Enjoy the Ra-psody!

The furniture and accessories collection at Ra The Lifestyle store, is avant-garde and shows craftsmanship at its best, says Barnalee Handique


Are you planning to revamp your home with some unique and exclusive furniture available in the market? Well then, look no further. Ra Lifestyle store has a range of such furniture items, accessories and other doodads for your home!
The store has been named after the Greek god Ra, who symbolises creativity and prosperity. Ra the Lifestyle Store, which opened its doors to Puneites in March, offers furniture with a modern twist. The store stocks bedroom furniture, garden furniture, clocks, ceramics, glassware, mirrors, wrought iron and terracota accessories, lamps, linen in various permutations and combinations. We liked the lamps made of old milk cans, the chandelier made from the headgear warriors used in olden times, the computer table converted from an old sewing machine table, the lazyboy made out of an elephant haudah (ambari), quirky terracoota animals, sandhooks, sideboards and wooden racks. All the furniture pieces distinctly reflect the flavour of India.
The store is an intiative of Mihir Shah and Promod Gandhi. Reveals Shekhar Shah, Mihir’s father and one-of-the partners of Ra, “My son Mihir and Pramod were remodelling their homes at the same time. While hunting for furniture and other accessories, they sauntered into Sunri Lifestyle in Bangalore. They were impressed by the collection at the store and thought of setting up their own store. And that’s how the idea of Ra lifestyle popped up.”
Ra Lifestyle was finally set up in conjunction with Sunri Lifestyle, Bangalore.
The store is going great lengths to make shopping a memorable experience for visitors. The sprawling 7000 sq ft store is split into two levels. The furniture and decorative pieces are displayed in such a way that one can imagine how it will look in their home. The designs, be it in the bedroom furniture, garden furniture or accessories, are not run-of-the-mill.
All the furniture pieces are handcrafted and made of hardwood. Some of the pieces are textured with intricate work, making them exceptionally stunning. The pieces recreated by the artisans are exquisite and are precious collectibles. The store doesn’t sell antiques.
Shah says, “The USP of our collection is innovation. We have got a team of designers in Bangalore who comes out with exclusive designs. These designs are then sent to the workshops which are scattered all over the country. We sign a contract with the artisans that the products are not replicated.”
The clients are assured exclusivity with no repetition. The products go through a stringent quality check before they hit the market. The prices of these products start from Rs 300 and may go upto Rs 1 lakh.
Once you select the furnture, the store ensures that it reaches your residence within a couple of days. So, you not only save on delivery expenses but also do not have to worry about piling expensive furniture in your car boot.