<p>Remya Anand, communications specialist with a start-up, found herself using her bed as a work desk during lockdown last year. “I had moved to the city only in mid-February 2020. I was only starting to set up my home when the lockdown was announced,” she says. For the rest of the year, she learnt to work using makeshift mechanisms, such as the cardboard box her oven came in being used as a desk and rolled up duvets acting as seating.</p>.<p>“By September, when things started calming down, my office told us to return to the office, and I assumed the ordeal was over. But over the past couple of months, we have resumed remote working and returned to the office and simply gone back and forth many times,” she says. Realising that regardless of what her company decided, she needed to have a workstation set up, she started looking into purchasing a desk and<br />chair.</p>.<p>“I found a few options but I was in two minds because of the cost factor. And, since we had been asked so many times to return to the office, I didn’t want to invest in something I might not use in the long run,” she says. Earlier this year, she decided to simply rent the furniture she needed.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Increased interest</span></strong></p>.<p>Sidhant Lamba, founder, Fabrento, says that he has observed a 15 per cent upsurge in demand per month since the end of the first lockdown. “Why should people invest their capital funds and savings in something that might not be a permanent fixture?” he says, explaining the reason for the increased interest among people.</p>.<p>While work-from-home furniture has seen many takers, there has also been an increased interest in beds, living room furniture, sofas and recliners as well as dining tables, he says. </p>.<p>About 45 to 55 per cent of their customers are women, and a major portion of their clients fall within the 21-30 age group. “People who have just moved into the big city for college, people in their first to third jobs, people in a live-in relationship, or just married couples are our usual clients,” he says.</p>.<p>People over the age of 35 are likely to be more settled and hence focused on saving and building a more permanent life for themselves.</p>.<p>“However, this mindset is changing. Renting, people are now realising, is cheaper than paying EMI. Funiture does not appreciate in value and what happens when you are bored? This is a more comfortable option, which is also why youngsters and millennials are interested in this option,” he adds. </p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Low investment, high flexibility</span></strong></p>.<p>Many, like Remya, have been motivated by similar reasons to opt for renting. Rohini Rajagopal, a professional home organiser, says that she has seen many people opting for rentals as it allows them a lot of flexibility.</p>.<p>“Many have had their family move in with them during this period, while others are shifting to bigger rental homes despiting owning a house as they feel it would make things convenient as all family members are at home. Since these are all temporary situations, buying furniture for the time period doesn’t make sense. Since there are also questions with regards to job security and many deciding to make the shift to quieter places, renting allows them the option of avoiding the extra luggage when the time comes. “Many people who left at the start of the first lockdown had to move their things into storage spaces, which they are still paying for. Others, have to lug all these items to wherever they do, which is also not convenient,” she explains. </p>.<p>People are opting to focus on functionality over aesthetics. “It is about having that extra sofa seating or having a dining table where you can have a meal as a family, and use as a work desk or study table during the day,” she says. For rental companies as well, the focus is on the functionality aspect, as well as catering to a larger crowd, hence most products that are listed come in neutral shades, she adds. </p>.<p>Kamini, who works in the corporate sector says that she chose to rent a study table when the work-from-home situation was thrown at her out of nowhere last year.</p>.<p>“I needed a work station, but I thought about whether this was something I needed in my home permanently, and decided to rent,” she says. It also allowed her to change the product with not much hassle in case she was not satisfied<br />with it.<br />“It is also more economical. Yes, there is a security deposit applicable, but it will either be returned to you when you are done or will be adjusted against your payments,” she says. </p>
<p>Remya Anand, communications specialist with a start-up, found herself using her bed as a work desk during lockdown last year. “I had moved to the city only in mid-February 2020. I was only starting to set up my home when the lockdown was announced,” she says. For the rest of the year, she learnt to work using makeshift mechanisms, such as the cardboard box her oven came in being used as a desk and rolled up duvets acting as seating.</p>.<p>“By September, when things started calming down, my office told us to return to the office, and I assumed the ordeal was over. But over the past couple of months, we have resumed remote working and returned to the office and simply gone back and forth many times,” she says. Realising that regardless of what her company decided, she needed to have a workstation set up, she started looking into purchasing a desk and<br />chair.</p>.<p>“I found a few options but I was in two minds because of the cost factor. And, since we had been asked so many times to return to the office, I didn’t want to invest in something I might not use in the long run,” she says. Earlier this year, she decided to simply rent the furniture she needed.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Increased interest</span></strong></p>.<p>Sidhant Lamba, founder, Fabrento, says that he has observed a 15 per cent upsurge in demand per month since the end of the first lockdown. “Why should people invest their capital funds and savings in something that might not be a permanent fixture?” he says, explaining the reason for the increased interest among people.</p>.<p>While work-from-home furniture has seen many takers, there has also been an increased interest in beds, living room furniture, sofas and recliners as well as dining tables, he says. </p>.<p>About 45 to 55 per cent of their customers are women, and a major portion of their clients fall within the 21-30 age group. “People who have just moved into the big city for college, people in their first to third jobs, people in a live-in relationship, or just married couples are our usual clients,” he says.</p>.<p>People over the age of 35 are likely to be more settled and hence focused on saving and building a more permanent life for themselves.</p>.<p>“However, this mindset is changing. Renting, people are now realising, is cheaper than paying EMI. Funiture does not appreciate in value and what happens when you are bored? This is a more comfortable option, which is also why youngsters and millennials are interested in this option,” he adds. </p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Low investment, high flexibility</span></strong></p>.<p>Many, like Remya, have been motivated by similar reasons to opt for renting. Rohini Rajagopal, a professional home organiser, says that she has seen many people opting for rentals as it allows them a lot of flexibility.</p>.<p>“Many have had their family move in with them during this period, while others are shifting to bigger rental homes despiting owning a house as they feel it would make things convenient as all family members are at home. Since these are all temporary situations, buying furniture for the time period doesn’t make sense. Since there are also questions with regards to job security and many deciding to make the shift to quieter places, renting allows them the option of avoiding the extra luggage when the time comes. “Many people who left at the start of the first lockdown had to move their things into storage spaces, which they are still paying for. Others, have to lug all these items to wherever they do, which is also not convenient,” she explains. </p>.<p>People are opting to focus on functionality over aesthetics. “It is about having that extra sofa seating or having a dining table where you can have a meal as a family, and use as a work desk or study table during the day,” she says. For rental companies as well, the focus is on the functionality aspect, as well as catering to a larger crowd, hence most products that are listed come in neutral shades, she adds. </p>.<p>Kamini, who works in the corporate sector says that she chose to rent a study table when the work-from-home situation was thrown at her out of nowhere last year.</p>.<p>“I needed a work station, but I thought about whether this was something I needed in my home permanently, and decided to rent,” she says. It also allowed her to change the product with not much hassle in case she was not satisfied<br />with it.<br />“It is also more economical. Yes, there is a security deposit applicable, but it will either be returned to you when you are done or will be adjusted against your payments,” she says. </p>