Western hemlock finds artistic expression in furniture manufacturing in India
Over recent years, India’s furniture sector has become much more customer-focused. Now more than ever, customers are experimenting with new styles and viewing furniture as a lifestyle statement and extension of the homeowner’s personality. Besides, families living in urban areas are being drawn towards furniture styles that are light, modern and easy to move – a shift from past preferences for dark, heavy tones.
In response to this shifting customer preference, furniture manufacturers across India are tailoring their products to meet the growing demand for light, modern and expressive styles.
To tap into this new trend and to showcase how B.C. species may be used in modern, stylish furniture applications, FII India has partnered with Bramola – a high-end furniture manufacturer in Delhi – to develop an exclusive range of furniture using western hemlock.
Bramola is known for turning pieces of furniture into works of art by employing local artisans to embellish individual pieces of furniture with carvings and colourful paintings. Bramola’s artful ranges of hand-crafted and hand-painted wooden furniture are highly sought after by high-net-worth Individuals (HNIs) in India.
To encourage Bramola to consider using western hemlock for future furniture applications, FII provided Bramola with the technical assistance and materials needed to develop a line of western hemlock furniture in hopes that Bramola would recognize its favourable properties over traditional species.
Bramola responded by developing an artistic range of indoor furniture made with western hemlock that included a sofa, chairs, a console, chests of drawers, side tables and more. The highlight of the range was an oval centre table with a Mandala (tribal art) hand-painted pattern.
The eye-catching range of furniture was then displayed at the IndiaWood 2020 Trade Show in March. While the furniture drew favourable response for its beautiful patterns and design, it also showcased Canadian wood species as an option to supplement Bramola’s use of Teak and other traditional hardwoods. The fact that Canadian wood species are certified and come from sustainably managed forests also appeals to India’s increasingly environmentally conscious consumer demand for products made with eco-friendly raw materials.
By demonstrating how western hemlock may be used in Bramola’s stylish furniture applications, FII not only opened the door to future orders from Bramola, but also showcased how B.C. species may be used to create modern, expressive furniture styles currently sought-after by Indian consumers.
