Stop. Gape. In a dimly lit living room, a wave of water is frozen in stone, making a statement under a spotlight. With backrests that rise like a cresting tide and polished seats carved from Rainbow Quartzite, the bench is a compelling sight. In another room, flat German Silver boulders are bound together—a piece difficult to classify. Is it a stool? A chair? A side table? It can be any of those. Or none of these. All that matters is these are objets d’art. Both these, and other similarly unconventional expressions of design furniture that occupy—and often flaunt—their presence in design studios and homes across India, defy easy classification. Depending on where each piece is placed, it becomes an unexpected interruption—an object that demands to be contemplated before it is used. Neither the bench nor the boulder resembles furniture in the conventional sense. Neither appears particularly interested in explaining itself. “The mindset is shifting from filling a room to curating a space,” says Sarita Handa, founder and chairperson, Sarita Handa.
From the woven charpai that anchored generations of Indian homes to the flat-packed efficiency of IKEA now seen in Gurugram’s new residential townships, furniture in India has travelled a remarkable distance. What was once purely functional has steadily become aspirational, reflecting changing lifestyles, global influences, and evolving ideas of home. Designers are moving away from mass-produced functionality—of course, not totally because of market demands—towards collectible, sculptural pieces that blur the boundaries between furniture, art, and décor. Sofas, benches and tables are increasingly conceived not as supporting elements but as conversation starters. Handa says, “By being more thoughtful about what they bring into their space, clients are choosing pieces with strong form and made of unusual materials.” The once-ubiquitous L-shaped sofa is giving way to curved seating, oversized lounge chairs and fluid tables. For Vratika Gupta, founder of Maison Sia, sculptural furniture is “a breath of fresh air. The space has to talk to you. So I suggest my clients to choose something magnanimous and monumental”. Maison Sia’s On The Rocks sofa replaces the conventional rectangle with curved forms that can be approached from any side when placed as an island in the room.
Experimentation with form defines Delhi’s Vakr Studios’s philosophy. Founder Devyani Gupta says, “Generally, we top our furniture with home decor to highlight it. But a furniture piece can already be artistic and sculptural, not needing an artefact on top to stand out.” Delhi-based studio Dimensions adopts a similar approach through its Zuri collection, where bedposts resemble tree branches and coffee tables evoke inter-connected rock formations.
The mindset is shifting from filling a room to curating a space.Sarita Handa, founder and chairperson, Sarita Handa.
Tanvi Deolekar, founder of Studio Indigene, feels sculptural design should invite interaction. Her studio’s coffee tables feature detachable trays that fit like puzzle pieces and can be rearranged. “They add both sculptural value and functionality to the space,” she says. Such evolution is made possible when designers experiment with materials once considered too rigid for furniture. Stone, metal and engineered surfaces are increasingly replacing conventional wood, while seating itself is changing. Sofas are becoming lower, deeper, and rounder, and chairs are wider and more relaxed, balancing comfort with visual drama. If IKEA democratised design by making good furniture accessible, this new wave makes it memorable.
Pavitra Rajaram of Nilaya Anthology observes, “People are investing in narrative. An object acquires value if it has a story attached to it.” These stories, however, come at a price. Sculptural furniture often costs several lakhs of rupees a piece, transforming furniture from a household necessity into a collectible investment. Sahiba Madan, principal architect and director at Insitu Design Studio, sees this as a decisive move away from uniform interiors. “Clients want their homes to mirror their lives and the furniture to be heirloom-quality art that will age alongside the family,” she says. Interior stylist Jasmine Jhaveri believes the idea of luxury has changed. “Luxury is no longer about how formal a space looks, but about how it feels,” she says. New living spaces are designed for comfort, connection, and slow living.
Younger buyers no longer want a matching furniture collection but a single object that defines the space—a dramatic centre table from Delhi’s crowded second-hand markets or a vintage Kerala Planter’s Chair. These focal pieces are curated to complement other pieces rather than to compete. “Such statement pieces sit at the intersection of art and function,” says Gunjan Gupta, artist and creative director of Studio Wrap and Ikkis. Her work deliberately blurs the boundaries between collectible art and functional furniture, drawing deeply from India’s craft traditions. Traditional weaving, carving and textile techniques, she believes, naturally lend themselves to organic forms. “When crafts are taken out of their expected context and transformed into sculptural elements, they become storytelling devices rather than decorative accents.” It is true of materials. Jaipur-based Pasana reimagines stone as sculptural furniture. Co-founder Saloni Agarwal believes it brings inside a sense of nature indoors. “Stone is alive. Placed in a house, it makes the homeowners feel like they are amidst nature,” she says. It
Sagar Baheti, founder of Bengaluru-based Paarkhi, argues that permanence and comfort need not be mutually exclusive. “Stone furniture will stay in the same condition for decades,” he says. Wood is undergoing a similar transformation. Objectry’s Organic Throne, carved from a tree trunk and bound with rope, reflects a growing preference for raw textures over highly polished finishes. According to Gunjan Gupta, Indian homeowners are becoming more adventurous while remaining rooted in restraint. “While Indians may still hesitate over very bright colours, they are far more open to choosing sculptural forms and unconventional silhouettes,” she says. Jhaveri expects the trend to strengthen. “Textures like bouclé, brushed velvet, suede-like finishes and layered upholstery will dominate this year.”
Even as sculptural furniture gains momentum, another design cycle is a U-turn. Actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja’s Mumbai home has layers of murals, Tanjore paintings, and bold colours; fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s Kolkata mansion combines vibrant brocade upholstery with mother-of-pearl cabinetry to celebrate richness, not restraint. For Sachin Gupta, founder and principal designer at Beyond Designs, maximalism never went out of fashion. “With traditional carpets, European chandeliers and warm fireplaces, we celebrate grandeur,” he says. He recalls designing a Jaipur residence featuring an entire wall wearing Gothic wooden panels. Alongside this embrace of abundance is an equally strong return to nostalgia. Used in making the iconic Kerala Planter’s Chair and Pierre Jeanneret’s Chandigarh Chair, rattan is appreciated for its comfort in the Indian climate. Today, it is prized for the memories it evokes. Priyanka Narula, founder of Hyderabad-based The Wicker Story, began to experiment with rattan in 2018. “Clients tell me that it reminds them of their grandmother’s home,” she says. The brand’s first design, Imli, was a curving bench with a rattan seat and inspired by the shape of a tamarind pod.
Vakr Studio, meanwhile, pairs rattan with concrete to create furniture that feels both familiar and unexpected. “The morphology of rattan and concrete makes it a premium product suitable for the modern home,” says Devyani Gupta. As designers continue to reinterpret heritage materials through contemporary forms, India’s homes are choosing furniture that is simultaneously sculptural, nostalgic, and yet unmistakably individual. In Nagaland, Aku Zeliang, founder of Urra Design, has built his art around materials deeply rooted in Naga culture. His furniture, often distinguished by its bold black-and-beige palette, incorporates traditional motifs while celebrating rattan’s versatility. Zeliang says, “The inspiration came from our heritage. It is used in construction, agriculture, mobility, storage across Northeast India.” To him, rattan is not a passing fad but a timeless design language. The material is also being reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. Nilaya Anthology has revisited iconic furniture designs in wicker, including its adaptation of Pedro Friedeberg’s celebrated Hand Chair from 1962. Ashiesh Shah, founder of Atelier Ashiesh Shah, describes one of his most sought-after works, the Naga Chair—a minimalist black aluminium chair finished with a flowing natural grass tail inspired by the traditional Naga raincoat—as embodying the growing appeal of furniture as collectible art rather than something simply lived with.
Alongside such reinventions, renewed appreciation for vintage furniture is reshaping collecting habits. At Belgadia Palace in Odisha, Akshita M Bhanj Deo, princess of Mayurbhanj and co-owner of the palace, oversees a furniture collection assembled across generations of her family. “Owing to the stories attached to them—sofas used when diplomats were hosted here during two world wars and the marble tables on which the instrument of accession to the Indian state was signed—these are living relics of my material memory. The collection not only conveys the style of the erstwhile royal state, but reflects a long-gone way of life.” Among her favourites are the intricately carved dressing tables with three-fold mirrors and classic planter’s chairs, the latter remembered as her grandfather’s preferred seat for his daily newspaper and evening tea. She considers it among the most comfortable chairs ever designed.
The youth wants statement pieces with character, and antiques deliver precisely that.Prem Zaveri, antiques dealer at Zaveri Antiques, Surat
This growing fascination with the past is progressively visible among younger buyers. Prem Zaveri, antiques dealer at Zaveri Antiques in Surat, has witnessed a surge in demand for vintage furniture from first-time collectors and investors. Zaveri says, “The youth wants statement pieces with character, and antiques deliver precisely that.” Among the most remarkable objects he has encountered is a brass water fountain that functions entirely by water and air pressure, requiring no electricity. Home bars, once purely functional, are becoming conversation-starting works of design. Inspired by Bhutanese heritage, a revolving Dhurba bar demonstrates the symbolism of the Buddhist prayer wheel. As its teakwood door glides open, the ritual of serving a drink becomes part of the experience. Avani Khurana, founder of b.form, says the piece generated enough international interest from galleries including Singapore’s Artling and Mumbai’s Portofino Gallery to acquire it.
For Bobby Aggarwal, founder of Atelier Bobby Aggarwal, the home bar is a storyteller. His latest collection transforms bars into architectural tributes to Mumbai’s Art Deco landmarks, complete with characteristic balconies, colours, and geometric motifs. “Meant solely for entertainment, bars are interesting pieces of furniture,” says Aggarwal. Hidden shelves, pull-out counters and integrated drawers ensure their utility just as they are sculptural. Beneath these varied expressions lies one of the most significant shifts in Indian design today: the rise of collectible design. Produced as handcrafted, limited-edition works with strong material provenance and craftsmanship, these furniture pieces are increasingly viewed less as purchases and more as long-term acquisitions—objects intended to become family heirlooms. A pioneer of collectible design, Ashiesh Shah reflects, “Collectibles are statement pieces that take centre space while everything else is quieter. Clients don’t want what everyone has. They crave one-off unique objects that go on to become their legacy.”
Alongside the growing appetite for originals a new trend is gathering pace. Many young homeowners and first-time collectors are attracted to the aesthetic of collectible design without its high price tag. They get to replicate a statement piece spotted online by a trusted neighbourhood carpenter or local artisan. The result is a bespoke piece that captures the spirit of the original at a fraction of the cost, while showcasing the skill of local craftspeople. Florence Louisy, creative director at the Mumbai design gallery Aequo feels “collecting a piece means collecting history, trends, and perhaps a material that may disappear over time”. At Aequo, objects are intentionally freed from the constraints of utility. “We are not selling function but stories and quality,” Louisy explains. That philosophy is evident in the gallery’s recent collection, where polished forms resembling boulders nestling into one another draw inspiration from the ancient landscape of Hampi. The Tavit Armchairs, cast in bronze and aluminium, embody a dialogue between maker and material, turning furniture into an enduring expression of artistry rather than mere utility. For interior designer and philanthropist Shalini Misra, collectibility is measured by longevity—how an object might continue to enchant generations. She recalls installing a stained-glass window in a client’s home that, 25 years later, was transformed by the client’s daughter into a door for her own house. That enduring relevance, she believes, is what makes design collectible. Quality, colour, narrative and materiality are the qualities she values most. She points to a coffee table created through her Shakti Design Residency in collaboration with Vikram Goyal Studio, whose semi-precious stones symbolise the seven chakras. It’s worth lies not simply in its craftsmanship, but in the multiple layers of embedded meaning. Collector Namita Mahendra, who acquires pieces on Misra’s digital platform Curio.Space, says provenance is what transforms furniture into something worth preserving. She gravitates towards pieces that reflect a place, a culture or a process that could not have been replicated anywhere else, thus making each acquisition feel singular and deeply personal.
Artists are entering the furniture space, blurring the distinction between art and design. Handa argues that the future of India’s collectible design movement will belong to those capable of translating the country’s rich craft traditions into contemporary global design language. India, she says, possesses the craftsmanship but now requires sustained innovation. Industry experts believe these shifts reflect the emergence of a more discerning and globally aware Indian homeowner. Exposure to diverse cultures, craftsmanship, and design traditions has created customers who seek more than functional furniture. Social media has accelerated this transformation. Instagram and Pinterest have introduced Indian consumers to Japanese wabi-sabi, Mediterranean interiors, and a growing community of independent designers and artisans worldwide. Whether investing in museum-worthy originals or commissioning thoughtfully crafted reinterpretations, today’s consumers are placing greater value on furniture that sparks conversation, reflects personality, and transforms everyday living into a shared experience.
—With inputs from Ria Gupta