Cooped up at home doesn’t necessarily mean indoors. Delhi-based specialists in outdoor furniture, Vetra, recently opened a flagship space in Chennai. The 15-year-old brand has an assortment of coffee and dining sets, lounge chairs, swings and pool furniture, all crafted out of sun and water resistant materials. Expect string frames, quick dry cushions as well as umbrellas and cabanas to enjoy the outdoors, with minimal sun exposure thus summer. We caught up with Ankur Modi, Managing Director of Vetra on trends this season and what is in the pipeline.
Your furniture is entire focused on outdoor spaces — what is hip and trending this season?
The rope and cane furniture is totally hip and stylish.We also have an indoor cane line which can be used in covered outdoors or indoors.
Our furniture is primarily used for outdoors as it is resistant to all types of weather. It can withstand any weather condition with low maintenance.
Could you share with us the kind of materials used and what is good to combat rain, heat, prevent moulding and so forth...
Wicker is high density synthetic fibre which is UV resistant and all-weather resistant. We use rust-proof SS or powder coated aluminium for sturdiness. Materials used in the production of our furniture are totally environment-friendly and recyclable. The USP of our furniture is that it requires very low maintenance. Our pieces are long lived in quality and durability. For fabrics we use Sunbrella or Agora which are both primarily used for outdoors. It is 100 per cent solution dyed fabric which comes with a warranty (of five years) against fading and rotting from the manufacturer.
In this regard, how does outdoor teak work — we noticed that you have a section dedicated to this. Teak is an all time favourite, it is the classiest choice one can make. The high oil content of teak wood used in our furniture enables it to withstand the harshest weather condition. We use SS or aluminium powder-coated frame depending on the clients requirement. We have also tied up with Remmer which is a German brand, this polish adds a shine to the furniture and also improves the life of it.
Do you include umbrellas or sun protection attachments that fit in a handy slot with your lounge chairs, for instance, given how hot it tends to get as the summer wears on?
Yes, we make giant umbrellas, side pole umbrellas, three-layered umbrellas and cabanas. These can be added along with your loungers, dining sets to give you the perfect shade and let you unwind under the sun.
What do you offer the city apartment owner — specifically for compact outdoor spaces like balconies?
Depending on the size of the balcony we suggest adding swings, chairs with small tables, stackable chairs. For those who have space, we suggest adding from our plush bar range. We always recommend adding our planters and hanging lights to add a beautifying tinge to your décor.
Design-wise, what is in the pipeline?
In the future, we plan to add more outdoor accessories and also to start a range of foldable outdoor furniture, keeping space constraints and convenience in mind.
Prices upwards of INR 8,000, depending on customisation. Located within The Signature Studio, Nungambakkam High Road.