Date:05/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/05/stories/2008100550610200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Drive down to lifestyle show for exclusive furniture

Staff Reporter

Right from nine-seater sofa sets to foldable dressing tables, the best is on display here

Photo: K.R. Deepak

How do you like it: Visitors at the furniture stall at The Hindu - Eenadu Lifestyle Show in Visakhapatnam on Saturday . —

VISAKHAPATNAM: For those who intend to deck up their living space with the latest and choicest furnishing, The Hindu- Eenadu Lifestyle show, which is being held at the Andhra University Engineering College Grounds, is the destination. The show hosts a number of stalls that showcases the latest trends in furniture and furnishing.

The representative of Furniture Point, a Coimbatore-based furniture manufacturer, says that the present trend is for heavy furniture. “The lounge concept is in, as it appeals to all segment of society and the artistically carved ones have become the choice of the elite,” he adds.

A number of heavy nine-seater sofa sets and glass top tables and dining sets are kept on display.

Providing an answer to the space constraints in modern living, Mumbai-based Functional Furniture has come out with a number of solutions. The company has showcased different models of multi-purpose foldable furniture sets. The range includes sofa-cum-diwan-cum-bed to foldable dressing tables. The furniture is made up of rubber wood and guarantees 10 years of termite proof life. “The concept is to save space or make best use of the space available. The sofas can be easily converted to double beds and vice-versa in no time. We have also incorporated the ‘box-type’ concept in the designs for utility purpose,” says the representative of the company.

Branded companies like Damro and Space Craft have also set up stalls. While the Sri Lanka-based Damro exhibits elegant international designs, Chennai-based Space Craft has displayed furniture made up of powder-coated MS steel. There is also something for the people who love furniture sets that come draped in antiquity and carvings. A company has showcased designs that replicate the royalty of Bhutan.

Massage chairs

If leisure is the concept then there has to be the mention of specially designed massage chairs that come in three different models. “They can be part of your house furniture,” says the representative of Jayaraj International Private Limited.

The company has displayed one design in the three-dimensional massage chair models and two models of two-dimensional massage chairs, apart from the exclusive foot massagers. The chairs are designed to perform different arts of massaging like shoulder lifting, grasping, kneading, tapping and shiatsu. Loaded with hand-held controls, the chairs are also fitted with back warming facility and have proven to be a pain and stress reliever.

The event is co-sponsored by HP, Compaq, Sun DTH Services, Agrigold and Jayaraj International Private Limited

The hospitality partner is The Gateway Hotel, food partner is Fusion Foods, Water partner is Bisleri, channel partner is ETV2 and Radio partner is 93.5 SFM.