Our homes are a reflection of ourselves. The décor we choose for our intimate space is a stamp of our personality. VO Living, an exclusive furniture and lifestyle brand with its flagship showroom in Delhi, understands this all too well and offers bespoke pieces that one would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Started by Priyanka Singh, this one-of-a-kind retail experience caters to Indian tastes through a globally sourced collection of curated furniture and alluring décor.
With a Bachelors’ degree in Business Administration, Singh was running an education business before she ventured into this line. She is skilled at fusing her knack for business with her passion for design. Her penchant for eclectic and bold pieces stems from her vibrant aesthetic and elegant lifestyle. This, coupled with a rich exposure to vivid global styles from her various travels, makes her design practice a truly unique one. “I believe that I have a strong eye for detail. This allows me to expertly handpick unique and singular decor pieces such as furniture, trinkets, wall art, collectables, and other accessories that we keep at VO Living,” she says with pride.
Singh’s unique sensibilities and refined tastes reflect through her thoughtfully curated collections that cater to all decor needs. She expressly states that her mission is to reimagine luxury living by offering customers a glimpse of a comfortable, yet delightfully extravagant lifestyle. Sharing her journey, Singh says, “Before 2020, I owned a preschool and design institution. Unfortunately, the educational sector was hugely impacted by the pandemic and prompted me to think about what I really wanted to do. I began working with my husband, a renowned architectural designer, on interiors and styling for his architectural projects. Very house-proud myself, I have always had a penchant for eclectic and bold pieces. My design aesthetic prompted me to pursue a career in this field by focussing on the realm of home decor.”
VO Living launched its flagship showroom in November 2020, with an aim to merge the gap between the increasing demand for exquisite global decor and its lack of easy availability in India. In a post-pandemic context, Singh believes that VO Living is enabling good design from across the globe to reach Indian audiences in the comfort of their homes.
They offer a selection of bespoke pieces and globally sourced eclectic furniture to exquisite accessories, luxe fabrics, and stylish furnishings. Singh categorically states that there is something to suit every mood and taste. Setting her practice apart from that of her competitors’, she states, “At VO Living, the products are not just presented as unrelated, individual pieces to pick and choose from. Instead, they are brought together to reflect a lifestyle with a sense of vigour, allowing our patrons to reimagine everyday spaces. We take pride in providing multiple options from around the globe to our customers, enabling them to style their own space for both splendour and comfort. We also have an in-house expert team that provides customised, end-to-end home styling services.”
Currently, the VO Living collection is available at their flagship showroom in Jangpura, New Delhi and the Janavi Store in the capital city’s The Lodhi Hotel. They plan to open another store in Gurugram soon and are looking to expand to Dubai in the near future. Though not currently available online, they are happy to ship anywhere across the globe if people reach out to them directly.
When asked about the challenges she has faced, Singh says, “One of the most challenging aspects so far has been to make clients understand that they may need to invest in multiple types and categories of decor and furniture pieces to complete the look of the space.” But this minor problem has not deterred the brand’s growth. Ticking the sustainability box, their furniture is manufactured and obtained entirely from sustainable sources. Many of the products are handmade with environmentally friendly materials. While staying eco-conscious in ethos, the design and styling of the products are suited to modern lifestyles.
Singh describes their wing chairs as their most popular product, as they are dramatic in impact, with high-back and side-rests that make them comfortable seats. This classic design has retained its charm for hundreds of years. With customers now looking for furniture that is both comfortable and stylish, pieces like L-shaped sofas, lounge chairs that swivel, large and comfortable beds, and study desks are high in demand.
“Other than our expansion plans, we are looking to add more exquisite products to our collection. We also want to increase our bespoke interior design and styling projects. Other than that, we hope to do pop-ups at high-end locations to showcase our decor and furniture. Some of our previous exhibitions and pop-ups were set up at the Camellias in Gurugram, Jaipur Polo Grounds and the Emporio Mall—both popular spaces in New Delhi,” explains Singh.
VO Living prides itself on having access to premium fabrication facilities from around the world that allows it to source singular and unique decor of the highest quality. These include vintage antiques and contemporary crafts sourced from over eight countries including England, Italy, Portugal, Thailand, China, Morocco, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The writer pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blogs www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.