Luxury touch to your house, just a store away

If you fancy bathroom fittings with Swarovski crystals or showerheads that cost Rs18,000, you are not alone. Despite the recent worldwide economic downslide,
India is undergoing what can be called  a boom in home decor and improvement products, finds Brian de Souza

Jayanta Das, an economist with a Delhi-based firm and his wife, who is also an economist, have been spending their weekends scouring the home décor and accessory stores in Delhi looking for items that can enhance their tastefully done-up four bedroom house.

Even though he has ample opportunities to source home accessories from abroad during his trips, he doesn’t do so. “The sheer variety you get here in India is amazing,” he says. “Wanting some premium stuff” as Das puts it, the couple recently renovated their bathroom with fittings from Jaguar Artize that come with Swarovski crystals.

The Das’ are no rarity as the number of home décor and improvement outlets mushrooming in the various metros in the country in the last two years will testify. Despite the recent worldwide economic downslide, the country is undergoing what can be called a boom in home décor and improvement products.

The Indian market for home décor and improvement products is estimated at Rs 10,000 crore and is growing at an average annual rate of 10 per cent. From kitchen cabinets to shoe racks, photo frames, lamps shades and even showerheads that can set you back by Rs 18,000, it’s all available here.

There are products that suit a range of budgets. At @home, a home décor store, a living room set comprising six to seven items of furniture starts from Rs30,000 and goes on to Rs1,15,000. Bedroom sets here range from Rs50,000 to just under Rs2 lakhs.
Rupali Sebastian, editor of Better Interiors, one of at least half a dozen magazines in the country that targets this sector says, “The rise in disposable incomes is the key driver for this market,”

Moreover, she says, “People are looking at the way spaces affect them, and that is what these outlets cater to.” In addition, the boom is also coinciding with increasing home ownership. Asif Parack, Senior officer, Welspun India avers, “Easy availability of home loans has given people the extra incentive in re-doing their houses.”

Mumbai-based architect Prasad Badle says, “People have become more conscious of what is available.” Also, many architects and interior decorators even specify the kind of sofa sets and chairs when doing a designing job.

Saurabh Ray of @home, a home décor store attributes the boom in such outlets to the fact that there is a need for organised retailing. Most of the market is in the unorganised sector where consistent quality cannot be guaranteed.

“The new home buyer does not have the time to choose the furniture and other products he needs,” says Ray. Hence, when one wants an item that matches with ones’ sofa set, right down to side tables and cushions, it’s possible to do this only when all the products are available under one roof, Ray adds.

For Jayanta Das and his wife, as happy as they are with the options available in the country, there is one issue that bothers them. It’s time for those in the business to recognise the finer aspects of home decoration which have not yet been addressed, he says. “For instance, if you want to hang up a painting, the outlet concerned does not have the expertise to tell you how to do so.”

d_brian@dnaindia.net