Publi-Promo is holding the 27th edition of its now renowned Salon de la Maison et du Jardin. This must be a sign that Mauritians are developing an interest in their houses and interior decoration. “The Mauritian has indeed gone beyond the idea of his house being merely a roof that protects him and his family from nature. It has become a source and place of pleasure, comfort and entertainment,” confirms Didier de Senneville, the general manager of Publi-Promo.

There is no doubt about it. If it has always been a source of pride and a proof of achievement for Mauritians to have their own house, the recent years have shown that they also want to make their houses more pleasant and nice. But this has been made possible through the improvement of the living conditions of the population as well.

When we launched our first such exhibition in 1990, economy had just been boosted. People had additional revenue and could afford more comfort and a better way of living. They could afford more than the basic commodities as it was the case before,” Didier de Senneville remembers. In fact, the first fair was an immediate success because “we met a specific need of the population”.

And this trend has been confirmed the following years, as shows the high number of people attending such fairs and the fact that shops specialising in interior design and housing products are increasingly present in the country.

Same comfort at home

“In 1996, when we opened, purchasing power was already quite high and people were going abroad quite often. When they saw interior designs during their trips or in European magazines, many of them wanted to have the same pleasant environment and comfort at home,” comments Michel Vellin from Pro Deco. Now, people no longer need to go abroad to make their houses pleasant. They can find their choice here

The success of the fair just like the one of shops specialising in the sector could have been foreseen for quite a long time. “In Mauritius, people are very family-minded. Having a house to protect his family and making it happy is a top-priority in the Mauritian’s life,” explains the organiser of the fair. “Now that our way of living has developed towards a more global trend, the norms of quality of life have developed as well. If we were happy to live with the strict minimum 15 years ago, it is no longer the case now,” he adds. The growing importance of rooms such as the kitchen, the bathroom or the terrace is a proof that the house doesn’t just have to be practical today.

Banking institutions have also played an important role in the interest of Mauritians in making their house more pleasant. The mere presence of three of them at the fair during the weekend shows how important it has been in the process. All institutions have been increasing offers for home loans or personal loans during the past few years - which have allowed people to invest more in their houses.

Even if today, the general impression is that the purchasing power has gone down, the organiser of the fair is not anxious. “Inflation is high but we can’t really say that we are suffering from an economic crisis. Life might be a little bit harder but I believe that the middle-class Mauritian can still afford to please himself or herself to a certain extent.” And he promises that the fair will address all budgets!

New trends at the fair

Like every year, the new products of the fair will be brought by exhibitors themselves. “All of them will have to innovate and show some kind of creativity, as they are all competitors,” says Didier de Senneville. But this fair wants to convey a new philosophy. The concept of sustainable development will be put forward as from now. The new house will have to be environment-friendly and several exhibitors will start with specific products and services as from today. Moreover, the organisers of the fair have come closer to the association of Mauritian architects who will make more affordable house plans available to the public. These houses will be less expensive but will remain very comfortable and aesthetic.

source : allafrica.com