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Furniture getting sleeker
The concept of readymade furniture has caught the imagination of the people in a big way. Sleek designs, bright colours and maintenance-free products have edged out the decades-old fascination for intricately carved wooden furniture. Wood, which was synonymous with furniture not long ago, is now only of the numerous products used in making furniture.
The heavy and compact furniture of yesteryears, which was much sought after for its quality, is no longer in demand. The problem of carrying old cots and tables `as they are', with little or no scope for knocking them down and re-assembling and the difficulty involved in squeezing them through narrow staircases and aisles in apartment and multi-storeyed complexes, are the main reasons for people doing away with them.
Gone are the days of hiring a carpenter to furnish one's home. In this computer age, people neither have the inclination nor the time to decorate their homes with customised furniture. The modern readymade furniture, especially the imported brands, can be conveniently dismantled and packed in boxes and re-assembled. This feature facilitates their movement into high-rise buildings without the danger of getting damaged. The buyers are no longer looking for the longevity of their furniture. On the contrary, the trends keep changing frequently, and those who can afford to go for new ones dispose of their old furniture. The readymade furniture offers a wide range of choice to customers.
In the past, people had to show a picture or give a design to the carpenter to make furniture in accordance with their tastes. The carpenter may not grasp what his customer has in mind and finally the product may not be to the latter's liking. The readymade furniture eliminates this risk.
Says the director of Truzo, Rajeev Agarwal, "Exclusivity and innovativeness are the hallmarks of our furniture. Customer can rest assured that he will not find a piece, similar to the one he has purchased from us, in any other household. We import the furniture from Malaysia, Spain, South East Asian countries and Europe. Our products are sourced from international brands and are matchless in quality."
"International styling, quality and better finishing are the advantages one can expect when going for imported furniture," says the proprietor of Sauder, Manav Morada. His company imports furniture from the US. "Our prices are comparatively cheap and quality is incomparable," he claims.
Contemporary design is the in-thing today. People prefer functional, sleek and maintenance-free furniture concepts, says the proprietor of Etcetra, Govind. With the latest development in materials, people are going for fibre, poly urethrane, acrylic-based, aluminium and stainless steel products and not necessarily wood for their furniture.
The main criterion of interior designing is the availability of space, taste and requirements of the client, says Govind who has designed the interiors for a few corporate and individual households in the metro.
"People are seeking furniture which requires minimum maintenance, besides being aesthetically appealing," he says.
"A combination of glass, steel and polished veneer is being increasingly used in furniture, of late. The designs and trends, however, keep changing with time and tastes of the people. One need not be surprised if wooden furniture with intricate carvings stages a comeback," says the proprietor of the Eastern Art Museum, Prem Mirpuri.
Photos: K.R. Deepak
"We suggest the use of readymade furniture where there are space constraints, like in homes and customised furniture for offices. Plywood is the most durable material and steel furniture, though strong, is not recommended in places like Visakhapatnam," says the interior designer, Ameet Mirpuri, of Design Studio.
"The cut-throat competition among furniture dealers has resulted in a decline in the quality of products. Some unscrupulous dealers are using poor quality material and selling the products at cheap rates. Though consumers think that they gain on the price front, they ignore the fact that they are losing out on quality," says the proprietor of Comfort Shoppe, Vishnu Vardhan.
The increase in the number of buyers is outweighed by the growth in the number of sellers. About three decades ago, people were going in for furniture with intricate carvings. That suffered a setback with the advent of laminates like sun-mica, the use of which slowed down about 10 years ago. Carpenters were no longer interested in ensuring quality as they raced against time to produce more. The sun-mica sheets peeled off more often, with the result people starting shunning that product, he says.
"Ergonomics" is the key factor in furniture design, says the managing partner of Decograph, K. Srinivas. His shop deals in the `Featherlite' brand of office furniture and home furniture pertaining to various brands. The company imports some of the products but most of them are made within the country.
"The buyers can be assured of quality and uniformity in price when they go for Indian brands. The imported varieties are mostly bought from the lower end market and there are wide variations in prices. Further, unlike their Indian cousins, the imported brands do not offer service back-up, which necessitates their discarding even if they are slightly damaged.
"The buyers of household furniture, especially the middle class, look for products which can be put to multiple use. The use of `divans' has increased as they can be used as sofa sets during the day and double up as beds during nights," says the proprietor of Sam Furnishings, S. Sam. The use of sofa upholstery and bed linen has also increased to give a new look to furniture, he adds.
Readymade or otherwise, the entry of imported brands has given a wide choice to buyers, be it in price, durability or convenience.
`Seconds' option
The `seconds market' is a boon to those who cannot afford to go for new furniture. The furniture, which is re-done, looks as good as new. The buyers can take solace from the fact that they can own masterpieces, some of which could have cost them a fortune, had they purchased it years ago.
The Transmit Services, a `seconds' shop located in the street opposite the Sampat Vinayaka temple at Asilmetta, has a treasure trove of such rare collections. Dressing mirrors with intricate designs and mirrors in various shapes like the ones we find in old films, diwan sets in various shapes and sizes and sofa sets are some of the items, which can be of interest to collectors.
"Even today, our `royal' diwan sets are taken on hire by some film producers, whenever they shoot in Visakhapatnam," says the proprietor of Transmit Services, K. Krishna Murthy. Collection of old and rare articles has become his family tradition. He feels sad that they are not enough buyers in the metro who wish to cherish such masterpieces.
"The craze for imported furniture has robbed us of our business," says his son, K. Siva Prasad, who has stepped into his father's shoes.
Masetty and Sons at Nehru Bazaar also sell second-hand furniture.
B. MADHU GOPAL
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