Want an Italian makeover?
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After that eco-friendly hyacinth furniture, it’s avant-garde Italian pieces from the land of design at Ikian’s Friuli showroom in the city, writes RANJANI GOVIND
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— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
NOT JUST PIZZAS: From living and bedroom furniture, modular kitchens to lifestyle accessories…it’s truly Italian at Friuli Furniture.
I guess this furniture costs about 2 lakhs, said a wood connoisseur from Coimbatore even as he was appreciating the nuances of the solid-wood bedroom assembly at the newly opened ‘Friuli Furniture’ showroom at Bangalore recently. “Only a discerning eye can make out what the deft Italian hands at Friuli, the hub of furniture makers, in Italy can eke out,” said a senior employee at the Ikian Furniture’s latest branded boutique on Mahatma Gandhi
Road.
Friuli, named after the furniture-producing region, is an amalgamation of Italy’s top 11 furniture companies, and was inaugurated by Alessandro Tesini, president, Parliament of Autonomous Region, Friuli Venezia-Giulia (Italy); and Ramesh Kumar Dugar, CEO, Ikian Furnitures.
Solid wood, compressed particle wood as MDF, metal and the best of fabric form the medium for some of the most exquisite bits there, with the piece-de-resistance being a massive circular wall décor made of metal. “This is a copper plate covered with foils of gold which highlights its leafy rough textures with a flexible spotlight,” I am informed. And no prizes for guessing the price, for, every product that Friuli deals with is for the niche clientele who have to go into the basics of the product-and-design and convince themselves of its worth. Yes, the wall piece is Rs. 80,000 (approx)!
Their collection, with just one piece in a said design, is not assembly manufactured. “Each is a designed piece by experts and even the wood craftsmen, having dealt with myriad creations, find it inspirational to work with,” says Namrata Dugar, of the Dugar family. “This is one of the reasons that the cost runs so high, but whatever one owns will be exclusive as there will be no repetition,” she adds.
Pointing at the red lounge chair with a contemporary makeover, Ms. Dugar says this ‘Mon Petit Coeur’ (My Little Heart) is made of a special suede-like fabric with a flat steel swivel base. Why would anyone hesitate to spend by the thousands for some cool sit-ons like this? “This place is not just for people who have the money, they have to be art aficionados!” warns the lady.
Apart from individual high-end customers, Friuli caters for hotel rooms, service apartments and a host of corporate clients. If you look at their ‘sectional sofa’ that can easily have 10 persons feeling absolutely comfy, you will not believe that there is solid wood underneath with a base of steel…all snugly done up with quality cushioned-foam that belies its rugged structure. This sofa can transform itself into a lounge bed, and costs about Rs.1.2 lakh. A look at their cots and you know the low rise, the head gear, the bed-surround features aren’t a run-of-the-mill kind. Be it their kitchen modulars (available from Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh), wardrobes, living units, lounging options, lighting or innovative accessories…they are certified under CATAS – the Italian lab and research institute on wood, and authorised by the Italian Ministry of Interiors.
But what is the market that Friuli would be looking at, with Indian makes and other foreign brands dime-a-dozen today? “We are flooded with Indian, Malaysian and Chinese furniture. Italian kitchens already have a market but with Friuli, the stamp of elitism may help steer it clearly from even the other branded ones that have the same price tags,” explains Namrata Dugar. “Do, you believe, it takes three months to ship an order!” she says. Friuli’s catch is in working with architects and interior designers to ascertain the requirements and make it a personalised offer. The launch of the showroom saw a special seminar conducted to help them acclimatise to this Indian-Italian sense of home-do. Representatives from the 11 furniture companies of Friuli too attended to feel the Indian market.
Lighting up their claims are the six-feet long ‘flute light’ ‘cone light’ and hexagon-shaped sculpted glass pieces, done out of recycled glass. Now, isn’t this called throwing light on the right creations?
Visit Friuli to make up your new home or upgrade your old one at Kian Furniture, 99, M.G. Road. Call 080-41512992 / 080-41122217.
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