Ainee Shehzad brings 2011 collection
Ainee Shehzad’s latest furniture collection will be exhibited in Karachi till Tuesday, April 12.
KARACHI:
About 12 years ago, when Ainee Shehzad and her husband decided to build their own house, finding the best furniture in town seemed nearly impossible.
What once began as an aspiration, to have her house interior reflecting her personal style, is now a business. Shehzad is now a professional designer who has experimented with leather, wood, stones and even marble in her furniture designs.
The entrepreneur is currently exhibiting her latest designs at her residence located off Khayaban-e-Shaheen in DHA Phase 5. Talking to The Express Tribune about her 2011 Grand Vistas Exhibition, the designer said: “About 12 years ago when we decided to build our house, there was nothing different in the furniture shops. It was just regular stuff available in the market. I had a great team of carpenters who saw how increasingly concerned I was about the entire house project and how involved I was with it. They suggested me to design the furniture myself.”
Finding inspiration comes easy to her as she asserted: “A flower structured in a particular shape inspires me, foreign architectural designs too get me inspired, sometimes even crockery and cutlery sets inspire me too.”
Hence, Shehzad recreates new designs every four months. “Because I’m able to modify, change and recreate a new design, I’m able to display three times a year in Karachi and three times in Dubai,” she said.
“The furniture pieces need to be appealing but should be very comfortable too. Moreover, when it comes to furniture, it should not be exceedingly expensive but should be what people can afford reasonably,” said Shehzad.
Having designed the foyer area of the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, Shehzad today runs four factories.
Giving a big-picture view of interior designing, Shehzad said: “Let’s make Pakistan a peaceful place and for a good serene environment to become a breeding ground, we need to give a good shape to our houses by giving interior designing a chance. One is certainly not inspired to do well until everything is not beautiful all around them.”
However, she also feels the need to acknowledge interior designing in Pakistan. “How often does one make a house, it’s just once in a lifetime. You need to accept the fact that your ideas can be dealt brilliantly by the interior designer if you hire their services,” said Shehzad.
Dealing with different tastes of her clientele can at times be tough but for Shehzad, the priorty remains customer satisfaction. “Client satisfaction is very important to me. I try to accommodate everything according to their taste, but there are times when you need to handle things with love, affection and diplomacy,” she said.
Shehzad sees more room for creativity in designing the interiors for Pakistani houses. “There are bigger spaces in Pakistani houses as compared to other foreign countries. One can do a lot more here. There are spaces and good furniture can easily fit in big houses.”
The designer urged the government to help flourish the industry. “Pakistani government must boost this industry. The export of furniture items must take place from Pakistan to the West. We have craftsmen working day and night, creating beautiful furniture pieces. There is a big niche in the market. The government needs to pool in resources and make us work as a team, like the textile industry does. Surely, this trend will not only grow, but there will be a boom. Exhibitions like Index Dubai serve the right platform of giving the best furniture to the buyers. Such activities should even be promoted in Pakistan.”
The 2011 Grand Vistas Exhibition continues till Tuesday, April 12.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2011.
About 12 years ago, when Ainee Shehzad and her husband decided to build their own house, finding the best furniture in town seemed nearly impossible.
What once began as an aspiration, to have her house interior reflecting her personal style, is now a business. Shehzad is now a professional designer who has experimented with leather, wood, stones and even marble in her furniture designs.
The entrepreneur is currently exhibiting her latest designs at her residence located off Khayaban-e-Shaheen in DHA Phase 5. Talking to The Express Tribune about her 2011 Grand Vistas Exhibition, the designer said: “About 12 years ago when we decided to build our house, there was nothing different in the furniture shops. It was just regular stuff available in the market. I had a great team of carpenters who saw how increasingly concerned I was about the entire house project and how involved I was with it. They suggested me to design the furniture myself.”
Finding inspiration comes easy to her as she asserted: “A flower structured in a particular shape inspires me, foreign architectural designs too get me inspired, sometimes even crockery and cutlery sets inspire me too.”
Hence, Shehzad recreates new designs every four months. “Because I’m able to modify, change and recreate a new design, I’m able to display three times a year in Karachi and three times in Dubai,” she said.
“The furniture pieces need to be appealing but should be very comfortable too. Moreover, when it comes to furniture, it should not be exceedingly expensive but should be what people can afford reasonably,” said Shehzad.
Having designed the foyer area of the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, Shehzad today runs four factories.
Giving a big-picture view of interior designing, Shehzad said: “Let’s make Pakistan a peaceful place and for a good serene environment to become a breeding ground, we need to give a good shape to our houses by giving interior designing a chance. One is certainly not inspired to do well until everything is not beautiful all around them.”
However, she also feels the need to acknowledge interior designing in Pakistan. “How often does one make a house, it’s just once in a lifetime. You need to accept the fact that your ideas can be dealt brilliantly by the interior designer if you hire their services,” said Shehzad.
Dealing with different tastes of her clientele can at times be tough but for Shehzad, the priorty remains customer satisfaction. “Client satisfaction is very important to me. I try to accommodate everything according to their taste, but there are times when you need to handle things with love, affection and diplomacy,” she said.
Shehzad sees more room for creativity in designing the interiors for Pakistani houses. “There are bigger spaces in Pakistani houses as compared to other foreign countries. One can do a lot more here. There are spaces and good furniture can easily fit in big houses.”
The designer urged the government to help flourish the industry. “Pakistani government must boost this industry. The export of furniture items must take place from Pakistan to the West. We have craftsmen working day and night, creating beautiful furniture pieces. There is a big niche in the market. The government needs to pool in resources and make us work as a team, like the textile industry does. Surely, this trend will not only grow, but there will be a boom. Exhibitions like Index Dubai serve the right platform of giving the best furniture to the buyers. Such activities should even be promoted in Pakistan.”
The 2011 Grand Vistas Exhibition continues till Tuesday, April 12.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2011.