Meet Shivangi Vasudeva | Furniture Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shivangi Vasudeva and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shivangi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly, I didn’t start with a business plan or a grand blueprint. It began more as a quiet curiosity – a fascination with the textures of cloth, the weight of wood, and the stories of craft traditions in India. My family has been in the textile business for three generations, so the language of craft and making was always around me.

The idea of starting something on my own came from a slow accumulation of questions — Why are so many crafts still considered ‘basic commodities’? Why do so many extraordinary artisans remain invisible? And how could I create something that bridges cultures, materials, and markets while staying rooted in care and collaboration?

It took shape during my MA in Furniture Design at Central Saint Martins. Working with women weavers in Nagaland, I saw first-hand how layered and powerful indigenous knowledge is, and how delicate the responsibility of reinterpreting it can be. Starting my own studio felt like the only way to hold space for that complexity, to create without compromise, to collaborate on my own terms, and to ensure that the story of making isn’t flattened by just aesthetics or market trends.
I didn’t intend to start my practice so quickly but with my very first show in London, I realised there was no waiting. The work was already out there, speaking for itself. So it wasn’t born out of a business dream. It was more like a series of quiet decisions, led by gut, grounded in research, and fuelled by a very stubborn kind of hope.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work sits between furniture and sculpture, often balancing unexpected volumes with soft, woven textiles. The pieces might look monolithic at first, chunky, grounded, full of presence. but what tends to surprise people is how easily they come apart. Most can be disassembled with just a few Allen keys. The pieces often begin with a memory, myth, or a tradition – like loin loom weaving which evolve into contemporary forms. Sculptural yet tactile, rooted in craft yet built for today’s spaces, I like to think of them as soft-spoken objects: they don’t shout, but they hold presence.

Getting to this point wasn’t easy, especially navigating the emotional and logistical distance between where I design and where the work is produced. There were language barriers, production delays, and moments I wasn’t sure the pieces would even get finished, let alone shown in London. But every challenge added depth. I learned to trust slow processes, stay flexible without losing clarity, and protect the integrity of the work even when it would’ve been easier to just make it work.

I’m proud to have shown at Future Heritage in London, been invited to India Design ID, India Art Fair, and received a few other quiet nods along the way. But more than that, I’m proud the work speaks for itself and carries the hands and stories of many. I see myself less as a designer and more as a custodian of that shared story.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If we are talking about my best friend , I’d be showing her the kind of London I’ve grown to love, and we’d probably end up at Jamboree in King’s Cross one evening. It’s this tiny, unassuming bar tucked behind the main street, but on Thursdays it transforms into a fun Lindy Hop jazz night. Think 1900s swing, people in suspenders and red lipstick, dancing like they’ve time-travelled. I go whenever I can. The energy is so raw and joyful, and it feels like one of those rare places that hasn’t been overly curated. It’s weird, wonderful, and always a little unexpected.

For food, I’d keep it simple and satisfying. Eat Tokyo is where I go when I want something comforting and no-fuss – their sushi and bento feel genuinely homey. And , Buns From Home is one of my favourite stops. Their buttery, rolled buns with the most indulgent fillings — cardamom, pistachio, tiramisu are perfect for a slow morning or a spontaneous treat on a walk.

And for inspiration, I’d take them to the Barbican Conservatory or Kew Gardens in Richmond. I love the Barbican’s architecture, and I have this ongoing, borderline obsessive love for plants and landscaping. These places give you space to think and feel like gentle interruptions in the rush of the city. And when I need a creative run-through, Tate Modern and V&A are my forever favourites, I always leave with at least one new idea quietly forming.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely the women weavers I’ve worked with and in general the artisans like them across India who’ve held onto their craft like an inheritance, even when it brought little recognition or return. Their quiet persistence – choosing to continue weaving, carving, stitching , often without knowing if it would lead anywhere, has shaped how I understand value. It’s not just about what something sells for, but what it stands for.

And of course, Corinne Julius, the curator who gave me my first real platform – Future Heritage at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in London. That show flipped a switch for me – it turned an emerging idea into something with real momentum. Sometimes you just need one person to say, “this matters.”

There are many more – friends who helped sand furniture late into the night, family who showed up without being asked, tutors who nudged me to trust my voice when I was still figuring it out. I didn’t get here alone, and I’m not interested in doing this alone either.

Website: https://www.shivangivasudeva.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivangivasudeva_/

Other: Shop here – https://thehouseofthings.com/mura-ottoman-by-shivangi-vasudeva.html?srsltid=AfmBOoodZu60un4323MoFKUAM7rVaKwf1PPVN3H7ZoGMFHwXzcAr-5Ut

Image Credits
Sumanyu Vasudeva
Ritik Pawar