A new online store that aims to bring some of the Far East’s best wooden furniture to the UK has launched in Cheshire.
Family business Matahari Interiors has been founded by Omar Sheikh, who is handling sales and marketing from its new Wilmslow office, and his wife’s cousin Jeremy Skelchy, who looks after sourcing and design from Kuala Lumpur.
The pair have spent months hand-picking a range of handcrafted furniture from manufacturers in Malaysia, northern China and Indonesia, focusing for their first collection on consoles, sideboards and dining tables.
Matahari specialises in handcrafted reclaimed elm wood pieces.
Omar said: “All our furniture is handcrafted by small artisan suppliers using authentic methods and is not mass-produced in factories.
“We use reclaimed elm wood repurposed into a more modern contemporary style, which makes our furniture really quite unique. Elm is known for its unique grain finish, character and strength.
“Every piece tells a story and no two pieces are the same.”
He added: “I used to live in Malaysia and people always commented on what great furniture I had, so that gave us the idea to bring it to the UK.”
Matahari - which derives from the Malay word for ‘sun’ - has a small team in Cheshire with its storage and distribution facility based in Altrincham.
Omar said it had deliberately kept its business model as lean as possible in order to offer “high quality, exclusive pieces with really competitive pricing”.
The site is now live and has launched with a 20% discount offer for the remainder of the year.
Co-founder Jeremy added: "We are thrilled to introduce Matahari Interiors to the world.
"Our team is passionate about interior design, understanding that the right furnishings are just as essential as the walls and floors in creating a beautiful space.
“We believe that the best materials, craftsmanship and exclusivity should not be limited to those paying a high premium and should be obtainable by all.
“By using our many years of experience in business and project development in the luxury sector, and by streaming our operations, we have created a collection containing items that are authentic, unique, timeless and not out of reach.”
To mark the launch, Matahari Interiors is offering a 20% discount promotion until the end of 2024, as well as free delivery on all products. Orders placed before 15th December can expect to arrive before Christmas. For more information, visit Matahari Interiors or follow @matahari_interiors on Instagram or @matahari-interiors on Facebook. The team can also be contacted via call, text or WhatsApp on 07721 093 700.
