Indians dump 'old' trends for fancy sleek furniture decor

Over the past few years, the Covid-19 pandemic has enabled more and more people to realize the value of having stylish-yet-highly-functional homes that could be used for both living and working.

Nowadays, the inclination towards shifting to bigger homes is more than ever before, especially as hybrid working culture is becoming the 'new norm' post-pandemic. And owing to that, and also given that furniture is becoming an integral part of modern-day home decor, the demand for various types of furniture is booming off late.

According to Anand Suman, founder of Cinnamon Homes, "this year, we have witnessed transformation of the Indian furniture industry. Furniture has emerged as a valuable lifestyle product for the aspirational class which is ready to shell out big bucks on great designs and high-quality customised furniture products. And this is exactly why new-age furniture-maker brands and start-ups have an unprecedented opportunity to tap the target audience."

Suman adds "We have also seen that many Indian companies are coming up with a plethora of novel collections that cater to the tastes of new-age buyers, including millennial and Gen-Z. It is evident that Indians are now opting for exciting new ideas instead of conventional offerings. In keeping with this trend, brands are experimenting with new kinds of furniture like burntwood finish, oakwood finish, besides adding elements like cement finish to the wood."

A recent development seems a potential game-changer. The National Institute of Design (NID) and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), among others, are now putting a lot of emphasis on introducing an array of courses and other types of educational modules around furniture and decor, similar to what has been the case with fashion in the recent past.

Suman said, "This will help the entire industry get more organized and customer-centric since the option of design and customization are not quite available in the unorganized segment. Going forward, we believe that the furniture industry in India is poised for multi-year positive growth. The overall furniture market is expected to cross over $25 billion in a few years' time, out of which 15-20 per cent is likely to be fully organized."