Drool-worthy design takes on the traditional Carrom board

Bhutan Carrom Board - Shed Studio, India

Carrom boards are one of India’s most iconic traditional games, woven into childhood memories, family gatherings and often times of a slower pace of life. What’s been especially exciting to see recently is how designers are re-imagining this familiar object through a lens of beauty, craftsmanship and contemporary living.

By blending the playful spirit of the game with Indian patterns, storytelling and materiality, these re-designed boards move far beyond nostalgia. They become functional art pieces, equally at home in a design-led interior as they are at the centre of a game night.

A couple of beautifully considered examples that have popped up on my feed recently are worth sharing.

The Kirwani Carrom Board by Shed Studio

Design studio Shed released the Kirwani Carrom Board, a striking piece crafted with marble inlay and miniature-painting-inspired motifs drawn from the natural world. Designer Priyanka Shah reimagines the carrom board’s traditional markings with delicate vines and exquisitely detailed elephants, peacocks, tigers and cheetahs framing the board.

The result feels both timeless and elevated, a celebration of Indian artistry translated into a contemporary object that doesn’t dilute its cultural roots.

Take a look at some of the other stunning products from Shed Studio here.

Kirwani Carrom Board - Shed Studio, India

Kirwani Carrom Board - Shed Studio, India

Carrom City Club by Faraz Warsi

Designer and creative director Faraz Warsi, a self-confessed carrom enthusiast, founded Carrom City Club as a personal passion project re-creating the carrom board through his own modern, design-led perspective.

This version goes beyond being a game. With the option of legs and an acrylic cover, the board transforms into a coffee table, blurring the lines between furniture, play and craftsmanship. It’s a thoughtful reminder that culturally rooted objects don’t need to be hidden away, they can take centre stage in modern homes.

In addition to the Heritage Board, designers Bhavesh and Reena Mistry of Humble Raja also have created a board with their signature style illustrations.

You can learn more about the Kickstarter project here.

Carrom City Heritage Board

Carrom City Heritage Board

Humble Raja Carrom Board

What I love about both of these examples is how they honour tradition without freezing it in time. They show how South Asian design heritage can evolve, not by stripping away detail, but by refining it, re-contextualising it and allowing it to live comfortably within contemporary spaces.

For Rice & Bangles, this is exactly the kind of design storytelling that excites me: culture-rich, intentional and unapologetically beautiful.