 | 7 Years being Seen. Heard. Felt. By Elie Haddad, Founder and CEO OF Total Furniture How we experience home is sensory in all terms of the word. The events and memories created there can be seen, heard and felt by its occupants for many years. That’s why more than seven years of Total Furniture’s existence have been dedicated to this goal: Making thousands of homes unforgettably striking to the eyes, with furniture unified in style like a fine-tuned orchestra—all while creating extreme comfort. Our philosophy is quite simple. Bringing the world all the way from Italy’s Brianza region, the shores of the South Pacific, and the remotest corners of Africa delivers the quality and contemporary personal space you deserve. Home. GROWING PAINS In the beginning we wholesaled traditional Italian and European furniture exclusively. We frequented Italy and Milan on buying trips, looking for unique pieces never seen before in Houston. My thinking was that if we could offer a worldly spin on home décor, we might gain the edge in an otherwise untapped market. In 2003, we imported our first large shipment of pieces from Milan. But soon we found that Houston’s tastes desires more than just period, baroque or cultural pieces. Houston wants the clean lines created by Mies Van Der Rohe, the sexy and taut curves constructed by Le Corbusier. Houston wants contemporary furniture with slight modern influences that is both stylish and comfortable. That’s when I decided to combine my knack for importing with what economists call: demand. THE TOTAL TOUCH Steadily Total Furniture made its mark as a premier contemporary furniture retailer. Our refreshing and affordable inventory soon made a stir in Houston paralleled by no other company. Soon we were tasked with special orders to fill hundreds of Houston homes and across the globe. Our interior design services grew at surprising rates, creating beautiful spaces for Houston entertainers, sports players and of course, the everyday Houstonian. In August 2003, we finally opened our first Contemporary-only warehouse, and a 3,000 square foot showroom on Harwin. Before long, our showroom exceeded that space. Our journey led us to a larger space off of Beltway 8, then to an even larger space and our current residence on Fondren. CHANGE IS CHARACTER I must admit that my fondest memories reside in our grassroots period. I laugh at hardships like the time we imported a full container of pieces without a showroom large enough to sell them in. Now, as I travel abroad on yearly buying trips to China and other places, I can’t help but respect those times. The times that built character. Without those times, Total Furniture would never have become the premier modern and contemporary retailer it is today. LOOKING FORWARD Expansion is always on the horizon. My goal is to place our collection of furniture, rugs, lighting and art into showrooms in major cities all over the world. Is it a lofty goal? Maybe. Is it an unattainable goal? Experience tells me no. Seven years ago no one had ever heard, seen or felt the striking style and comfort Total Furniture would offer today. In ten more years, clients from all over the world will recognize the Total touch.
|
