DESIGN DIGEST
A tour of the new Ikea store in Hyderabad
Here’s your chance to join the likes of Hollywood A-listers such as actors, Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Kendrick and Ryan Reynolds and pop icons, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus, who are all big fans of IKEA. The Swedish furniture retailer opened its doors in India earlier this year. The 4,00,000 sq ft (13-acre) Hyderabad
showroom will house around 7,500 products (out of which about 1,000 cost less than `200), designed to integrate within an Indian home but reflective of the Swedish furniture retailer’s clean, minimal sensibility and aesthetic. The Swedish company in fact, visited over 1,000 homes across Indian to understand the needs and aspirations of consumers before finalising the products for the store.
WHAT IT’S BEST FOR
From lights and furnishings to cookware and furniture—there is so much to choose from at the newly opened IKEA store. Lamps, pendants, chandeliers, sconce in the shape of clouds, balloons or classic designs line row after row. Cotton bed sheets and net curtains in an array of colours grab many-an-eyeball. Be it chopping boards, colanders or beautiful ceramic plates, there is enough to fill up your kitchen on a budget. Furniture ranging from sofas and armchairs to beds and dining tables can be found all across the store. The gardening section is a big hit as well. From faux flowers to real plants, they are available in almost every size. Special market hall sections on rugs, decoration and stationary are definitely worth a visit.
SMART CONCEPTS
Besides stand alone pieces, the store also has several clever concepts. Take for instance the galley kitchen that costs a little over a lakh, fitted with modern appliances and clever accessories. It is a great example of how to maximise a small kitchen space. Then there is a bathroom intended to be used by multiple people. So, holders are hung on the wall next to the sink to hold individual bath accessories. In another concept, a corner besides the bath has been converted into a laundry room with intelligent shelving above the washing machine. An ergonomic study table besides a bunk bed, a dining table that opens up to accommodate more people, an entrance seat unit with storage and shelves or even a balcony with space for chairs to be stacked and hung, are just a few of the hundred examples there at the store. The showroom has on display two full homes that reflect Life at Home in Hyderabad, besides different room sets like the bedroom, kitchen, children’s room and living room.
WHAT’S NEXT
The company has already acquired land at Navi Mumbai, Gurugram and Bengaluru and has begun work on the Mumbai property, which is expected to be ready by summer of 2019. In fact, Hyderabad is just the first of 25 such outlets planned to be set up in India by 2025.