There used to be traditional and modern, writes Amira El-Nakeeb. Now, when it comes to furniture, increasingly, there is ultra-modern The festive season is as much about weddings and furnishing new homes as it is about the traditional feast days. And of the two aforementioned activities, a few years after its introduction, ultra-modern furniture has been increasingly prevalent; so at least one would think of Le Marche, a popular furniture outlet. The tendency is explained by the pace of life and the increasingly confined living space, according to Maged Qassem, assistant general manager of Verinno, a furniture and landscaping company: "all of which affect people's tastes. It's all about the functional and practical." The views of Reham, a married 29-year-old, would seem to corroborate this line of thinking: "ultra-modern creates more space and makes the house few years. Both franchises and local production developed, according to Dos, as people's awareness of ultra-modern increased; no longer are the importers and makers of this style of furniture moving cautiously in the market. Yet, for the 40-60 age bracket, for example, ultra-modern is a taste acquired over time. "Clients who will readily go for these lines," says Qassem, "are mostly young couples who believe in simplicity." Thus Reham says: "I felt people would criticise my taste, but eventually my husband and I gathered enough will to do something that really expresses us." For his part Dos indicates that not only young couples but teenagers and some older clients look for ultra-modern furnishings. And with everything moving fast, perhaps the tendency will be of staying power. "It's a concept, not a piece of wood." Simple, clean cuts characterise this rather expensive kind of furniture: a simple, straight-lined two-seater from Ralph Lauren will cost 7,000 euros, for example. "When we first started four years ago," Dos explains, "most of our clients were from the upper class segment. Now most of our clientele is from the middle class. I think it's to do with the fact that locally-made ultra-modern furniture has reached an optimum degree of finesse and good quality." A mere LE10,000 can buy you a beautifully cut dining table with six leather chairs; even a reproduction of a Linge-Roset L-shaped sofa costs no more than LE7,000 -- something that hasn't made it any less hip, popular -- or all the rage. easier to clean." Indeed, considering its current spread through households, the question raised is whether ultra-modern is here to stay. The question makes more sense in the light of the fact that the spread happened gradually. Managing director and co-owner of the C-Reality interior design company, Amir Dos, traces the spread back to the media: "that helped a lot in popularising the ultra-modern -- through video clips, reality TV programmes like 'Star Academy' and talk shows like 'A l-Beit Beitak '. All gave a sense of a cosy modern place, and it's an atmosphere that people fell in love with." Hence -- something that many design companies note -- the increasing and remarkably Qassem explains that, compared to Europe, Egypt was slow to take up ultra-modern furniture because the market was dominated by the classical style of furniture; and with parents interfering in the process of furnishing the houses of young couples, it is impossible, he says, to swim against the current. The common adage of "something both luxurious and comfortable that will stay in vogue for a long time" -- as expressed by Sherine, a married 33-year-old, tended to affect the judgement of couples themselves. "Classical," she says, "is timeless." Yet Qassem has another view: "You can always have a basis that will last for as long as you want when you furnish in the ultra-modern style -- playing with nothing more than accessories and fabrics over time." Tips and tricks: - Transform the look of a room inexpensively by changing the colour scheme and accessories. - Chrome-plated knobs and handles can help enhance the contemporary spirit of your room. - Lighting is the secret to mood: use indirect lighting to bring out the simplicity of form. - Leather and micro suede, particularly in earth colours, are the seating fashion this year. - Use art to polish up the ultra-modern concept. - Locally made furniture is easily available and gives you the same quality at a much lower cost.speedy rise of the ultra-modern furniture business in the last
