sense of familiarity and belonging. It invites visitors to slow down, linger, and in doing so, quietly revive the long-dormant vibrancy of the marketplace.
The verandah marks the first moment of reconnection in Fellow Yellow’s design scheme. This entry space serves as a platform for community interaction, where small-scale farmers can set up temporary stalls in the essence of Rythu Bazaars, the traditional open-air markets of Telangana. Inside, the retail area follows an L-shaped layout, with products displayed along the walls and the central space doubling as a venue for workshops and collaborative initiatives as needed. The billing area, positioned near the entrance, is marked by a jali-patterned screen above and a table with a panelled front, while the manager’s room and store room are tucked discreetly toward the rear.
Presenting an unconventional storefront within its urban context, the verandah carries the familiarity of a domestic threshold. In doing so, it eases the transition from street to store. The space is swathed entirely in the brand’s signature green colour, and comprises a series of intricately carved wooden pillars that support its pitched roof, while a monochrome chequered floor stretches underfoot.
Past the colonnade, the store’s interiors take on a quieter sensibility. The walls remain plastered in a warm white hue, contrasted by cheerful yellow handmade cement tiles on the floor. A panel of printed tiles, inspired by traditional kolam drawings, marks the centre. Overhead, a coffered ceiling frames delicately carved floral motifs, while crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow across the room. The space holds warmth, shaped by textures and the unmistakable aroma of fresh produce.
Product displays are thoughtfully varied. Along the walls, whitepainted cabinets and wall-mounted shelves let the brand’s offering of farm-fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits, grains, spices, and pantry staples take the limelight. These cabinets are interspersed with reclaimed pieces such as consoles and centre tables, repurposed as display units. The furniture, with carved legs, mouldings and bracket details, reinforces the store’s narrative of incorporating age-old design details.
This store presents a quiet blueprint for how design can gently rewire our everyday systems of transacting. Open layouts that favour encounters over aisles, communal spaces like verandahs that encourage exchange, and displays layered like produce at a local market hark back to the conversations that once thrived in the markets. Hand-rendered materials and textures that foreground the craft of making, all subtly resist the anonymity of modern retail. And in its intent and detail, Fellow Yellow’s Krishna Back to Roots Store takes us back to the idea of what it meant to shop in a traditional market.
Photography Credit: The Avenue Studio
