By: Ritwika Gupta
 

Home is where the heart is and the heart wants a warm place to come back to at the end of a hard day?s work. Your home's exterior says just as much about you as its interior. The interior design industry is on a new high with an immensely promising growth in the recent years. While companies like Cocoon Fine Rugs, Deco Window, Fabula Rasa and Home Label are creating a giant stir in the interior space, they are also geared up to hop on to the e-commerce bandwagon in the future for home d?cor. Exec Lifestyle spoke to a few talented interior d?cor professionals, who shared unique options that will make homes look more beautiful.

Fabula Rasa, located in the heart of Mumbai?s design district Raghuvanshi Mills, is a four-month-old home d?cor store founded by Anuradha Bhalla and Jeena Shetty.

?At its very core, Fabula Rasa is about self and space. Our focus is on the last mile fatigue. When you are doing up a home or a work place, you are already exhausted by the time you are at the last few stages when you are doing up your home. This is where we come in ? space styling for the last mile, which integrates furniture, light, art and accessories that fit homes and personal spaces,? Bhalla elaborates.

Throwing light home d?cor trends to look forward to in 2015, she says, ?There are so many new mediums out there and some innovative trends to look forward to. This season, the Indian-modern look that will have warmth in terms of colour palette and design will gain popularity. These days it is also possible to keep designs stylish yet economical. One piece of art on your wall can enhance the space. Everything in the home does not have to be super expensive and we are at a stage whereby we can expect the best of both of worlds.?

While space styling is an international concept that goes beyond interior designs, Cocoon Fine Rugs founder Ayush Chaudhury feels that home d?cor techniques should involve creating newer and fresher styles that will appeal to a young generation of homeowners who are not afraid to experiment and try different looks.

?Indians have always had a great eye for aesthetics and a love for all things beautiful. This year, like years before, I expect to see Indian designers continuing to push the envelope. At Cocoon, we are coming up with signature collections inspired from various genres - graffiti, modern art and even prints from the 60s and 70s,? informs Chaudhury.

Cocoon Fine Rugs, a designer carpet gallery that was established in Mumbai in 2009, specialises in exclusive rug collections based on modern, transitional and classical rug designs for homes. The company works with leading interior designers, architects in India and abroad and their clientele includes top industrialists, Bollywood celebrities, corporates and even expats, who are true connoisseurs of design.

?It has been a fantastic journey as our client base has continued to grow year after year, which shows that good design and aesthetics are becoming more and more important to homeowners in India. At Cocoon, we design and manufacture all of our rugs in-house, which allow us to create bespoke designs, sizes and colour ways for our clients. Another interesting aspect to Cocoon is that our stores have been laid out like art galleries, where patrons can browse through our beautiful collections at leisure,? says Chaudhury.

Another novel concept in the business is eco-friendly furnishings. However, Bhalla informs that this developing trend it is clearly ahead of it is time. ?The eco-friendly furniture are pretty expensive, almost 30-40 per cent more costly and they tend to be delicate fabric as well. There is not much of a life and higher cost of replacement. This trend will take time,? Bhalla explains.

The Home Label (styled by Sussanne Khan) head merchandiser Supriya Hiremath Vora says that floral prints, vintage prints, copper barware, rustics and antique wooden serveware are some of the home d?cor trends to watch out for in 2015.

?Our aim at The Label Corp is to provide tastefully curated, signature and rare-to-find products to the discerning Indian audience. We meet the style needs of the working, independent city dwellers with a unique tastemaker backed model where Sussanne Khan helps to curate an assortment of products that are in keeping with worldwide trends. We seek to deliver an inspiring and expert-guided retail experience like no other,? Vora says, explaining the concept of Home Label.

Giving an insight into the way in which the interior d?cor industry in India has evolved over the last few years, Vora says, ?After exposure to global lifestyles, Indians now want well styled and designed home interiors. The shoppers have become more aware and evolved in the kind of products they require.?

Talking about the USP of his company that was set up in 2009, which offers a wide range of window solutions for each and every Indian home, Deco Window CEO and managing director Vaibhav Jain says, ?Home decor represents a person's personality and tastes. A major chunk of our customers are married couples who are looking for options beyond conventional available designs. So, we try making some unique options for our customers that will match their personality and help in making their homes more beautiful.?

Jain believes that the d?cor styles that should pick up in 2015 include bold printed and bright perky coloured curtains with a combination of hues mostly pastel shades and shades of red. Also sheer curtains with a combination of bright hues of self-coloured curtains will be a trend to look forward to.

?In addition, the use of garden torches is also a trend that we started last year, which we will also carry on this year as it is the hottest products of the season,? he says.

A popular trend that is picking up rapidly in the home d?cor industry is e-shopping for home furnishings.

?When it comes to home d?cor, there are some apprehensions in the mind of the customers about the look, feel and material of the products. That's why we make sure that the product descriptions are as detailed as possible. Convenience is the biggest advantage of e-shopping for home d?cor. People can sit at home and select the products that they want to buy,? says Jain.

Elaborating on the online shopping for home d?cor, Chaudhury opines, ?The reach of e-shopping is phenomenal. You can have a store in one part of the world but can cater to customers on even the other side of the globe. It also allows people to get a first taste of your brand, even before they walk into your physical store.?

Vora also feels that online purchasing allows quick and easy shopping for just about anything ranging from a surround sound system, an idol for your puja room or a vase for your coffee table. ?You can compare the prices, look at all possible options and decide peacefully without ever leaving your home. You can shop at 7 am or 2 pm, depending on when you have the time or have thought of something you need for your home,? she points out.

Bhalla, on the other hand, has a different taking to the e-shopping concept. While she believes it is a trend that is picking pace at an unprecedented rate, it helps only for low value items and commoditized items like cushion, mugs etc.  

?I agree that online shopping is a youthful medium for people to venture into but honestly if you looking at purchasing higher end products, you cannot just shop online. There needs to be involved shopping for things like furniture ? where one can touch and feel. I think that is still of value today,? Bhalla says.

On similar lines, Choudhury clarifies that the only disadvantage with online shopping is that it does not capture the touch and feel elements of the product.

?However, as long as you can address that somehow, e-commerce is the way of the future,? he concludes.