The beautiful and spacious Salmis Living showroom located on the ground floor of Dolmen City Mall in Clifton, may be spanking new, but itself has a story that spans generations. Salmis Living started out 40 years ago as a joint venture between its CEO Tariq Shafi and a relative, at Tariq Road back in 1972. Back then, it was named Salmis Furniture after Shafi’s childhood pet name ‘Salmi’.
Shafi started off his business when he was in his 20s, when he signed on contracts for furnishing banks and hotels, such as Oman Bank and Intercontinental Hotel (Pearl Continental). He also redesigned the various casinos that were in full swing in Karachi at the time, along with maritime ships of the country.
Eventually he opened up his own showroom in Khadda Market in 1990, where customers could either place their orders or pick and choose from the showroom’s diverse collection.
Today, Salmis Furniture has turned into Salmis Living, where one can get furniture made mostly of sheesham and oak with sofas and bedsets made in silk and suede. The shop also offers embroidered cushions, bed-covers, curtains, and hand-woven blinds, bringing an elegant touch to any home. His wife Samia Tariq, who is the interior designer for the label, says: “We are a complete interior solution to a house.”
Their daughter Madiha Tariq, an architecture graduate from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA) who is now the product designer for Salmis Living, jubilantly tells The Express Tribune, “My father started off this business long before I was even born.” She recalls how she and her father visited fairs and exhibitions when she was a child, just so they could check out the latest furniture styles. Today, she finally has her say in matters concerning furniture designing at the flourishing home store. Madiha’s husband Imran Hanif looks after the business side of the firm, which makes it a truly family-run venture.
Samia is confident about the products that Salmis Living creates. She feels that due to the brand’s refined products, Salmis has established a name in the country. Instead of one-off projects, they now do complete households. “Quality, expertise and experience in designing furniture has been more of a passion for us,” she says, adding that these qualities set Salmis apart from others. “Like an artist paints passionately, we breathe souls into our furniture and hence, today, we cater to an international market.”
Madiha begins, “This market has changed drastically over the years. We have become competitive with prices because of our innovation and design.” When asked why the prices have become higher with the passage of time, Madiha says, “We keep minimal profits.”
Bringing Natuzzi
Salmis is now the proud home of renowned Italian brand Natuzzi. “The company is now considered to be the world leader in leather upholstery,” Madiha says. “By bringing Natuzzi to Pakistan, Salmis Living provides its clients with the best in design and comfort. The aim is not only to provide furniture pieces but to offer a complete lifestyle.”
As far as expansion is concerned, she says, “A major part of the Salmis showroom in Karachi will be converted into a Natuzzi store. It would benefit from the location, seated in a prime commercial area, with close proximity to a residential district that is our target market.”
By the end of November, the company plans to offer a bridal package to young brides, from bedroom sets and small cabinets to Ottoman chairs, which Madiha asserts, “will be a gift from our side to the brides of Pakistan.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2012.
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