The Hindu Business Line : Sitting pretty

We can't compare Chennai to Bangalore or Mumbai, we can only compare Chennai to Chennai," says Shaila Bhale Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Kian India, the Nepal-based Dugar Group-owned company that sells lifestyle furniture across the country.

The market for lifestyle furniture in the city has grown in the last couple of years, but is nowhere close to other metros, says Shaila.

Atul Malhotra, one of the partners of Evoluzione, a store that sells designer apparel as well as high-end furniture, says that while customers may be conservative, they are looking for a change; the store is still in the process of educating the market, but he is confident it will work.

"And it's not just about money," he says. "It's about taste — our customers are not the type who want to show off, they go for a more classy look."

Stanley Boutique, another company that sells lifestyle furniture, recently opened a store in Chennai. N. Sreenath, General Manager, Stanley Boutique, says that the sales had far exceeded expectations, which he attributes to the explosion of corporate offices in the city. "We have definitely gone well past our targets," he adds.

He says that Chennai is a good market for leather upholstery, which is an area of expertise for the company; it supplies to car companies such as Ford and Hyundai.

The price factor

Evoluzione works on projects rather than selling individual units. Malhotra says that a project could range from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

However, he adds that if you take the durability factor into consideration, the products may cost perhaps 20-25 per cent more than other furniture outlets. "And we offer furniture from the top brands in Italy, like B&B Italia."

Kian has an in-house interior decorator, according to Shaila. "We are quite affordable — typically it would cost within Rs 2 lakh for a two-bedroom apartment. If you're a single-unit customer, we have chairs from Rs 1,500," she says.

Scope for interior decorators

Another factor that has helped furniture stores is the fact that interior decorators have become more aware of the possibilities. "Today, I have so many interior decorators who either pick my furniture or advise their customers to have a look at my store," says Kalpana Pooviah, who owns Centaur Furniture, a store that sells traditional as well as contemporary designer furniture.

Malhotra says that interior decorators have started appreciating quality furniture. "It does stretch their margins, but it benefits in the long run."

Better awareness

Kalpana says, "I think it has to do with a lot of people travelling abroad and seeing what home care is really all about."

Asked about the threat of imitations when it comes to branded furniture, Malhotra points to a lamp and explains that it is a unique piece created by an Italian designer. "You can imitate the basic design," he says. "But you can't get the same richness of colour, or the same finishing."