Work, Be Productive And Gawk At Art At This Charming House-Turned-Creative Hub

Chennai now has a new co-working space, in the form of The Grid, a 1970s house turned creative hub for artists and workers alike. Appreciate the art around while getting some good work done too.

Staying in LA and New York, with the creative and quirky co-living spaces there, coupled with innovative and fresh work environments, Justine de Penning, a performance artist and collector of visual art, opened The Grid. Going beyond just a creative co-working home, it’s a melting pot of ideas, where you can bring in a thought, and with the help of other like-minded folks, it’ll turn into something real, or at the very least develop and grow into being more than just a thought. Open to all kinds of people from diverse backgrounds, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever be bored when you’re at work. And the house itself only adds to the creative flow.  Constructed in the 1970s, it’s quite the paradox as The Grid was created to be a non-traditional work space, contrasting with the traditional, old world charm of the house. It has elements of old Madras houses seen in the extended car porch, outside staircase and the garden out front. It’s not about work here, it’s about doing what you love. Spread over two floors, it’s going take some time for you to start work because this space is dotted with the left of centre and the centre. Designed by illustrator and visual designer, Sameer Kulavoor, the attraction starts from the outside in the form of a mural on the exterior of the house – a celebration of collectivism, creativity and collaboration. Exactly what The Grid is all about.

All the art, work and decor have been done by artists, local and international. From a vintage typewriter hung on the wall, a quirky terrarium by artist Shaun D’Sa and the brick walls, to the specially designed furniture and a box-framed tarantula that glows purple in sunlight! {yes, that’s right}.

The Grid has tables taken from classrooms, and furniture made from salvaged wood reclaimed from old Tamil houses. Outside, in the verandah are slate table tops for the doodling kind, cane and metal furniture and a quiet, calm space to chill. Every single colour you can think of has been used here, and you can relax in their upper floor, which has a library, lounge and even doubles as a performance venue!

The Grid has around 35 to 40 feet of area to work, with two private rooms that can house around five people each. There are also large community tables outside, where groups can work. Plug points under each chair make sure that it’s you doing the interacting, not the wires. You have a regular supply of tea and coffee for free, upstairs. But downstairs, beverages are charged. Membership facilities are available and they entitle you to a lot of benefits, one being four-day passes, given to bring a non-member colleague for a day, free of charge. So go on, unleash those ideas, who knows, they might be the next big thing since The Big Bang Theory. Price: On request. Find out more about The Grid here.