Buying a new house is easy but turning the house into a home with the right furniture and accessories is an art. Nowadays, there are many households that are bidding adieu to wooden furniture and going in for wrought iron, which is more trendy, sleek and hassle free.

Despite a growing demand for it, outlets for it are still not so common in Jamshedpur as in other cities like Calcutta, Delhi and Mumbai.

In fact, there is just one shop in Jamshedpur that sells and manufactures wrought iron furniture.

Zahid Parwez, owner of Royal Palace in Bistupur, said that on seeing the demand for wrought iron furniture he set up his factory named Singhala at Gamariha for manufacturing wrought iron furniture.

Parwez, a commerce graduate from Karim City College, who belongs to a family of businessmen, decided in 2004 to diversify his business from domestic appliances and luggage to furniture.

Initially, Parwez did have some doubts as to how a business in wrought iron furniture would fare in Jamshedpur. After all, it was a new concept, though there was a growing awareness. But his doubts didn’t last long for ever since his business has been constantly on the rise and he hasn’t looked back since.

To promote the sale of wrought iron furniture, the motto of his shop is “Save Trees, Save Environment”— a concept Parwez thinks is important to spread. Wrought iron is made from high grade steel, which is purchased locally by Parwez. The designing and finishing is done at his factory, which has special machines for bending, designing and painting, before the products finally reach the showroom.

The biggest advantage that wrought iron furniture has over wood is that it has life long guarantee, it is easy to maintain and is cost effective. According to Parwez, wooden furniture has a risk of termites; if sunmica is used, it has chances of chipping or coming out. But wrought iron has no such disadvantages, it very rarely rusts and the welding never comes out. It is therefore an one time investment which one can treasure for years.

All one needs to do to maintain this type of furniture is wipe it clean with cloth and water. Moreover, good quality wood is much more expensive than wrought iron. Furniture is made to order in Parwez’s showroom according to the customer’s need and individual preference.

Goods are delivered within seven to 10 days after placing the order. They come in not only conventional black but in other colours, too, though black remains the most preferred colour.

The showroom has items starting from Rs 275 and can go up according to the size and requirement. From flower pot stands, wall brackets, to all type of furniture like sofa sets, bed, dining tables are available at Parwez’s shop.

They also make wrought iron gates and ornamental railings for the staircase.

Asked about the profile of customers, Parwez said that the trend was catching up really fast and he gets customers from all kinds of backgrounds and professions. Sonali Ghosh, a teacher and a customer, said that she preferred wrought iron furniture as they look stylish and almost never needed maintenance. The fact they don’t rust add to their attractiveness, she said.

R.K Sharma, businessman, said he chose wrought iron rather than wood for his daughter’s wedding because of its longevity.

It is also easier to maintain and move when one is in a transferable job.