Sussanne Khan unveils her flagship interior store The Charcoal Project in Hyderabad, in collaboration with Gauri Khan.
| Photo Credit: Siddhant Thakur
A day before the formal launch of The Charcoal Project (TCP) in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Sussanne Khan and her team are adding the final touches to the space. Spread over six floors, it marks Sussanne’s foray into Hyderabad’s interior design scene, 14 years after founding TCP in Mumbai. One floor features concept spaces and product lines by Gauri Khan Designs.
Sussanne’s excitement, tinged with a hint of nervousness, is evident as she settles in for an interview on the fifth floor, aptly named Barnhouse. Each level tells a distinct design story — but more on that later.
Her entry into Hyderabad has been two years in the making. “My partners — Karan Bajaj, Nafiz, and Rishab — approached me with the idea. They have high-end product lines in the audio-visual space, specialising in home theatres, automation systems, and kitchens (Audio & Beyond, Hacker, and Easy Kitchens). TCP integrates interiors with lighting, audio-visual, and technology-driven solutions,” she explains.
Memories of Hyderabad
Design runs in her DNA. Sussanne Khan founded The Charcoal Project in Mumbai in 2011, armed with an associate art degree in interior design from Brooks College, Long Beach, California, and invaluable hands-on experience working alongside her mother, Zarine Khan. “My mother was an interior designer for nearly 35 years,” Sussanne recalls. As a child, she often accompanied her mother on site visits to Hyderabad. “I must have been five or six at the time. She designed a few properties here, and I was mesmerised by the colours.”
The six-floor store has thematic display of interior concepts and product lines
| Photo Credit:
Siddhant Thakur
However, after establishing her own interior design business, Sussanne rarely visited Hyderabad — until two years ago, when she was approached with this project. Frequent trips to the city followed, where she studied corporate, residential, and commercial spaces, along with the local design landscape. “Hyderabad is a progressive city, and I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the people. There’s a distinct flair for luxury here. I felt it was the perfect market for my design aesthetic — quiet luxury with a fun vibe.”
Sussanne reveals that all the curated furniture and accessories at TCP Hyderabad have been designed in India. “Some of the embroidery and prints in the furnishings are inspired by birds, animals, and fruits from the Konkan coast, with motifs influenced by other regions as well. We’ve also designed a furniture collection inspired by tree branches, using metal and electroplated fibre to make it suitable for tropical climates. I think this line will resonate with Hyderabad’s spacious homes and lush gardens,” she says, describing her preference for fluid, organic shapes over sharp edges.
Ample natural light floods the interiors, a design choice Sussanne credits to architect Rajiv Palshikhar and head designer Osama Patel. “We have an incredible design team, touchwood,” she says, attributing their creative edge to a keen eye on global trends and travel-inspired influences. She also shares a personal connection with her team, whom she fondly calls her ‘charcoal gladiators’. “Some of the carpenters and painters who worked with my mother now work with me — the next generation carrying forward the legacy.”
Thematic presentations
One floor showcases products and concepts by Gauri Khan Designs
| Photo Credit:
Siddhant Thakur
While the Mumbai store, originally spread over two floors, downsized during the pandemic by leasing one floor to a retailer, the six-floor Hyderabad store provided a fresh canvas. Sussanne and her team designed each level with a distinct ethos — one dedicated to accessories, another showcasing kitchen and living area concepts, a third focussed on bedrooms and children’s play areas, and another integrating audio-visual and lighting systems. Some of the artworks are sourced from India, while others hail from Palm Springs, California.
Speaking about her collaboration with long-time friend Gauri Khan, Sussanne says, “I admire her sensibility and design aesthetic. We complement each other, and her designs offer customers a diverse range. She’s equally excited about entering this new territory.”
On a parting note, when asked about the inspiration behind The Charcoal Project, she laughs and explains, “Every site I visit is grey and dark, like charcoal. When I ignite it with my energy and creative ideas, it lights up. That’s how the name came to be.”
Published – February 27, 2025 04:37 pm IST
