This Luxury Lifestyle Shop In Kochi Is The Perfect Destination for Homemakers and Architects Alike

16 Sep 2016
Fathima AbdulKader
Features

A phrase like “Products with Stories and Brands with History” is not something that you can throw around easily, But Harbinger of Spring is a shop that can boast in holding this phrase true. Located in one of the most upscale neighborhoods in Kochi, Harbinger of Spring is a lifestyle store that caters to a shopper’s need for individuality and luxury. The name of this shop was inspired by the Swallow that signifies the onset of spring after a harsh winter, a signifier of transformation and that is exactly what this store aims to do- “changing houses into homes and beings into personalities.”

An Oil man by profession, Reju George, a man of Kochi origins, collects art and unique décor pieces while on his travels. He saw that there was a gap in the market for this in his home town and turned the opportunity into a business. While there are home décor shops that look sleek, composed and often like a hotel lobby, Harbinger of Spring caters to those who seek individuality and want to exude their personality in their home. The shop itself is an old house whose front wall is covered in beautiful drawings and whose inside walls are done with beautiful wallpapers that are very different and yet somehow work really well together. Reju says that the intention was to show that a beautiful mixture of patterns and colors can look striking in a single space.

Brands

Harbinger of Spring Makes available some of the best home décor brands available in the world, not just India. Ranging from Asia Tides France, Baroque Netherlands, Fitz and Floyd USA, Twinkle Khanna's White Window, Sarita Handa and the list goes on. There are also unique pieces from other brands that Reju himself picked out for the shop, like the Portuguese pewter platter made by a family who has been making them for the last 300 years and so on.

Variety of products

When it comes to home décor, HOS stocks everything from Wallpapers that portray beautiful tales about each room it is used in, like the Morris and Co wallpaper that lines one of the walls inside the shop, endless arrays of cushions that are printed with art work by artists of the like of M.F. Hussain, etc. and they also have signed works by some of the artist to give your home a touch elegance that might increase in value as the years go on. They also have a collection of branded chairs, many brand photo frames that are apt for gifting and easy on the pocket, and many wall pieces that the owner himself put together- like the Ralph Laurent Plates mounted on a Abraham and Thakore textile and framed for display.

Accessibility

If you thought the looks of the shop makes it seem like this is not something you can possibly shop from, think again. Reju George believes that art and unique pieces can add beauty to any space, no matter how small the item might be and have stocked items like storage pieces, serving dishes, wall decorations and frames that can even fit into a student’s budget.

Uniqueness

Even though imitation is the greatest form of flattery, nobody really likes to see their favorites replicated somewhere else, not when you put so much time and effort into picking each item out and putting together a beautiful outfit or a beautiful space. This shop would cater to the appeal of those who seek that exclusivity because all the items in the shop is handpicked by the owner himself, or is sourced directly from designers and hence it offers products that are not mass produced and not even the store might carry a second piece of the same item. The best part is that more pieces are added to the shop to suit the trends and to move with the seasons.

The apparel appeal

If you think home décor is the only thing you can find in Harbinger of Spring, think again. Harbinger of spring has a dedicated garments room that carries beautiful clothes from the brand Shades Of India, and they also source clothes from artisan weavers of Dhaka and Gujarat to bring authentic Jamdhani and Patola sarees and even dupattas to Kochi.

Personal Care, Do Care

If you are someone who loves their luxury personal care brands, Kama Ayurveda is a brand that is on par with brands like Forest Essentials and The Body Shop, but is all natural and has become immensely popular in the recent past. Harbinger of Spring also seeks to appeal to the part of anyone that likes to take care of themselves by bringing this brand to you whose products are luxurious, effective and affordable.

Wedding Registry

The best part about Harbinger of Spring is that even if you are there to buy a gift and don’t know what to get someone, they have the option for you to gift the gift card. Or if you are getting married and don’t want to bowled over with an endless array of clocks, they offer the option to set up a wedding registry where your loved ones can pamper you by picking out the things that you like from the shop.

Which is your favourite lifestyle shop in Kochi? Do let us know by leaving a comment or reaching out to us on our social media platforms. Tag us at @WtzupKochi

In addition to being a great place to shop, Harbinger of Spring was also the location for the photoshoot for the story of Mollywood starlet Utthara Unni. You can read the story and have a look at further shots from the shoot here.