Two life-long friends; Samar Aboul Yazid and Seif Abdel Latif have started one of the coolest brands in Cairo. They are bringing back furniture we thought was past our time and giving it an artistic touch. The duo decided to collaborate in more than one way and brought us Nute, a customised stool brand that is the product of what happens when an entrepreneurial mind meets an artistic soul.
What inspired you to start a business with stools in general?
Seif: “I already had a business making stand alone chairs; it was a project called “The Seat”. I started it almost two years ago and it didn’t do well. So one day when I saw Samar’s paintings, the idea just popped in my head, why not take something simple and renew it. I already had all the material I needed to build a stool.”
What inspired you to draw on stools?
Samar: “Six months ago I woke up one day and decided I wanted to start drawing, so I went to the stationary shop and bought a lot of stuff that I didn’t even know how to use at the time. After completing my first painting and showcasing it on my private Instagram account, I found people asking to buy it so that motivated me to start my new public Instagram account called “Brunette Curls.” When Seif saw my page, he called me and asked me why not do something creative and have me hand paint on his stools and create a new brand.”
What’s the thought behind your brand name Nute?
We wanted to come up with a creative cool idea that hasn’t been done before and would sound catchy to those who hear it. We also wanted something that wouldn’t be a collaboration between “The Seat” and “Brunette Curls” and just something that we could both call ours. The stools are a piece of furniture that are forgotten; we no longer consider them something we would buy. Therefore, we are renewing that mute product into something new. It’s a combination between New and Mute=Nute
So far what is an accomplishment you are proud of?
The sales. Of course it would have to be the sales. We have only been taking orders for the past month and half, and it has skyrocketed beyond our expectations. We’re also pretty proud of our Instagram reach. In less than a month, we have over a thousand followers.
What made you collaborate together?
Seif: “We have been family friends for a very long time and Samar has supported me and stood by me in my past business. I felt like she would make a really good partner, and that’s why out of all the artists out there I wanted to collaborate with her.”
Since you’ve never been into art before, was it a challenge to start drawing on stools?
Samar: “Of course it’s not as easy as I thought it would be and at first both Seif and I didn’t really understand what we were doing. It was hard to come to understand just how to work around stools. For me, I had to know how to get the paint just right. For example, how not to scratch it when someone sat on it or how to get the layer of protection to actually protect the paint instead of smudging it. Practice makes perfect; that’s all I can really say.”
Are you planning on expanding this business?
Yes of course, we’re looking to expand. Nute is not just based on stools; it was only our first collection. We don’t want to announce just yet what our newest collection will be about; people will have to wait and see!
Is there a specific place you wish to display your products in?
Seif: “Not yet, we just started dealing with corporate clients and now we’re starting to target both individuals and corporations. Going corporate would be much better because we are hoping by working with them in the future, we will be able to have our own store.”
What are the challenges you both face seperatly and as a team?
Seif: “Seperately, I personally would have to say the workshop is the biggest hassle because I have to be there a lot and supervise the workers to make sure the measurements are all correct and that they finish on time.”
Samar: “As for me, my biggest challenge would have to be my time management. That surprised me because I thought I would struggle with the arts at first since I never took a course or anything before. But when I first decided to collaborate with Seif, I noticed that since my university is all the way in Tagamoa and I live in 6th of October, I spent a lot of my time in the car and that’s besides my studying and exams.”
“Together we still haven’t faced any challenges; everything is going smoothly. We understand each other so we know what each of us needs and the communication goes well from both sides. We are hoping it stays the same when we expand.”
What is your favorite piece by far?
Samar: “The Stella stool is by far my favorite, and I would like to say that it goes the same for our clients since its our bestseller up till now.”
Seif: “I would have to agree with Samar, but I also like the Heineken stool.”
How can people order your products?
“Our clients can order ur stools through our Instagram account and we give them the exact time for the delivery which usually takes 10-14 days since the whole stool is customized according to the clients preference. You can customize everything starting from size, color, as well as your logo!
What does Nute mean to you as a brand?
Seif: “It means to me that I have the freedom to do whatever it is that I want under that brand name. Any idea I have I can easily change it into reality and turn into a product. We even mentioned it on our page, “Whatever comes across your mind”, because it makes us want to be more creative and think outside the box.”
Samar: “Nute is very inspirational to me because it’s sending an artistic message to people, or more specifically it’s having a piece of hand-painted craft done by me in people’s homes.”
The whole thought behind Nute is that the brand goes according to themes not products. With each theme, the logo of the brand will change. Right now, we are under the vintage theme. We don’t want to be stuck with one thing; we want to be diverse. We are also planning on going into the music industry. We will have a soundcloud account since Seif is a music producer on the side and it’s a passion he wishes to continue with.
Nute isn’t just a stool brand. It’s a brand that offers many different products that target everyone, but the main idea behind it is to just be creative and artistic.
