We live in an era where art is no longer confined to museums, and design is understood beyond the realms of fashion. Today, detail and precision are assessed in terms of structure, form, and sometimes, esoteric silhouettes. Art lives everywhere, and few artists embody that idea like Ashiesh Shah.
Redefining architecture and interior design for over a decade, the Ashiesh Shah Atelier has been associated with some of the most creative projects across hospitality, residences, and design – Neuma, Sequel, Joshi House, Raw Mango Colaba store, and Masque, to name a few.
“I’ve always been drawn to spaces and how they make you feel,” he shares, reflecting on the journey that started in 2017 and has led him to become one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Indian design.
Shah’s passion for design took shape during his time at Parsons School of Design in New York, a city that would shape his sensibility in lasting ways. “That city opened my eyes to how design can shape experience. When I came back to India, I started working across various typologies—residences, retail, and galleries. But hospitality, and especially restaurants, became fascinating because they’re living spaces. They’re about people, rituals, food, culture, and everything I care about as a designer. You get to choreograph an experience from start to finish.”
This deep connection to spatial storytelling is precisely what has shaped Shah’s distinct vision and perspective in the design space. This year, Shah debuted at Paris Design Week with Soft Power. This collection celebrated Indian craftsmanship through some of the most exquisite furniture and decor pieces like the Otla Sofa, Naga Bench, and Dhoop Table. Shortly after, he turned heads again—this time back home—with Paradox, an art deco-inspired bar that’s quickly become Mumbai’s hottest spot. Think checkered floors that ground the chaos, hand-embroidered panels bleeding into deep green leather, gloss and matte textures applied with jeweler’s precision. Forest green and sapphire command the palette.
For Shah, spaces are composed, much like a film set or a novel. Especially in the hospitality realm, they become vessels for emotion and story. He sees them as “cinematic environments,” where every corner serves a purpose beyond function.
“There has to be a narrative, something that ties every material, artwork, or corner into a story. It’s not about just being photogenic; it’s about being emotionally resonant,” he says. That resonance is what stays with people long after they’ve left the space.
Whether the brief calls for nostalgia, excitement, or comfort, Shah believes design must always deliver emotional depth.
This philosophy isn’t limited to his professional work. It extends into his personal space, too. Shah’s home is a reflection of his journey: a quiet, layered testament to time, memory, and craft. “My home is a very personal reflection of my journey, filled with objects I’ve collected over time, pieces by artists I admire, and always a strong presence of craft,” he shares.
It’s a place that embraces imperfection. “I don’t believe in perfection—wabi-sabi is very close to my heart. There’s beauty in the lived-in and in things that age well.” For Shah, design is not just visual, it’s emotional, textural, and deeply human.
Among the many spaces Shah works within, restaurants remain uniquely demanding and rewarding as well. Designing them involves orchestrating mood, movement, and meaning with meticulous care.
“Restaurants have to balance form and function in a very intense way,” he explains. From lighting that evolves throughout the day to acoustics that can shape conversation, every detail matters. “You have to think like a director and not just like a designer.”
He also immerses himself in the story behind the food, translating it into the very materials and visual language of the space. If a restaurant serves coastal cuisine, for instance, he might draw on shell textures or oceanic hues,not as a theme, but as a feeling. “It’s about translating the essence, not being literal,” he explains.
Nowhere is this narrative-led, emotive approach more apparent than in Paradox, Shah’s latest project in Mumbai. Deeply influenced by the Art Deco architecture he grew up with, the restaurant is a tribute to duality—“old and new, past and future,” as Shah puts it. A space that honours the past while feeling unmistakably contemporary.
Inside, curved glass vitrines conjure the elegance of vintage cinemas, while a floating alabaster egg sculpture “suspends belief a little,” inviting curiosity and pause. An octagonal window behind the bar turns people-watching into a kind of quiet spectacle, blurring the line between guest and observer.
When guests step into Paradox, Shah hopes for more than just admiration. “I want them to feel a sense of wonder, like they’ve entered another world but still feel strangely at home.” Every detail, from texture to colour, is meant to guide that emotional journey, revealing itself slowly with time.
As 2025 continues, Shah is already immersed in his next wave of projects—intimate, tactile hospitality spaces shaped by close collaborations with chefs, artists, and craftsmen. Each one, he says, is a new opportunity to tell a story, spark a feeling, and shape a world.
And if there’s one thread that runs through all of Shah’s work, it’s the ability to remind people to not just to look, but to linger, to remember, and to return.
