This shared studio space designed by Deshna Kasliwal Design Studio for their own design practice and creative agency The Works, lends a stylish and sustainable spin to conventionality.

Envisioned by Amod Kasliwal, Director and Dhwani Rathod, Junior Designer at Deshna Kasliwal Design Studio, the office space for The Works founded by Hardik and Harshal Jain is an ode to understated luxury and sustainability, blended with practicality, all in alignment with the client’s brief.

The office which spreads across an area of 3000 sq. ft. is situated in an iconic Art Deco Building called Khetan Bhavan on Jamshedji Tata Road, Bombay. The space which is perched on the top floor with 6 balconies, is a wraparound corner façade of the entire building. Sharing about the brief, Deshna Kasliwal, Founder and Principal Designer, Deshna Kasliwal Design Studio, says, “The space is a joint studio shared by Deshna Kasliwal Design Studio and ‘The Works’ an advertising agency founded by my husband Hardik Jain.  Since the space belonged to us and we were the designers – the brief was simple. It is our dream office and we had to make it a true representation of ourselves while respecting the age old structure and its heritage value. We at DKDS and at The Works are building practices that are honest, to the point and rooted in traditional values and we believe our offerings are very homely, trustworthy, world class and hence, very Indian. Our space reflects the same ideologies.”

In order to seamlessly reflect the above ideologies, DKDS, chose to create a layout that is a balanced mix of traditional touches and modern solutions. They consciously chose to mix the old and the new to showcase the space as an example of adaptive reuse. Deshna further informs, “We revived the Italian marble flooring and kept the Art Deco patterns intact. These inlays now run through our office adding a character we have fallen in love with.” “Our main door including all our balcony doors and windows are revived solid teak wood features that we rebuilt painstakingly. Our window grills feature erstwhile Art Deco iron work that we inherited with the space”, adds, Deshna.  

One enters The DKDS and The Works office through a solid teak frame door with glass panels and is met with a reception table made of brick and river washed table. The reception area features cement sheets, a cocoon fine rugs carpet, and a peek of the lounge, conference and sunset views ahead. The signage features both companies and is a testament to a solid collaboration between client and designers. Behind the reception, a wood and glass door leads to the lounge – a waiting space for clients, interviewees and a break out space for the team. All the furniture has been designed by DKDS and has been executed by Cottons and Satins. 

The lounge is a moody space and exudes warmth and beckons one to talk, relax and wonder. The conference room, through visible from the lounge can only be accessed through the Work Area, cordoned off by biometric doors. The conference room features an 8 seater river washed black marble top sourced from Udaipur through Raw Steen set on brick legs. Overlooking the CCI lawns and the marine drive sea and sunset, the conference room is well lit and fit for client closures. “Work Area One features linear desks, shelving units and display shelves for our materials, project panels and curated décor. 2 cabins occupied by senior team members overlook the Work Area. The lighting in the Work Areas are from Lafit and are app based. White light for concentrated work hours on full brightness to a soft yellow as the day progresses with dimmed brightness”, informs Deshna

One enters the cafeteria at the end of work area one – through a wood and glass door right opposite the open office entrance door. The café features a 12’ long mint green table – a community set up that engages all 65 team members. Featuring mint green cabinetry, the café is a spot loved by all. “One can enter the only protruding eyebrow balcony of the entire building through the cafeteria – separated by a solid teak door aging over 50 years”, informs Deshna. Adjacent to the cafeteria is a phone booth used for one on one meetings and important zoom calls. As one turns left, at ‘The Corner’, one is met with the Founders Cabin on the right. The cabin features a display shelf with a coffee bar. Hosting books read through years and collectibles from various journeys, the bare structure is complimented by a bright yellow couch that was designed by DKDS. The Founders Cabin also has a private balcony. Beyond the Founders Cabin is Work Station 2 – a space featuring liner desks, 2 balconies and unparalleled views. “Meant as a back end for rigorous high focused work, the work area 2 features a blown up Hindi Signage of the works – a backdrop for all photo ops. The empty space doubles up as a photoshoot background and is a reminder of an extension we are waiting to create”, says Deshna.

The entire office is a case study in sustainability and adaptive re-use. The doors and window frames are solid BTC – which we carefully reclaimed through sanding, filling and republishing. “We made the conscious decision of not ripping apart the beautiful art deco marble flooring and accepted the flaws happily”, concludes xxxx. There are track lights with spots to highlight walls with art and graphics. The linear lights that illuminate the workstations can be dimmed down and the temperature is adjusted as one moves through the day. The lounge and conference room feature fancy hanging lights as highlights. The aesthetics are warm, with stark touches of black and bison. With a lot of wood and metal, the space lies perfectly between marrying age old traditional values and a new age way of thinking to adapt the same.

Photography – Suryan and Dang 

Design Team – Amod Kasliwal / Dhwani Rathod 

Structural Consultant – Amod Kasliwal 

Client – The Works founded by Hardik and Harshal Jain 

Lighting Partners – Lafit Lights

Furniture – Cottons and Satins