Furnishing a New Apartment in North Bengaluru: A Room-by-Room Teak Checklist

North Bengaluru has seen thousands of new apartments handed over in recent years — around Hebbal, Yelahanka, Thanisandra, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli and along the airport corridor. If you’ve just got the keys, furnishing can feel overwhelming. This checklist breaks it down room by room, with a focus on solid teak furniture that you’ll keep for decades.

Before you buy anything: the handover checklist

• Measure everything — each room, each wall, and the lift and main door. New buildings often have generous rooms but compact lifts.
• Note electrical points — TV, AC, switchboards and lights decide where the sofa and dining table can go.
• Check for dampness — new plaster can take months to dry fully; keep furniture slightly away from walls that still feel cool or damp.
• Plan the order of work — finish painting, false ceilings and floor polishing before furniture arrives.
• Work back from your move-in date — made-to-order furniture typically takes 4–6 weeks, so order soon after you’ve measured.

Living room

This is usually the first room people furnish and the one guests see.

• Sofa: decide between a 3+1+1 set and an L-shaped sofa — our guide 3+1+1 or L-shaped? walks through it. Classic options include the Oslo; for open-plan living rooms, a corner sofa like the Nova uses space well.
• Coffee table: roughly two-thirds the length of the sofa, about 40–45 cm from it.
• TV unit and storage: measure the TV wall before choosing.
• Rug: large enough for at least the front legs of the sofa and chairs to sit on it.

Dining area

• Size: allow about 60 cm of table edge per person and 75–90 cm behind chairs. Our dining table guide has typical sizes for 4, 6 and 8 seats.
• Shape: rectangular for long rooms; square or soft-cornered for compact ones.
• Compact homes: sets whose chairs tuck in completely, like the Orbit, save valuable floor space.
• Top: solid teak like the Arlo for relaxed everyday use; glass or marble for a lighter or more formal look.

Bedrooms

• Measure for the bed, bedside tables and wardrobe clearance — wardrobe doors need room to open.
• Leave at least 60 cm on the sides of the bed you’ll walk around.
• Choose bedside tables roughly level with the top of the mattress.

Balcony and verandah

Many North Bengaluru apartments have generous balconies. A pair of teak armchairs and a small table turn one into a favourite spot. Choose pieces that can be moved inside during heavy monsoon rain.

Work-from-home corner

If you work from home, plan a proper desk and chair from the start — the dining table is a poor long-term office.

Budget and phasing

You don’t have to furnish everything at once. A common approach is to invest first in the pieces you use most and that are hardest to replace — the sofa and dining set — and add smaller items over time. Buying fewer, better pieces in solid teak usually costs less over the years than replacing cheaper furniture.

Bengaluru-specific tips

• Monsoon (June–October) is humid: keep furniture slightly off fresh walls and ventilate well. See caring for teak in Bengaluru’s climate.
• Book deliveries for weekday mornings where your society allows — many gated communities restrict lift use at peak times.
• Inform your building’s facility team in advance about large deliveries.