 It looks like any other shop, except for the rather casual display of some furnishings outside the door. But 'Home Textiles', on Arcot Road, near Vadapalani bus terminus, has a rich collection of curtains and accessories.
The husband and wife team of N Periyasamy and V Kala run this as an export factory outlet for goods from Karur. About 60 per cent of the stuff they sell is export surplus and the rest are made especially for local consumption.
The couple have had experience in running such shops in cities like Bangalore and Mangalore and are now testing the waters in
Chennai. Started in January 2004, the outlet sells only 100 per cent cotton products that are brought in from Karur where Periyasamy's brother runs a mill.
 The new habit of buying curtains off the shelf has caught on in Chennai and the outlet has a wide range to choose from. From cheese cotton white to checked curtains, from bright orange to dull green, from plain blue to embroidered green, the curtains range is stunning and very pleasing to the eye.
 "We have door curtains from 5 ft to 10 ft and all of them uniformly measure 7 ft in breadth," informs Periyasamy. His wife adds that they also sell window curtains. The price of curtains ranges from Rs 175 to Rs 1,000.
The best part of the curtains is the buttons that fasten them to the rods: They are made of wood (bought from Rajasthan) or coconut shell (yes, made to order from God's Own Country - Kerala). The wooden napkin holders are all bought from Chennapatna in Karnataka.
 Door curtains (and placemats) made of rattan, bamboo and kora grass look delightfully different and are a little bit more expensive. "If people come to me and say we get this material for Rs 30 on the platform near Egmore, I have no answer for such people. I have made sure that the quality of cloth is good here; the colour is fast and that our designs are unique," says Periyasamy matter-of-factly.
Since they are mostly focused on foreign markets, there is a touch of class in the bedcovers, tablecloths, placemats, woven gloves, rugs, floor mats, aprons, laundry and shoe bag, cotton house slippers and bedside mats.
 "If the Americans and Europeans stick to just four or five shades and patterns in a season in curtains and table cloth, the Indians have very varied tastes. The colours that Chennaivasis seem to prefer are maroon, orange with yellow, yellow with green, orange with green and coffee brown," smiles Kala. "Yes, I find the Indian customers very advanced in their tastes and they make heavy demands on us," chips in her husband.
 Recron (polyester fibre) seems to be the favoured stuffing for cushions and quilts. "Unlike cotton, it is washable and though people say it produces heat, it is suitable for A/C rooms," says
Kala.
Since most of their work is made-to-order, the carry their machines and tools to the customer's house to make upholstery and curtains. "We do fabric interiors for customers and that takes anything from two weeks to two months," says Sakthi, who displayed the beautiful furnishings.
Living almost in the heart of Bollywood, they have done interiors for many cinema stars. They have also covered nearby apartment complexes built by Ceebros and Doshi. Their highest budget was Rs 30,000 for a fabric interior decoration.
 "We charge just the same as our counter sales. We do not hike the charge just because we go to a customer's house and do the work for them. The only extra charge is for labour," says
Periyasamy.
The couple are also trying to step into making furniture. They already have some interesting wooden stuff lying around: The easel that can support a picture (Rs 250-Rs 350) the wooden fruit stand that looks like a mini hammock (Rs 250-Rs 350) and the wooden mirror stand (Rs 350), all made of rubber wood, are crafted very neatly.
 Though they are publicity shy, they participate in the Frankfurt world fair for textiles that is held every January 9,10,11, and also in the international fairs at Mumbai and Delhi. The latest sale they held was at IIT Madras, for the Ladies Club, from September 15-20.
It is heartening to hear that they mostly get repeat customers. "The same customers keep coming back to us and each one of them spends at least two hours with us," says Kala with a smile.
Wonder if she understands how loaded that statement is! That is the best advertisement one can hope to get - repeat customers who speak for the quality of the products!
S Chitra
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They cover everything
