Though many options of metal and plastic combinations of furniture are in vogue and many more un-heard variants are in line, wooden furniture is still considered as the most preferred choice of many. Nothing would outshine the majestic natural look, strength and durability a wooden piece offers. Wood, contrary to the general perception, is the most eco-friendly interior component compared to plastic and metal variants, as it can be easily replenished, while the latter actually poses great threat to the environment.
Offices flaunting plush wood interiors leave a thorough impression on its customers of being classy and durable. Almost half of the customers prefer teak furniture, says Jaleeludeen, Kukku Furniture at Attingal. Teak is well known and accepted for its robustness, durability and worth for its price. Other preferred woods are mahogany and rose wood. Padauk wood, a near equivalent of rose wood in quality and looks, which is priced about one-third of the latter, is a good option for the cost conscious. Cheelanthi or poovarashu is another amiable option for the wood lovers, says Jaleeludeen. But nothing can give the perfection which rose wood gives, though working on the hard lumber is a real challenge, says Vikraman, an artistic carpenter. Softer woods which are easy to work on would not give the perfection, which the harder ones tender, he says.
Jaleeludeen, who has a proud collection of artistically made grandfather clocks, crockery shelves and almirahs, warns about being duped by replicas made of MDF. This material easily soaks up water and swells like a sponge. Woods with embedded white patches may best be discarded but in teak it is allowed to some extent. Amateurs may get easily carried away by acacia or mangium often disguised as teak. Flashy pieces with heavy upholstery may have inferior internal components, he cautions.
Furniture anthology would not be complete without a reference of those belongs to the bygone era. Antique furniture carries the stories of the past, obsolete customs and etiquette and a tangible link to our own heritage.
Arvind Sadasivan, a retired colonel, who has a magnificent collection of bygone relics at Antique Home Décor, Poojappura, sources the items from across the globe. Furniture relics also come from the royal houses of Rajasthan, opulent Parsee bunglows at Mumbai, palatial Chettinad houses at south or even from traditional houses being demolished at the neighborhood.
Contrary to popular belief, antique furniture are not over priced and is a safe investment as the prices go up over time, says Sadasivan. As they are inherently recycled and reused they are eco-friendly.
Though a piece is considered as an antique if it is more than hundred years old, items aged even 40 to 50 years are cherished. People from almost all walks of lives approach us for antique collections; it is a special penchant which draws them to antiquity, says Sadasivan.
Quality and durability of furniture have given way to flamboyant looks and unique designs, says M. Parijathan of Grand Legend, a leading furniture brand in the south. Nuclear families with volatile careers and life styles and vertical dwellers prefer trendy yet cheaper furniture, majority of which are imported from Malaysia, China and the far-east.
This drift in buyer behaviour has reflected as a downward trend in the wooden furniture manufacturing industry during the last couple of years.
India has all the base essentials to cater to any kind of domestic demand and even to lead the global furniture market, yet we fail to identify our real potential, he says. Indian furniture production is highly disorganised and is spread all over the country where as in China, each market is geography specific and can be easily located. Effective bridging of demand and supply through consolidation of furniture manufacturers and converge them through national and state level B2B and B2C fairs would have exhilarated our potential and could minimize overtly depending on imports.
Chinese and our wage rates are found to be almost at par, they outsmart us through better productivity. Our manpower has to imbibe more professionalism and time management into their work culture. State and Central taxes comprise about 27 per cent of the end price. Introduction of GST would have given us excellent financial leverage, says Parijathan.
Quality and durability of furniture have given way to flamboyant looks and unique designs.
