Rod Anker Salons: Meherchand Spread across two floors, Rod Anker Salon located at Meherchand, Delhi has a fairly neat layout. The young team at STUDIO WOOD has let their creativity flow in and given the conventional salon layout an unconventional outlook. The length of the unit gives an open and clean feel as the numbers of accents are kept to an absolute minimum. The space is kept organized and not crowded with seats, revealing minimalism on the verge of austerity.

Shades of white cover the walls and ceilings; the language being bare and untouched. Restrained colors and predominance of white creates an atmosphere of peace and ease. Interior includes the utter minimum of materials – polished concrete floor, white plastered wall, white leather seats with a brushed steel base and solid pine wood shelves. There is nothing unnecessary and yet the space is harmonious and not boring in any way.

The designers have carefully studied the procedures of a beauty salon and then designed and crafted all the furniture specifically for this project. The starkness of the jet black staircase and the bright yellow sofa against this nude palette enthralls the space with a little drama that it demands. The entire space is a result of mere abstraction, keeping the geometry of objects simple and unpretentious while evolving the Rod Anker Salon’s design philosophy and completing the look. Every single detail of the salon experiences a subtle spatial presence, accentuating the abstraction and scalelessness of the ephemeral, monochromatic environment in a playful and poetical way.

Following the similar vocabulary, the second salon is designed in Noida and is relatable to the aesthetic philosophy of the brand. What makes it different from the former is the pink floor that derails the replication of the interiors adding a whole new dimension. The light wood accents found in furniture and railings, binds the space together into an uber-chic salon.

Even with distinct locations, the material palette and elements remained mutual albeit with varied flooring finishes; yet characterizing uniqueness and eccentricity of its own!

With a keen eye for detail in an overall nude and minimalist setting, we worked hard to design more and do less. The pristine white interiors and bareness of the space became the accent itself. Adorned with polished concrete floor monotone accents of yellow and pink respectively, the space evokes a sense of calmness and serenity. The challenge was to retrofit all services keeping without compromising on the simplicity of the design vocabulary’’, are the designer’s own words while unfolding the design process of the salon.

STUDIO WOOD- Something Old, Something New Founded in August 2014 by Vrinda Mathur, Navya Aggarwal and Sahej Bhatia, an interesting mix of design enthusiasts from different backgrounds STUDIO WOOD is a design hub housing everything design: from conceptualization to the execution of comprehensive products and spaces- all under one roof. Born out of an opportunity, some old pieces of furniture and a streak of creative energy, STUDIO WOOD designs revolutionary furniture and spaces for the young (at heart) and the restless. From experimenting with varied material palettes and techniques, to creating the most effective, functional and clean furniture pieces and breathing new life into old pieces, this design studio looking to transcend perspectives. They aim to metamorphose the perception of the Indian furniture design market and believe in designing ‘furniture not based on where it fits, but whom it fits for.’ Studio Wood has itself grown and shown the potential of being one of the best.

MORE ABOUT THE TEAM: Vrinda Mathur: A graduate in Accessory Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Vrinda Mathur holds a holistic approach in space design with a special knack for grids and aesthetics. After a year of working in the lighting design sector with Swarovski Elements, she swiftly transitioned into the realm of furniture design owing to the furniture manufacturing facility run by her parents. As a beginner at the furniture workshop she studied and understood the discipline through a hands on approach with crafts folk. Amidst all the dusty wooden samples and pieces, she saw an opportunity in re-imagining the pieces to create brand new furniture. Navya Aggarwal: Earning her Bachelors degree in design from National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, she believes that design cannot be learnt through books but is an aesthetic application of experiences. Trained with organizations involving space design, she has successfully learned to integrate products in the area of space. This start-up has equipped her to gain insight, knowledge and hands on experience with a real time work environment. Being involved in every process right from conceptualization to execution has helped her understand real-world constraints such as time, cost, and technical feasibility. With this diverse outlook towards design, she delivers work inspired by travel and cultural influences. Alongside design, she puts her love for numbers to use and contributes in business development at the firm. Sahej Bhatia: After completing graduation from U.S.A.P, New Delhi to working with a renowned firm in the architectural profession and to finally giving birth to Studio wood with his fellow partners Navya and Vrinda. Sahejs aim is to be able to absorb the tools required in accessing the subject matter and accordingly be able to design without prejudice an end product which truly reflects its context and culture. His analytical thought process focuses on challenging conventional ways of practicing the profession through action, engagement combining iteration and interaction. In todays world of innovation and radical thinking, architecture and design has opened up to even more interpretations and connotations. In this rapidly changing notion of design Sahej aptly describes himself as one of the agents of change. REVOLUTIONARY FURNISHING Collection 1.0 | AUG 2014 #SWC GARAGE SALE, The Brewhouse, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi We launched the concept of Re-Love with our first ever exhibition in August 2014. With limited resources to our disposal we used old pieces of furniture to our benefit. reimagine vintage furniture pieces into new forms for their clients. Seeing a popular trend in the market of people not wanting to part with their age old furniture pieces, we conceptualized the deconstruction and reconstruction of such furniture and transformed them into something completely else, for instance, lights out of old chair legs, poufs out of drawers, shelves out of tables and much more. Collection 2.0 | MAY 2015 28 North 77 East, The Stainless, Okhla, New Delhi An ode to the city weave lived, cherished and embarked upon our design journeys in, our second collection was a one of its kind curated platform depicting the different trends, moods and styles of the city. From furniture made in solid teak to walnut and oak, we designed three spaces, namely, 24, Teak Avenue, 10 Walnut Lane and 8 Oak Street. Each furniture piece was set in creatively styled spaces complete with lighting, art, soft accessories and content. In the past year and a half, Studio Wood has taken up a myriad of projects in the field of furniture, interior, spatial design and installations. Some of our clients include; technology based app- Truly Madly, AirBnb, XS Productions, Rod Anker Salons, Hemant & Nandita, Urvashi Kaur, Freeze-up and more. Collection 3.0 | FEB 2016 UNTITLED Disconnected by space, yet connected by thought, Studio Woods collection 3.0 will be featuring a set of transitional pieces, which aim to blur the boundaries between art and design. The collective through its diverse design styles and skill sets will be presenting still life arrangements and graphic frameworks executed by a collision of contrasting materials through their furniture pieces. These straightforward compositions aim to recreate your space into a soulful retreat, oblivious to the chaos on the outside. Product categories include- chairs, consoles, accent tables, coffee tables, lighting and accessories. Material Story- Wood, Metal, Glass, Resin, Fabric, Ink, Copper and ceramics.