But it is not high-profile clients that set New Age apart from otherfurniture stores in the Capital. It is its contemporary style. ``We havedecided to deviate from heavy, traditional and ornate furniture, andinstead, use modular and futuristic designs. Our USP is sleek modularfurniture that has an air of utility and can be tailored to suit urbanhomes, where space is scarce,'' claims Daljit Singh, director, New Age.

New Age's modular furniture is simple to look at, but has very high designvalue. ``We import technologically superior wood panels from Antares andMini Forms, based in the Venetian region of North-East Italy. The region,besides being one of the most affluent, also has the highest concentrationof furniture companies in Italy. While Antares specialises in world classmodular kitchens, Mini Forms makes small coffee tables, side tables andglass vetrines (glass display cabinets), which sell like hot cakes among ourtarget audience,'' says Singh.

The buyers of their furniture are the elite who would not compromise ontaste because of the price. Elaborating on the product and the price range,Singh says, ``We have modular kitchens that have an assortment of cabinets,a burner and a chimney in 46 virgin colours and 10 designs in the pricerange of Rs 85,000-Rs 4 lakh. For living rooms, we offer sofas in the pricerange of Rs 13,000-34,0000; coffee tables for between Rs 6,000 and Rs25,000, wall units priced at Rs 38,000-60,000 and display cabinets in theprice bracket of Rs 34,000 to Rs 55,000,'' says Singh.

An economics graduate from Delhi University, Singh works with his brothersand father, Manmohan Singh, to manage their boutique near New Delhi's NorthCampus. Today, they are launching their second outlet, in Lajpat Nagar. Thestore has a team of trained designers headed by a chief designer who makescomputer-aided layout sketches for clients after visiting their home. Shethen discusses the layouts with the client and finalises the order based onconsumer preferences. The consumer of today has a distinct tilt towardopenness, according to Singh.

``The metropolitan buyer of today has a very different perception of hisliving space. He wants spacious, well-lighted rooms without any restraint onmovement. For example, a net-savvy 2000 consumer will not like a living roomwith too much furniture as the computer has already moved into his bedroom.Depending on the feedback and the space available, we can fit the contoursof the module,'' claims Singh. Another aspect that New Age consumers areparticular about is the high quality of accessories, according to Singh.

``Each drawer and hinge should facilitate comfort and aesthetics. That iswhy we have to import the best of German and Austrian accessories to go withthe furniture,'' says Singh.