Lemdeena Home in Mission Viejo Features Handmade Home Decor from North Africa
Laguna Niguel resident Mondher El Ouaer preferred to support the Berber artisans of his residence place of Tunisia who craft handmade goods. In December 2019, he opened Lemdeena House, a dwelling decor boutique at The Outlets at Mission Viejo. “The complete function of (my retailer) is to present the American people today what Tunisian (artisans) can generate,” El Ouaer says.
How did you begin Lemdeena Household?
I had a pop-up at Pacific Town in Huntington Beach in 2018 for about nine months. I obtained the option at the Mission Viejo mall, and we opened in 2019. I uncovered out it would be easier for me due to the fact it is a even bigger location and you have the appropriate probable clientele from Newport Beach front, Laguna, San Clemente—it’s a wonderful place. Lemdeena indicates “the city” in Tunisian. When we say “Let’s go to lemdeena,” it implies where every thing is happening—all the good meals, all the excellent structure we go and we dangle out there. That’s where by you see all the visitors purchasing and having items.
Can you share a small about Tunisia?
Tunisia is seriously a excellent location to go check out. It’s a little nation we’re all the way at the top of North Africa, miles away from Italy. It is a extremely safe and sound area to take a look at, it is not too high priced, and there are remarkable designers and architects there. My aim is to stay in business by just supporting the artisans and handcrafted (pieces).
How did you discover the artists for your retail store?
Since I’m from Tunisia, it was straightforward for me to find the suitable locale without having getting in touch with any person else. There is a Berber village in Tunisia in which they make handmade pottery, so I started marketing their pottery, and then I (expanded to) hanging pendants, which are made from palm leaves. For the pottery, I have a relatives of close to 15 women, and then for the pendants, I have virtually the whole village, so about four or 5 families. I’m supporting far more than 60 individuals.
What kinds of items do you sell?
Almost everything in my retail store is handmade, every thing. I’m focusing a lot on and genuinely advertising and marketing the handcrafted pieces from Tunisia for the reason that folks really do not know about Tunisia—they only know about Morocco, but we’re all the very same Berber neighborhood. I begun with towels, textiles, and Turkish towels. I sell items with a Tunisian, Moroccan, and North African look—so like the minimalist, Mediterranean, boho type.
What styles of merchandise can be tailor made-developed?
We can personalized-make pendants ($300 to $3,000) any size—I just built a 7-foot-prolonged pendant for a consumer. My mother operates overseas there I give her the purchase, and she goes about to the island in Tunisia (wherever the pendants are produced). We do custom made rugs ($1,000 to $4,000), and we customized-make reside-edge eating tables and coffee tables ($2,500 to $8,000) in redwood, walnut, and maple.