Spacewood wins big for transforming kitchen retail with its Bengaluru store concept,
winning top honours at the IKC Awards 2025.
Shradha Dhone, an architect with a Ph.D. in product design, has been pivotal in Spacewood’s transformation. Over the past decade, she has led the company’s shift from a furniture component maker to a design-led brand in India’s modular kitchen industry. Her ideas have helped shape Spacewood’s identity and its award-winning retail formats, proving how the brand is truly transforming kitchen retail experiences.
Spacewood’s most significant win came at the India Kitchen Congress Awards 2025,
where its Bengaluru store was awarded the Kitchen Store Design Award 2025 (above
1000 sft). This flagship retail format, designed under Dhone’s leadership, redefined the
customer experience and set a new benchmark for the industry.
Founded in 1994 by Kirit Joshi and Vivek Deshpande, Spacewood began as a component
manufacturer. Today, it is recognised for its strong design and manufacturing
capabilities. The company’s ability to blend design innovation with production expertise,
particularly in membrane finishes, has distinguished it in India. This integrated approach
also helped Spacewood secure two more gold awards: the Kitchen Design Award 2025 –
Completed (Modern) and the Kitchen Store Design Award 2025 (up to 1000 sft).
The celebrated Bengaluru store addresses critical customer pain points such as limited
functionality, confusion, and outdated displays. Dhone and her team created a
showroom divided into three zones:
Functional Zone: 400 sft area showcasing hardware, ergonomics, cabinet types, and
live demos.
Aesthetic Zone: Dedicated to finishes and styles—membrane, PU, aluminium—giving
customers tactile design choices.
Phygital Zone: A hybrid of physical and digital elements that helps customers visualise
their dream kitchens.
Watch Shradha’s 12-min prescription for transforming kitchen retail here:
This format fosters richer customer interactions, provides clarity for designers, and
ensures brand consistency across Spacewood’s 35+ stores nationwide.
Preparing for the IKC Awards required rigorous detailing—sketches, concepts, 3D
visuals, technical drawings, and spatial metrics. “You don’t just present a concept; you
prove its impact,” says Dhone. Their submissions, inspired by deconstructivism and
minimalism, demonstrated how transforming kitchen retail became an aspiration at
Spacewood and enabled it to set new benchmarks in design and brand building.
Dhone believes the IKC Awards are not just about recognition, but about creating a
culture of design excellence. “It’s a unique platform where brands, designers, and
thought leaders come together,” she explains. “The interaction, competition, and
visibility all contribute to brand building and industry growth.”
Her advice to peers: treat platforms like IKC seriously. Winning is valuable, but equally
important is showcasing your brand, building credibility, and elevating the standards of
modular kitchen design in India.
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