IN THE ZONE

The San Francisco live-work space of Indian studio Soft-Geometry provides the perfect place to work, rest and play

- ADRIAN MADLENER

For life and creative partners Palaash Chaudhary and Utharaa Zacharias, the force behind Soft-Geometry (who appeared in the USA 300 list in our August 2023 issue), a career-defining quest to infuse objects with 'softness' is as much a reflection of cross-cultural influence as it is place.

Splitting time between their native India and adoptive United States, the duo live and work in a converted 1920s warehouse in San Francisco's SoMa neighbourhood.

'The studio is part of our home, so we have to be soft with how we treat it,' says Zacharias. 'And our home is part of the studio, so we can't be too precious about it either. We have a photo by German artist Ole Witt of an Indian lawyer who set up his office on a scooter, and I think our space embodies that spirit. It's a reminder of how much you can do with a little.'

Because of this spatial dynamic, there's flexibility not only in experimenting with the shape and material properties of a new concept, but also in getting a sense of how these designs can be lived with. Having set up shop here two and half years ago, Chaudhary and Zacharias have developed collections such as the 'Elio' lamp and 'Donut' table.