This Surat-based studio is making toys that look straight out of Santa’s workshop

Remember when a game of carrom could get an entire family involved, with uncles taking their shots a little too seriously, cousins arguing over whose turn it was, and someone being accused of pocketing the queen before they were supposed to? At Shed, a multidisciplinary design studio in Surat, Gujarat, the humble carrom board has received quite the makeover. Featuring intricate marble inlay, hand-finished wooden frames, and elaborate illustrations, these boards look as though they belong in a collector’s home, although they are very much meant to be played with.

Today, between film cameras, vinyl records, and handwritten letters, there is a renewed appreciation for things that don’t require a charger or Wi-Fi connection. Shed, however, has been exploring the pleasures of making, playing, and living with objects long before the analogue revival became a talking point. Founded by Priyanka Shah in 2014, the studio began in the basement of her family’s factory and has since grown into a design practice spanning furniture, homeware, accessories, games, and toys.

Shah’s relationship with games goes back to her childhood. A former national-level chess player, she grew up in a home surrounded by traditional Indian games, including Navakankari and Kutchi Chaupar, which continue to inform SHED’s work today. The 34-year-old has also always enjoyed collecting toys and games wherever she travels. However, the idea of bringing play into design took shape around 2015, when Shah was working on an architectural proposal for a school playground in Surat. “Although the project was never built, it was then that I actually stumbled upon all these Indian board games, and I was fascinated by them. We proposed embedding those board games into the floor itself so kids could collect stones, rocks, and pebbles and start playing without really thinking about it. That idea has really stayed with me since,” she explains.

Take the Under-Sea carrom board inspired by Antiparos in Greece. Its playing surface resembles a miniature seabed, with corals, shells and sea flora arranged around the edges, leaving the centre open for play. Traditional Greek tile patterns decorate the corners, while blue inlay and beige outlines frame the Makrana stone. Even the coins carry tiny fish motifs, with a shell marking the queen.

The studio’s other carrom boards tell entirely different stories. The Courtyard carrom draws on the geometry of a south Indian home, with doorways, rooflines, and pillars mapped onto its surface. Presented at India Design ID in Mumbai in 2026, the Capiche carrom, made in collaboration with a Surat-based pizzeria, takes inspiration from a pizza kitchen. It depicts the choreography of pizza-making on black Kadapa stone with semi-precious stones and brass inlay. For those tempted to take one home, Shed’s more accessible carrom board starts at ₹1.45 lakh, while its custom designs start at ₹5.5 lakh and go up depending on the specifications.

With Diwali parties around the corner, these games would make a welcome and prettier alternative to yet another round of cards. Delhi’s teen patti enthusiasts might want to take note, especially those who have watched a friendly game spiral into something decidedly less so. Shed’s Great Property Pursuit offers its own take on Monopoly, with property details engraved into stone, cards printed on brass and copper, and a board inlaid with teak and rosewood. This would actually make you think twice before flipping the board when someone buys your favourite property.

Their Snakes and Ladders is no different, featuring precious-stone snakes, colourful ladders, and brass counters, while their mahjong set, housed in a teak and rosewood marquetry case with fitted velvet slots, makes for a rather lovely gift for that friend who has turned mahjong into a full-blown personality trait. While SHED also makes furniture and homeware, the games are where the studio’s playfulness really shines. Mahjong is currently its most requested game, followed by carrom and chess, with the latter often customised to suit individual tastes. The games start at ₹20,000, with prices varying depending on the design and materials. Shed’s game offerings also includes Scrabble, backgammon, Ludo, and traditional Indian games, alongside tactile puzzles such as the Tower of Brahma.

Carousels are another Shed speciality. The Bombay carousel, presented at the 2026 Homo Faber Biennale in Venice, turns Mumbai into a miniature rotating city, complete with fishing boats, street life, and its neo-Gothic skyline. With around 80 to 90 unique elements, it took a year to bring the piece to life, with around 20 craftspeople involved at different stages.

For Shah, the point is to keep design from becoming too serious an exercise. “I think the idea of play and how to infuse design and production with a sense of fun has always been something I’ve gone back to. I think we intellectualise design so much, especially because it’s in such a nascent stage and there’s so much discourse around it, especially today in India. But I’ve always had a sense of being rebellious about it. I don’t want to overthink it,” she reflects.