Wed To Woodworking

Through Solli Concepts, Sohel Contractor and Zahabia Abid offer hand-crafted furniture that makes the best, and often unusual, use of different varieties of wood

- Zahabia Abid

What, in your opinion, does it take to create a timeless piece of furniture?

SC: A timeless piece takes time; it needs to follow certain timelines, processes, and guidelines. Creating an original design, selecting the right wood out of the numerous varieties available, selecting materials that fuse with that particular form of wood, and then a lot of trial and error to carve the perfect piece of furniture with the right balance of form, function, and esthetics that’s a timeless piece!

Sohel, tell us about your journey from engineering to furniture design.

SC: I have always had a personal affection for wood, and it fascinates me to learn about the variety and its properties. Wood is so unique that not a single square inch of it is the same. Each piece is different - you could create thousands of pieces of the same design from wood and no two would be the same.

It started with a friend of mine who wanted to create a desk and was finding it difficult to get the resources to do it the right way. That’s when I offered to help him out, and I haven’t stopped! Later, I started creating furniture from my living room, after which I moved on to a garage where I designed furniture at my leisure. Eventually, I started designing for a lot of expats who were extremely particular about the output of quality and designs.

My engineering qualification helped me immensely to follow my passion for woodworking. It was a no-brainer for me to get into this industry after a short stint in automotive engineering in New Zealand.

Zahabia, what made you give up an international career in finance for the furniture business?