T H E C A R D A M O M C L U B
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Located in the heart of Kuwait City’s business district, surrounded by ministries and office buildings, The Cardamom Club serves contemporary North Indian cuisine designed to satisfy both heart, soul, and stomach. Inspired by Rajastan’s highlights, such as Jaipur (aka the Pink City), The Cardamom Club is lush and inspiring in every sense. From the moment you enter it is clear that every inch of the place has been thought of and cared for.
The interiors were designed by Lab100 design studio in Kuwait, and they captured the essence of North India perfectly, offering up the most luxurious setting in which to enjoy the creations of the talented young chef. The interiors are a contemporary expression of traditional India where luxury and nostalgia find themselves perfectly married, just like The Cardamom Club’s take on North Indian cuisine. A gorgeous, glittering crystal chandelier captures attention, and large posters of our collages grace the walls.
The name “The Cardamom Club” refers to an imaginary, exclusive membership-only club that delivers a monthly supply of spices to your doorstep in a beautifully designed wooden box. Now, The Cardamom Club has become a space where the eponymous spice forms a key role in cooking great North Indian food.
From the moment we began working on this project, we felt incredibly inspired. We have a deep connection to and love for Indian culture, design, fashion, and of course, the food. In this project we managed to draw from our previous trips to India, collected items, and much more. We also were able to put into practice handmade elements and techniques that we love to use.
Our main motifs came from traditional, old Indian posters, newspapers, and matchboxes. We drew inspiration and actual elements from these items, using scans, then individually cutting and re-scanning the illustrations we loved, and remaking them into our own surreal collages. With our collages we created fictional compositions and surreal landscapes, which eventually found their way to the walls of the restaurant among other printed materials.
The logo was inspired by the cardamom plant, and was combined with hands in symbolic Indian poses. In Indian culture, hands are very important. They eat with their right hand, and a lot of attention and emphasis is placed on them in traditional dances (which are so expressive they can be better be likened to theatre pieces).
We always fall in love with seeing our designs incorporated into every aspect of a brand. One of the details we love most is seeing the logo we designed embroidered onto the dark red kaftan the waiters wear. We also love seeing the mixture of the collages and the cardamom patterns printed onto the menu pages and take away items.
Ph photography by Kulsum Kunwa
Ad art direction by Eszter Laki
Gr graphic design Eszter Laki & Réka Imre
Co collages by our intern Louise Mano
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