The collection at Onset. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Onset, at 51/2 Hindustan Park, provides designer fabrics for furnishings and interiors as well as apparel, with a focus on silk. “I want people to put more thought into the colours and fabrics they put on walls, floors, curtains and furniture, as this is as much a reflection of personal fashion as the designer clothes they spend a bomb on,” stresses Neha Jalan, proprietor of the store.

The tastefully designed outlet is spread over three floors and 3,200 sq ft. The parent company, J. J. Exporters, has been in this business for over five decades, exporting their fabrics — especially silk — around the world. Manufactured and designed in workshops across the country, their products keep an eye on international trends. Neha, armed with a degree in textile design, has simply expanded upon her family’s expertise with this speciality store.

Onset sprawls over three floors, with a design sensibility that showcases the fabrics. Silk screens, curtains made out of silk and framed panels adorn the walls. The ground floor stocks home accessories like bedspreads, cushion covers, napkins and quilts primarily in silk and some cotton. Napkin rings designed by Vasundhara Mantri are also on sale. So are intricate glass chandeliers.

On the first floor, swathes of cloth are displayed on racks in dark wood. There is also a design section that provides solutions for clients and also demonstrates how a particular swathe might look on their furniture. The collection includes a varied colour palette suited to the autumn festive season — the textured fabrics with patterns, embossing and embroidery are versatile and ethno-trendy.

Eclectic pieces of artistically mismatched furniture with wacky upholstery combos are arranged around the store, giving people an idea of what they could do with their homes. The second level of the store stocks fabric for apparel and includes very high-end pieces used by designers like Prada, Valentino, Gucci and Cartier, among others. A range of French laces, delicate textured chiffons and embossed silks are also at hand.

There is also a collection of designer ties and scarves from international design houses as well as a seating area with design books, including catalogues of designers and original designs that Onset materials were used for.

Much thought has gone into this store with its matching tiles, textured wallpaper and wall prints. The prices range from Rs 75 for a single napkin to Rs 3 lakh for a chandelier. Onset is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10.30am to 7.30pm and from 2pm to 7pm on Sundays.

One of the items on display at Something Old & Something New. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Period pieces

Something Old & Something New is a quiet store tucked away in a quieter lane at 29/1A Ballygunge Circular Road. An ornate balcony and old-fashioned lettering on a wooden sign make a passerby curiously compelled to walk in.

An antique wooden door opens into a 500 sq ft set-up. A small ante room leads into a bigger space full of furniture and accessories. The store specialises in Victorian, Edwardian and other period pieces that are faithful reproductions of antiques with a contemporary twist to make them compatible with modern living, as well as restored originals.

Brainchild of Amrita Sinha and Rupak Mitra, Something Old & Something New also offers curios like lamps and artefacts, but the focus is mahogany furniture. Sofas, chairs, cabinets, mirrors and tables form the mainstay of the collection. Plans are also on to add beds when the shop expands.

Amrita and Rupak also make customised pieces and advise clients on their interiors. “We have tried to blend the antique with the modern and remove the misconception that period furniture is expensive and only meant for big houses,” says Amrita Sinha, managing partner of the store.

The decor den is designed in bright colours with quirky elements. A stained-glass image of Buddha and a surrounding mural in bright colours occupies central space.

Several parts of the wall are differently textured and decorated in ways to give visitors ideas they could replicate in their homes.

Each corner has a theme. We like a blue section of the wall with an old marble table, a quirky round lamp and a metal rickshaw. Another textured wall has an old safe converted into a mini bar and a funky chaise lounge with leather sides and newsprint upholstery.

Prices at the store start at Rs 2,500 and go up to Rs 40,000.