Studio
A Day in AALAY Bengaluru
A photo and field note from our Indiranagar studio — where the morning light is best, the printer runs quiet, and the tea is always on.
By The AALAY Editorial Desk · 30/10/2025 · 4 min read
07:30 — Studio opens
We open the studio at half-past seven. The first job is to check the printers that have been running overnight. A long print — usually a chandelier tier or a wall sculpture — has been building itself in the dark. We let it cool. We do not touch it.
09:00 — Print review
The studio sits down to review the day's queue. What is printing, what is finishing, what is shipping. We have a small whiteboard with a hand-drawn Gantt chart. We do not use project management software. The work is too slow for that.
11:00 — Hand-finishing
The hand-finishing bench is the heart of the studio. Sanding, polishing, threading cord, fitting brass. Two of our makers have been with us since the studio opened in 2023. Their hands are a kind of measurement tool.
14:00 — Lunch
We eat together. Usually rice, dal, a vegetable. The studio cook makes sambar on Wednesdays. We talk about the work. We talk about other things. We close the dining room at 15:00.
16:00 — Studio appointments
We host 2-3 studio appointments a week. Interior designers, hospitality buyers, occasional press. We show them the print bed. We let them touch the unfinished objects. We talk about how the objects will live in their projects.
19:00 — Studio closes
The studio closes. The printers keep going. We say goodnight to the print bed. We will see it in the morning.
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