Elegant Interiors In Demand

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--By Suraksha Adhikari 
 
For years, the beauty of Nepali homes remained only skin deep. Urban Nepalis beautified the exteriors of their houses, but neglected the interiors. Today’s middle-class Nepalis, however, are not only paying greater attention to interiors but demanding simple, smart decor that is durable and easy to maintain. At the start of the new millennium, bright coloured walls and long curtains became popular and turned into immediate status symbols.
 
House owners are attracted towards simple yet elegant designs rather than showy, colourful ones. “People no longer want furniture and flooring that their friends or colleagues have. They want something unique, yet minimal and are willing to pay for it,” says Arpana Baral of The Interiors. “Simplicity and elegance are what people believe in and go for it nowadays.”
 
Gone are the days, when construction of a home was solely considered as a great achievement by an urban Nepali. Interior decoration of the house has become a higher priority in recent years. It is believed that a house with perfect interior design can trigger positive vibes among the family members and can also create good impression on the guests. 
 
“Interior decoration is no more considered a luxury nowadays. It has become a necessity of urban life,” said Sanu Raja Silpakar, President of Interior Designers Association of Nepal. He further added, “Change in people’s lifestyle, construction of attractive apartments and increasing economic activities have helped in the professional expansion of the interior design sector.” He claims that almost 75 per cent of Kathmandu house owners buy furniture after completing interior design of their houses. 
 
Academic Courses on Interior Designing
The growing number of housing and apartment projects have supported the growth of professionals in this sector. Demand for professional interior designers in this field has increased the number of institutes that offer courses on interior designing in the valley. More than a dozen educational institutions including Shahi Design Academy, Kantipur International College, IEC School of Art and Fashion, International Institute of Fashion Design, are providing interior designing classes.
 
 
Rise in Sales
Improved Internet access and increased financial standing for travelling has provided Nepali youngsters with easy access to designs from all over the world. They use the Internet to search various interior designs for their homes and due to this homework, they know exactly what they want. High-end furniture like the leather sofas, waterproof furniture for outdoors, and walk in closets are particularly popular among this age-group and the premium price tag does not seem to discourage them. 
 
With rising purchasing power and more sophisticated tastes, interior decor is no longer about practicality for most middle-class Nepalis. Along with employment opportunities in this sector, demand for raw material for interior designing has also increased to a great extent. Nepal Furniture and Furnishing Association’s (NFFA) records show that furniture and furnishing material of around Rs 7-8 billion is used annually in Nepal.  Krishna Lal Pradhan, NFFA President said, “Of it Rs 4 billion is consumed only by flooring and furnishing materials.” He said that increased interest in interior deigning, has directly contributed to the 15 per cent annual growth of this sector. Pradhan assumes, “If the interest level of customer towards this sector retains its intensity, furniture and flooring business will double soon.”
 
Raw Material
Nepal imports flooring materials from Germany, Canada, Belgium, India, and China. Major countries from where furnishing materials are imported are the Netherlands and Switzerland.  Nepal itself also has some facilities that produce furnishing related products. 
 
Traders say that the sales of these materials are largely in Kathmandu and Pokhara. Hundreds of boutique furniture outlets also have mushroomed across the Valley providing clients with numerous choices to choose from local, imported, contemporary, and antique furniture and furnishing goods. Most showrooms have mock ups, or model structures like the one above to simplify decision-making for the consumers. If buyers still feel lost, in-house interior designers work out and come up with customised plans that suit their budget and space.
 
Increasing Employment
The increasing construction of apartments, increment in economic transaction and change in the trends of life have increased the employment opportunities in the interior designing sector. According to the statistics of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, around 40,000 new houses are being constructed annually. Similarly, the trend of construction of house outside the valley is also increasing rapidly. The construction of offices, departmental stores, apartments, and housing has helped in expansion of this business. 
 
In order to attract customers, sanitary ware, furniture, and paint companies hire interior designing professionals to provide interior designing service. This has broadened the employment scope for interior designers. Along with competition, the earning in this sector is also increasing.
 
 
Attraction of people
Hectic modern life schedule leaves many Nepalis with lesser time or energy to take care of their homes. As a result, bulky wooden furniture that take weeks to make and assemble are being replaced by easy to assemble and dismantle, light-weight furniture. And despite their higher costs, people are opting for parquet flooring instead of rugs and carpets considering the strenuous maintenance efforts the latter need to upkeep. 
 
House owners and residents are inclined towards decorating and managing small places and making them attractive, comfortable and cozy. Professionals with busy schedule, are attracted towards services of this sector for their office space and home space. 
 
Problems and Challenges
Though employment opportunities in this sector are increasing, uniformity in this subject’s education system has not been seen yet. CTEVT and Tribhuwan University have not prepared any curriculum on this subject. Institutions that provide courses on the subject have self-styled syllabus. This has led to the production of manpower with different potentiality and standards in this sector. This has created problems for skilled manpower to get employed easily. 
 
Similarly, a commonly held notion that interior designing is costly has hindered many aspirants to join the field. Lack of government initiative to create employment opportunities for professionals of this sector is another setback.

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