SOFA SO GOOD

for 10 years, the benzer design centre has been the elite puneite's furniture landmark. on october 26, 2001, that landmark just got elevated another notch. krome, benzer's new 11,000 sq. ft. showroom at amar manor, pune-solapur road, is what proprietor nainesh nandu calls a symbol of infinite quality," and then adds for impact the fact that, "all products are iso-9002 certified." for the 14-lakh people that inhabit the south of pune, the area that krome hopes to service, the sheer magnanimity of the display area allows for a three dimensional view of this furniture arcade. inside, contemporary furniture, most of it imported, is aesthetically and functionally displayed. take the 'bed section'. set in mild steel and wrought iron with an intricate textured finish on powder coating, or in wood designs, a 6-ft. by 3-ft. bed is priced at around rs 5,325. the leit motif of all items is a sleek look with clean lines, combining form and master workmanship. nandu, who sources the furniture personally, says, "the trend in designing furniture has changed. buyers now prefer furniture off the shelf." the dining table area sports a four-seater malaysian grain-wood round table, for rs 8,000. the 10-item range in wooden tables, includes rubber wood, maple wood and canadian beach wood. in the child-proof glass-top range, the cost could go as high as rs 60,000. the sofas accentuate the subdued design in fabrics and muted hues. the acrylic cord fabric sofa at rs 30,000 fits any type of interior. so do the sinking sofas which offer lush comfort at rs 30,000. cow leather sofas from italy and germany are exorbitant, but exquisitely comfortable. one can't miss the window display of what krome advertises as "asia's largest sofa". weighing 110 kgs, 15-ft in length, 6-ft in depth and 6-ft high, the sofa, according to nandu "symbolises that we are the king in the sofa range." the array of wall units is limited, but what is available is unique. a creative combination of grass and wood with a revolving bar and two distinct sections, stands out at rs 40,000. centre tables are futuristic with laser fibre glass and wood ornaments in geometrical shapes. the opulent collection of vases and utility bowls in porcelain with flowers or corncobs, match their prices from rs 2,000 to rs 3,700. nandu is already enthused with exploring other areas in design, such as a full-fledged lifestyle image, combining furnishing, bed and bath linen, cutlery, candles and so on. in the offing is a coffee shop and a children's play area.