Novel furniture material - Economic Times

Novel furniture material - Economic Times:

Talk furniture, think wood. This used to be the mantra. Today, more than ever, furniture designers are exploring materials that can replace wood or probably be used along with it.

"Let's just say that there is a growing awareness that wood and its derivative products have been substantially over-exploited in the past 100 years for the production of many items, including furniture.

So, as a consequence, people are looking at other materials, equally strong, durable and moldable into the desired shapes. Something which is also greener and environment friendly which will be accepted by a more discerning and educated segment of customers.

This trend has started with high-end products, where the client is prepared to pay to have the newest and the most advanced objects in their homes," says Nicola Obert, CEO and managing director of a store.

ALTERNATE MATERIALS

"Along with plastic derivatives and high-tech composite materials, glass and steel (preferably coated, anodised and chromed) are also becoming common in modern furniture factories, where design and technology can go hand in hand as part of their brands' philosophy," says Obert.

"Alternatives to wood are leather, glass, mirror, mild steel, stainless steel, brass, natural or artificial stone, cement, plastic, acrylic, p o ly - carbonate, foam, cardboard and polyrattan," says Shilpa Kalanjee Pastala, managing partner at a store. Kavita Wadhavkar explains that upholstered furniture (with a steel framework) is very popular.

"What is hot right now are pieces that resemble cane furniture but are actually plastic derivative. These look elegant outdoors and are also weather proof," she says. The sky is the limit for the creative. "If you want to go really whacky, one can use corrugated cardboard and ropes to make furniture. Inflatable furniture too has its own place. It is easy to shift about," says Wadhavkar.

USES

"Apart from the obvious aspect of preserving our trees and the environment in general, glass and metal alloys are very extensively used in modern furniture and they are typically not affected by humidity and other climate conditions. Moreover, they can be shaped by industrial tools that work in a controlled environment and can then be more easily replicated. The advantages of plastic and composite materials are the broad range of shapes that can be created from a simple product idea.

"Even aluminium has been recently utilised to obtain lighter product structures for home use.That was possible because of its largescale application in other industries ," explains Obert. "Depending on usag and application ,different materials have different advantages over wood.

Some advantages are practical in nature whereas some advantages are aesthetic ," says Kalanjee Pastala. However, if the look of the home is classy and old-world , you may not want to do away with wood. Ultimately, it also depends on the overall look of the house.