HUT Design Challenge: Bespoke Drinks Cabinet by Studio Kalki

INTERVIEWED BY Steve Smith PHOTOS Jan Ras

Outlining the creative journey behind their unique design, Nikhil Tricam and Nindya Bucktowar of Studio Kalki share insights into their bespoke drinks cabinet created for the HUT X Always Welcome Design Challenge.

Launched at Cape Town Furniture Week 2024, the HUT x Always Welcome Design Challenge invited seven innovative designers to create limited-edition pieces using material reclaimed from the iconic Muizenberg Huts, which were undergoing refurbishment.

We chatted with Nikhil Tricam and Nindya Bucktowar of Studio Kalki and Kalki Ceramics to dive deeper into the inspiration, design processes, and challenges they faced while working on this exciting project.

What was the inspiration for your piece? And were there any aspects of the beach huts that inspired your design? 

Our intention was to incorporate the iconic beach hut profile into the door design motif, which also serves as the only element of colour on the piece. This creates an emphasis on the doors, which are made from the painted planks that clad the exterior of the huts. On a more conceptual level, the timber that formed the primary structure of the huts has now been exposed, unpainted, forming the main structure of the drinks cabinet. 

How would you describe your personal design aesthetic … and how have you incorporated that with the bold colours and history of the Muizenberg beach huts into this piece of furniture? 

As artists and makers, our personal design aesthetic draws heavily from the tactile nature of the materials we choose to use. The visual representation becomes secondary to the overall sensory experience, which emerges from interacting with the pieces. When we do incorporate patterns, such as those on our ceramic murals and furniture pieces, the shapes and forms are elemental rather than representative, allowing the viewer to form narratives of their own by filling in the spaces between perception and actuality, with their respective lived experiences. This is evident in the pattern represented on the doors. 

Do you feel you have preserved the story and character of the Muizenberg beach huts in your piece, while also ensuring the design remains sustainable and functional? If so, how? 

Yes! We have made use of only reclaimed and repurposed materials. The internal carcass is half an oil-drum – a homage to the legendary informal braai stand! 

Walk us through your design process when working with reclaimed materials, particularly those as unique and iconic as the wood from the huts? 

We identify the strengths of the materials, first, as a harmonious design is one that draws on the inherent properties of the materials rather than going against their nature. Once the ‘mode of working’ is settled on, or understood, the primary design is workshopped between us. Then, supplementary materials, hardware and fixings are sourced, all of which need to be complimentary to the initial brief and material set. These come together in an organic process, where changes are made as the piece emerges. 

What challenges did you anticipate when working with these specific materials, and how did you overcome them? 

We understood that the materials would be old, and therefore embedded with nails and stains. We leaned into this, allowing the textures and imperfections to reveal the story of the huts. 

What emotions or memories do you hope your piece will evoke in someone familiar with the huts? 

We really hope that the piece will allow people to share the joy that these huts brought to so many, by bringing the textures, forms and sunshine into their space! 

Visit the Exhibition

All the pieces from the HUT x Always Welcome Design Challenge are currently on display at Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral for several months and will be accessible to holiday goers, locals, press and creative communities alike.

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