Instagram story viewer> @browndotcollaborative> Posts

Brown Dot Collaborative | Spaces, Play, Well-being

@browndotcollaborative

1.7K

followers

971

following

Space design • Play • Mental Well-being
Multidisciplinary design studio | Crafting conscious, user-centric design for spaces, products and experiences

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

Some entrances aren’t built to impress — they’re built to slow.. you.. down..

This archway at Kalga Banaras was designed as a quiet moment of transition.

Like the narrow lanes of Varanasi,
that suddenly open into the vastness of the ghats,
the shift in the volume gently cues you to pause, before you arrive.

From movement to stillness.
And then - the mural reveals itself.
A soft unfolding. A sensory shift.

Ever felt this going through such thresholds?
Tell us your “pause” moment.

Kalga Banaras | Varanasi

Designed by: @browndotcollaborative × @tinyfarmlab
Design team: @aishwaryalakhani @hellorgvk
Cinematography: @browndotcollaborative

Photographs by: @wabi_sabi.studios

#neuroarchitecture #threshold #craftedinindia #designmatters #designdetails #retailinteriors #slowarchitecture #naturalbuilding #sensorydesign #handsculpted #mudarchitecture #tinyfarmlab #kalgabanaras #browndotcollaborative

[neuroarchitecture, architecture psychology, thresholds, entrance psychology, sensory design, designs details, earth architecture, natural building] taken in Varanasi, India by @browndotcollaborative

232

34

a year ago

Something shifted for us at Manotsava, last month — and it wasn’t just the traction or feedback..

It was the way everyone (mostly mental health practitioners, educators) engaged with our board game - built for adolescent mental health.

People who hold space for others every day sat down with this game and said “I wish something like this existed when I was younger too!”

That reminded us why we built Lurking in the Woods:
not because teens lack the ability to understand themselves;
but because they often lack accessible, practical tools that meet them where they are :)

Tools that don’t feel like a lecture.
Tools that don’t feel like “shoulds”.
Tools that don’t feel like heavy jargon.
Tools that let emotional regulation begin with something as simple and human as play.

The post gives you only a glimpse of what happened over the two days, but this is what stayed with us:
Even adults could feel how much a tool like this would have meant during their teenage years. And that kind of resonance says more than any metric ever could!

Thank you to the team of @manotsavaindia @rnp_foundation @cbmnimhans for this opportunity and for creating a beautiful space where such conversations around mental health could take shape. 🌻

Grateful for my A-team and co-facilitator on this project @indhuja_sundaramoorthy ♥️for carrying half the stall with her warm facilitation energy!

We are so so grateful for the overwhelming and validating response in these two days — beats all our other event experiences and playtests!

We’re refining the visual elements of our game now and mapping our preorder plan.

If you’re a mental health practitioner, educator, or parent, and would like to bring the game to your school, organisation or community,
DM us or comment “PLAY” and we’ll reach out :)

[mental health board game, Lurking in the Woods, play based learning, design for mental health, gamification, board games for mental health, anxiety regulation, anxiety, Manotsava, behaviour change, social innovation, product design] taken in Bangalore, India by @browndotcollaborative

58

17

10 months ago

We live in a culture that measures success by outcomes — grades, titles, productivity, optimisation.

In this reflective talk, the speaker begins with a simple yet powerful metaphor: the brain makes a sound — an “ooh.” It is that quiet spark of curiosity when something clicks, when unexpected ideas connect, when learning feels alive.

But what happens when we prioritise that spark over performance?
Instead of rushing toward polished results, we begin to value bthe in-between. The experimentation. The uncertainty. The work in progress.

Choosing becoming over arriving is not about lowering standards. It is about redefining growth. It is about recognising that adaptability, perspective, and meaningful insight emerge not from constant optimisation — but from sustained curiosity.
This is not just a message about learning.
It is a message about how we choose to live and lead.

At TEDx, ideas like these invite us to rethink what progress truly means — and who we become in the process.

#TEDxKnowledgeumAcademyYouth #IdeasWorthSpreading #GrowthMindset #Curiosity #Leadership #LearningCulture by @browndotcollaborative

96

8

6 months ago

A walkthrough of the living room from The Daily Slow.
The idea was to make the kitchen, dining, and living areas feel connected instead of visually separating—using continuity in materials, proportions, light, and detailing.

Part of ‘The Daily Slow’ - a 3BHK home in Mumbai.

Designed by @browndotcollaborative
Videography: @wabi_sabi.studios 💛

[ everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, living area, design inspiration, Mumbai home, living room design, mandir design, japandi, temple ideas, mandir ideas, pocket door for mandir, living room, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, dining table, minimal interiors, indian homes, how to style, decorate living room, indian interior design, the daily slow, explore page, brown dot collaborative ]

#homedesign #indianhomes #slowliving #explorepage #interiordesign taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

58

6

5 months ago

The living room feels larger not because anything was added, but because nothing breaks its flow anymore.

What was earlier fragmented is now held together by alignment, material continuity, and proportion—all while also prioritising natural light.

SWIPE ➡️ to see the transformation!

From the kitchen, dining through to the living area, the spaces flow into each other without breaks - both visually and in how they’re used.

Edges are softened, surfaces run uninterrupted, functions tuck into each other; the design language continues throughout and details subtly add some texture.

• • •

The Daily Slow is a multi-generational home shaped around living at a gentler pace — where spaces respond to people, their relationships, and their everyday rhythms. Designed through careful listening to the family’s routines, personalities, and moments that often go unnoticed, the home values emotional comfort over visual excess. Through space, light, and material restraint, it is imagined as a place that holds everyday life without urgency, allowing it to unfold slowly.

Project: The Daily Slow | Mumbai
Designed by: @browndotcollaborative
Photography: @wabi_sabi.studios

[everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, living room design, living room decor, design inspiration, Mumbai home, furniture design, tv unit, japandi, coffee table, Indian home, small spaces, bright spaces, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, the daily slow, explore page, brown dot collaborative]

#minimalinteriors #interiordesign #slowliving #explorepage #livingroominterior taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

82

9

5 months ago

There’s a certain pause built into how this is used.
Part of the larger living space, this wall conceals the mandir behind pocket doors—opening only when in use.
It reveals a customised backdrop of the family’s chosen Jain mantras and motifs.

Part of ‘The Daily Slow’ - a 3BHK home in Mumbai.

Designed by @browndotcollaborative
Videography: @wabi_sabi.studios 💛

[ everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, living area, design inspiration, Mumbai home, living room design, mandir design, japandi, temple ideas, mandir ideas, pocket door for mandir, living room, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, minimal interiors, indian homes, indian interior design, the daily slow, explore page, brown dot collaborative ]

#templedesign #interiordesign #slowliving #explorepage #mandirdesign taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

89

4

5 months ago

The other side of the living space — the TV unit on one end, storage on the other.

What reads as a continuous panelling conceals storage and a more personal layer for the family - a temple tucked behind pocket doors, opening up to a customised backdrop of a sacred mantra in Jainism paired with their choice of motifs.

(SWIPE➡️ to see the transition!)

Fluted veneer runs across, adding texture while elongating the height, and continues into a simple, horizontally expansive TV unit to visually widen the room.

In between these, the limewashed niches hold everyday objects, travel finds and keepsakes.

As the lights come on, the space shifts.. bringing warmth and drawing attention to this more personal layer.

• • •

The Daily Slow is a multi-generational home shaped around living at a gentler pace — where spaces respond to people, their relationships, and their everyday rhythms. Designed through careful listening to the family’s routines, personalities, and moments that often go unnoticed, the home values emotional comfort over visual excess. Through space, light, and material restraint, it is imagined as a place that holds everyday life without urgency, allowing it to unfold slowly.

Project: The Daily Slow | Mumbai
Designed by: @browndotcollaborative
Photography: @wabi_sabi.studios

[everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, mandir design, temple design, living room design, living room decor, design inspiration, Mumbai home, furniture design, tv unit, storage ideas, concealed storage, pocket doors, japandi, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, the daily slow, explore page, brown dot collaborative]

#minimalinteriors #interiordesign #slowliving #explorepage #livingroominterior taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

86

2

5 months ago

This living room is where the smaller parts of the day tend to come together.
A cup set down and forgotten for a bit, someone’s cooking, someone’s passing through and staying longer than they meant to—like conversations that don’t really have a start or end.

The space doesn’t try to organise any of it — it’s designed to make room for such everyday rituals to happen at their own pace, by keeping the design consistent not just visually, but physically.

The tiles underfoot have a stone texture to it, so the slowness is felt through tactility. The limewash finish on walls gives the space a lived-in feeling, and the oak keeps the overall tone warm without adding contrast.

Nothing shifts too much from one part of the space to another. The same lines, the same materials carry through the kitchen, dining and living spaces.

Sofas: @mass.interiors

• • •

The Daily Slow is a multi-generational home shaped around living at a gentler pace — where spaces respond to people, their relationships, and their everyday rhythms. Designed through careful listening to the family’s routines, personalities, and moments that often go unnoticed, the home values emotional comfort over visual excess. Through space, light, and material restraint, it is imagined as a place that holds everyday life without urgency, allowing it to unfold slowly.

Project: The Daily Slow | Mumbai
Designed by: @browndotcollaborative
Photography: @wabi_sabi.studios

[everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, living room design, living room decor, design inspiration, Mumbai home, furniture design, tv unit, japandi, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, the daily slow, explore page, brown dot collaborative]

#minimalinteriors #interiordesign #slowliving #explorepage #livingroominterior taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

182

6

5 months ago

A closer look at the opposite wall in the same transition space.

The wall detail draws from the idea of raked patterns, but translated into a vertical plane. The lines move across the wall and turn the corner, bringing a sense of movement whole still holding a certain stillness — almost like a gentle “nagare” moving through the space.

Paired with the black console and its contrasting legs, the composition stays balanced, with a touch of play and texture in details.

Swipe ➡️ to see the sketches and BTS!

• • •

The Daily Slow is a multi-generational home shaped around living at a gentler pace — where spaces respond to people, their relationships, and their everyday rhythms. Designed through careful listening to the family’s routines, personalities, and moments that often go unnoticed, the home values emotional comfort over visual excess. Through space, light, and material restraint, it is imagined as a place that holds everyday life without urgency, allowing it to unfold slowly.

Project: The Daily Slow | Mumbai
Designed by: @browndotcollaborative
Photography: @wabi_sabi.studios

[everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, living room design, living room decor, design inspiration, Mumbai home, japanese aesthetic, wall design, design details, nagare, japandi, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, the daily slow, brown dot collaborative]

#minimalinteriors #interiordesign #slowliving #designinspiration #livingroomideas taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

204

11

6 months ago

This in-between space connects the dining and living, holding the transition without breaking the flow.

The totem-like column comes from an existing beam that dropped into the space at an awkward point. Instead of concealing it, the idea was to work with it.. shaping it into something more intentional. The form was developed to sit within the larger language of the space, with variation along its height so it feels integrated rather than added.
Swipe ➡️ to see how!

Similarly, the wall detail is kept simple. A soft relief work with embedded riverstones brings in texture and rhythm, uniquely framing both the dining and living areas.

Parts of how this totem came together — from the site conditions to the making — are included in this post.
Swipe for more!

• • •

The Daily Slow is a multi-generational home shaped around living at a gentler pace — where spaces respond to people, their relationships, and their everyday rhythms. Designed through careful listening to the family’s routines, personalities, and moments that often go unnoticed, the home values emotional comfort over visual excess. Through space, light, and material restraint, it is imagined as a place that holds everyday life without urgency, allowing it to unfold slowly.

Project: The Daily Slow | Mumbai
Designed by: @browndotcollaborative
Photography: @wabi_sabi.studios

[everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, living room design, totem design, oak wood, handcrafted wood, design inspiration, Mumbai home, column design, japandi, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, the daily slow, brown dot collaborative]

#minimalinteriors #interiordesign #slowliving #designinspiration #livingroomdesign taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

335

6

6 months ago

This is how the kitchen and dining spaces were meant to work — designed to blend as one continuous space, both aesthetically and functionally, so that everyday movement feels like a natural flow.

Part of ‘The Daily Slow’ - a 3BHK home in Mumbai.

Designed by @browndotcollaborative
Videography: @wabi_sabi.studios 💛

Collaborators:
Kitchen: @thekitchenartisan
Dining light: @studioindigene
Limewash wall finish: @limocoat

[ everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, dining area, design inspiration, Mumbai home, kitchen design, backsplash ideas, japandi, japanese shoji screen, shoji style partition, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, minimal interiors, indian interior design, the daily slow, brown dot collaborative ]

#kitchendesign #interiordesign #slowliving #designinspiration #diningroomdesign taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

98

14

6 months ago

The dining space is held together by a soft, moulded arch on the wall - a subtle intervention that adds depth without turning into a feature.

Earlier, this corner felt dark and unresolved. (➡️SWIPE to see)
The approach was to bring in more light, clearer placement, and balance the proportions of a relatively compact, open setting. A continuous bench along the screen line helps accommodate seating without adding visual weight; allowing the table to remain generous yet unobtrusive.

While the palette remains restrained, moments of variation come through details — the limewash finish on walls by @limocoat, the whimsical form of the custom light by @studioindigene 🫶🏻, the table base and the printed fabric. Just enough to bring in play and texture, without distrusting the calm.

This dining space sits comfortably between the kitchen and living area, blending and reading as part of one continuous sequence.

Dining chairs: @mass.interiors

• • •

The Daily Slow is a multi-generational home shaped around living at a gentler pace — where spaces respond to people, their relationships, and their everyday rhythms. Designed through careful listening to the family’s routines, personalities, and moments that often go unnoticed, the home values emotional comfort over visual excess. Through space, light, and material restraint, it is imagined as a place that holds everyday life without urgency, allowing it to unfold slowly.

Project: The Daily Slow | Mumbai
Designed by: @browndotcollaborative
Photography: @wabi_sabi.studios

[everyday rituals, slow living, interior design, dining area design, dining table, kitchen, design inspiration, Mumbai home, sage green, limewash, lime plaster, japandi, residential interiors, apartment therapy, home design, the daily slow, brown dot collaborative]

#minimalinteriors #interiordesign #slowliving #designinspiration #diningroomdesign taken in Mumbai, Maharashtra by @browndotcollaborative

495

23

6 months ago