What you see – A tiny glimpse of art from across the world - that’s what you see here. F-Cube started 6-7 years ago and was probably way ahead of its time back then. Today, it has become something of a cult. The charming young Sardarji, Capt. Hameer S Madan, who runs the store will tell you with a satisfied smile that F-Cube clicked with Puneites because of good luck and right strategy.

And what was the right strategy, you ask? He says that in an era where similar sellers were stocking up inventories and paying heavily for rent, he chose a different route. He first bought real estate, two floors of it totaling around 2,000 square feet in the plush Aundh area, and then opened up his shop for items. In the beginning, he allowed artisans to display their consignments at his store for a small deposit, and charged a margin when the goods actually got sold. Slowly, the store started doing business and only then did he start stocking up his own inventories. He recounts tales of others who went the first way and were stuck with inventories of around Rs. 2 crore!

Anyway, whatever the strategy, the shop seems to have come a long way since then. Today, the Sardarji, makes trips to parts of the Far East like Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and China, and personally chooses the stuff that he wants to bring back here. Although he says that in his own home you would only find wood, he stocks other non-wood items here, keeping popular tastes in mind.

By the way, do you want to know what F-Cube really stands for? Flooring, furnishing and finishing…although the word flooring might be replaced by the word fashion some time soon.

What you get – A palette of art is what you get here. According to the Captain, 60 to 70 per cent of the inventory is from Rajasthan. Another 10 to 20 per cent is from China, Vietnam and Thailand. Fabric is from Kerala and ceramic is from Pondicherry. Brass works are from Moradabad. But what does he stock up on, actually? Art work that serves as fantastic gift item or souvenir. Broadly, you can get any of the following stuff here: Artifacts, soft furnishing, small furniture, customized framing, costume silver jewelry and other art work. We also saw brass figures, Rajasthani wooden furniture with inlays of brass and other metal, marble pieces with Meena work, cushions etc.

Our verdict – They say that you can’t put a price to art, and that you just pay for the appeal. Yet, the pricing for all the arty stuff here is not very high. What you pay here is the price for the cost of the material, the labor charges, and a fixed seller’s margin. No extra charges for delivery or gift wrapping. By the way, the store also gives opportunities to housewives who wish to get their creations sold here. However, be warned that it has to meet the requirements of the Captain with the critical eye. So whether you wish to buy or try your hand at selling, make sure you drop in at F-Cube.

Anytime between – 10.30 AM - 8.30 PM (Closed on Mondays)