Enter the home décor store The Upper Room and you’re greeted with flowery bright cushions and an even brighter smile by Sharon Isaiah, who owns the place. A store which has its roots in Ooty, was initially a home project by Sharon, who passionately goes on to reminisce how literally her upper room in her house has become the store that exists here in Coimbatore. “I am a textile designer by qualification and we had a single room upstairs in our house that we decided to convert into a tiny store, to display what I had created. And that’s how The Upper Room was born.”
Print party
The store that spreads across 1,500 sq ft and is located close to the Lakshmi Mills Junction, was opened a year ago and already has regulars from the city. Expect handpicked collections of bed linen, cushion covers, rugs and quilts. Besides off-the-shelf items, custom projects with an emphasis on personalised services are on offer too. “We customise curtains based on the fabrics our clients find appealing and just to make sure we have something for everyone, we have quirky coasters that are made out of wood, crochet and upcycled material where paper mush is swirled and some pieces of leftover fabric is woven on top. We also stock coin purses and other kitschy accessories,” says Sharon. Unique being the operative word here, each design is one off and no mass produced patterns are on display. Apart from home linen and rugs, The Upper Room also has some crocheted inspirational quotes, bright-coloured wooden photo frames, block printed table mats and a small selection of crockery.
Observing that there is a slow but sure shift in the home décortrend in Coimbatore, Sharon says that the younger generation is more open to experimenting with colours, textures and prints that are more contemporary. “As a city, Coimbatore has a lot of beautiful bungalows which are still predominantly decorated with traditional teakwood and rosewood accessories. But now gradually there is a change in the décor culture and colours are here to stay. We stock a lot of floral, vintage, geometric and nature-inspired prints which are a huge hit,” she says.
Make all things new
The store makes a conscious effort to be sustainable with their collection of upcycled accessories. Apart from this they also support small businesses by displaying some of the crocheted craftwork and tableware created by NGOs that closely work with prisoners. “Nowadays people are conscious about making sustainable lifestyle choices and we want to encourage that, so we use only upcycled fabric. Also, handcrafted products have a more personal touch to them,” says Sharon. Hoping to have an online store up and running shortly, Sharon tells us the Christmas sale is something to look forward to as well.
Rs 100 onwards for cushion covers.