A little piece of Egypt

When Egyptian Hamdy Elattwy returned to Trinidad after a six year absence he brought with him a little piece of Egypt. It in the form of handcrafted hard wood furniture as a gift for his Trinidadian mother-in-law. This gift paved the way for a viable business venture as one year later, in December 2003, Elattwy, along with his Trinidadian wife, Jeannie Samlalsingh, opened a small furniture shop at 21 Freeling Street, Tunapuna. The store, “A little Piece of Egypt,” (previously called “Jazzy’s Elegant Furniture”) has the local furniture industry buzzing, introducing onto the local market, Egyptian handcrafted ceder furniture with an antique finish. In an interview at their crowded Tunapuna store, Elattwy and Samlalsingh recalled their initiation into the furniture industry. “We first came to Trinidad in 1993,” said Samlalsingh, “and stayed here for three years until our first child was about to be born and then we returned to Egypt.

“We were both working full-time in Trinidad and we eventually decided that we needed to take a break and return to Egypt to settle down.” The Elattwys opened a garment business there and prepared to make Egypt their home. Said Samlalsingh :  “The speed of life there is not as hectic as Trinidad and the cost of living is not as high. Even the crime rate is lower and the whole idea of family is more apparent. “We wanted to raise our family there.” A few years later, a request came from Samlalsingh’s mother to source some furniture for her. Elattwy took this request to heart, starting a hunt for the best quality furniture he could find in Egypt. “We didn’t want to send something that was not good,” Samlalsingh said. 

“We came here early last year to put everything together for my mum and everyone who saw the furniture kept asking about it.” This interest set the entrepreneurial wheels spinning in Elattwy’s head. Could he make a furniture business work in Trinidad when he had no experience in this field? Many things had to be taken into consideration for the young couple. A new business would mean additional expenses — accommodation rental, freight and customs taxes and labour, among other things. “A furniture shop was a far cry from the garment industry,” Samlalsingh maintained. “To move a business from place to place,” Elattwy noted, “it has to be profitable for you. And we recognised this.” Two months since the business was officially opened and the Elattwys are on their way to success. Their business has sparked renewed interest among  furniture buyers searching for a unique look.

Furniture in “A Little Piece of Egypt,” comprises bedroom and dining room sets. The bedroom sets include a cupboard, bed, two night stands, vanity table and coat rack. The dining room sets come complete with a nine piece dining table, topped with six millimetres of glass, and chairs, as well as a buffet and hutch with genuine marble tops. Each piece of furniture is marked by a unique design, depicting symbols of Egyptian mythology in addition to a variety of other figures. The store also stocks brass ornaments, lamps and chandeliers made of brass, 24 karat gold and in some cases crystal. “Each set,” Samlalsingh said, “is handcrafted by a number of persons.” It is a collaborative effort which takes about six months to complete. All materials are sourced entirely from Egypt. Elattwy says, “the manufacturers have the freedom to put their own personal touches on the pieces and they do a good job.” “In fact,” he continued, “they do much more than they are supposed to. They put a lot of pride into their work. “When you touch the furniture you can almost feel the souls of everybody who contributed to making the piece. It is a team effort from all sides, beginning to end.”

Anyone looking at the quality of the furniture may assume that it comes with a hefty price. This is not the case. In fact, they are quite affordable, priced to meet the customer’s budget, he said. Samlalsingh explained that they try to negotiate a good price for each customer who comes in, according to what they can afford. “The price is not at all unattainable.” The Elattwys now look to the future with high hopes for their business. Said Elattwy, “we can’t judge the future. I don’t know where we will be tomorrow. “We just have to work hard and be fair and do our best. Everything must start small and grow from there.”