Inhabit

If you are searching for furniture and/or furnishings in Hyderabad with a small spending plan in place, we recommend you take a look at what is available at the Big Bazaar Supercentre, Ameerpet. On the other hand, if you can blow some wads - of cash, not chewing gum - and not feel the pinch, head to Banjara Hills' Inhabit, a home depot that envelopes as well as shares its management with the upmarket Bombay Store.

Inhabit is three floors of mostly furniture of all types - there are wickerwork sofa sets as well as those crafted with leather (a three-piece set can cut you back by Rs. 55,000) and wood. There is diversity in style, too - Italian, Chinese, Indian and so on. Likewise for beds; those with a minimalistic taste may be drawn toward an Italian-style bed. Do not forget to test the firmness of the mattress before you pull out your cheque book, though.

And then there are miscellaneous items - royally crafted chests of drawers, leather recliners begging for a sink-in, rocking chairs that seem to have fallen out of the pages of an Enid Blyton, a sturdy wine rack (priced at Rs. 11,000) coaxed out of a single log of wood.

Their home furnishings are quite limited, but if you want to buy an unusual night lamp - for example one that syncs the amount of light it emits as it senses your touch - this is the place.

What works for Inhabit is that the furniture here, pricey as it is, is value for your hard-earned rupee. Moreover, unlike many other furniture retailers, Inhabit custom-makes furniture. You can flip through one of their several photo catalogues (strangely, they do not have any give-away brochures) and place an order, or you can bring them your own design and they will craft it. Your pieces will be ready in approximately three weeks; and the store delivers free of charge if you live in the neighbourhood (Banjara Hills or Jubilee Hills).

However flawless the workmanship, Inhabit itself does not offer an ideal shopping experience. The staff, for example, are conspicuous by their absence. Which leaves the waiting customer in the basement with little else to do but stroll around aimlessly, or stare at the shabby, stained walls. It is odd that an interiors store would not be bothered with whitewashing its walls. Tut, Tut.