Walk into the studio and the first thing you register is the precision. Aakash’s near-obsessive control over material behaviour, joinery, and alignment defines the entire collection. “If something aligns perfectly, completely level, that’s our sign of a perfect piece,” he says. That pursuit of alignment is visible across the portfolio. The Oscillo tables hold their circular forms with confidence, and the Āśaya meditation chair, made entirely without screws or nails, feels like a quiet piece of engineering disguised as sculpture. There is a certain serenity to Shadowline’s silhouettes, as if each form has been edited down until nothing unnecessary remains.

Shadowline’s cultural grounding is another of its strong points. Aakash’s references to Indian architectural memory appear as subtle qualities rather than overt motifs. The DC8 Lounge Chair channels the light-and-shadow depth of Hampi’s stone structures, while the Domus range abstracts the rhythm of Roman arches into a contemporary profile. Aakash explains, “What’s traditional to us and has been forgotten is now slowly coming back.” In a market where “Indian-inspired design” often defaults to surface-level motifs, this sensitivity feels refreshing.

But this clarity also brings inherent limitations. Shadowline’s devotion to clean silhouettes, chamfers, and shadow lines can sometimes make the pieces look similar to one another. A broader exploration of texture, colour, and mixed materials could bring more dynamism into the collection. Aakash acknowledges the tension between experimentation and precision, noting, “Designers work on principles like contrast, harmony, alignment. If something is out of place, it really irritates us.” This honesty explains the studio’s restraint, but also hints at why the work leans toward a controlled aesthetic rather than a playful one.