Home decor items like pen stands, paper racks and wall hangings on display at a store in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 5: While contemporary furniture designs are gaining popularity and catching the fancy of many, there is a section of people in the city that believes in adding a touch of ethnicity to their interiors.

Furniture and decorative accessories made of bamboo and cane are simply perfect to add a touch of tradition to one’s drawing room.

Available at various handicraft stores in the city, there are ethnic designs that have been amalgamated with modern shapes.

Whether it’s a single garden chair or a sofa set, bamboo and cane furniture have become really chic nowadays. Exquisite designs and shades make the products perfect for a modern house.

“I saw this triangular set of three chairs and a centre table that looked so distinctive, I just had to buy them for my living room,” says Dr Vikram Samal.

Furniture in shades of deep brown and beige look attractive in a garden or in the drawing room. Cane sofa sets adorned with embellished cushions look strikingly beautiful: they render a classy look to the interiors.

Small handicraft stores, such as those in the Ekamra Haat of the city, offer a wide range of furniture made of bamboo and cane.

“The popularity of cane was diminishing a few years back, as the traditional sofa designs went out of fashion. But with the help of self-help groups and special handicraft designers, we planned to change the shapes of the furniture,” says artisan Ganesh Prasad Mallick, who runs a store at Ekamra Haat.

“Today, we have trendy designs that can compete with contemporary styles of furniture . We have a good clientele now,”he says.

“Especially during exhibitions there is a huge demand for bamboo and cane furniture. We depend on in-house artisans and also get the supplies from Assam,” he adds.

A number of hotels and coffee shops also use bamboo furniture to give a cosy look to their spaces.

However, couches and coffee tables are unsuitable for homes and do not add elegance to the rooms.

A number of home décor items like letter racks, hanging flower vases, mugs and even fashion accessories like bangles and hairpins are being created with bamboo in exclusive designs and patterns.

“Although I do not receive too many letters these days, the beautiful letter box can be used as a paper rack in my study room,” says Gayatri Swain, a student.

The decorative items and bric-a-brac can be bought for minimum amount of Rs 25, wooden sculptures carved out of bamboo are available at around Rs 500, chairs, tables and sofa sets start at Rs 14,000. The prices could go higher depending on the designs and quality of the material.