If home is where the heart is, it makes sense that we fill it to the brim with beautiful things that we love! This week, we speak to Farah of Kulihart who shares the inspirations that drive her gorgeous wood wall decor products.
Read on to learn more about what makes the Kulihart brand tick!
Tell us about your brand! When and how did you decide to start Kulihart, and what was the push you needed to begin?
Kulihart is a home decor and gifting brand that focuses mainly on wooden handicrafts. We decided to start the brand during the Covid-19 pandemic when we were all confined at home due to the Movement Control Order. Before the pandemic, I ran Akudankraf, a business that focused solely on weddings and events, and my husband is a musician. It became clear to us that we could not continue doing what we were before, and so we decided a shift in our business was needed. And that’s when we started Kulihart as a new brand under Akudankraf!
Why did you choose the name Kulihart?
Our aim is to make beautiful products that are pleasing to the eyes! Hence the name… there is Art in what you’re looking at.
Related: Home Decor Ideas And Accessories To Complete Your Space
What inspires your wood wall decor pieces? Where do you get your inspiration from?
I like to combine bohemian styles and aesthetics with Islamic concepts. Many of my inspirations come from Pinterest and Etsy!
How do you balance the intricacy of your wood wall decor designs with how difficult it might be to realise your designs in physical form?
Yeah! Sometimes, it can be difficult to bring your visions to life. To address this, we go through many rounds of experimentation before a product is finalised. We use a lot of materials and spend a lot of time to ensure we get the product we envisioned just right. We also need to make sure that the design is scalable, in that it doesn’t take too long to produce. Otherwise, it could get very expensive, and we want to keep our designs affordable while maintaining a high level of quality.
How do you strike a balance between the life of a busy entrepreneur and your personal family life? What do you do when running your business becomes overwhelming?
Entrepreneurs are their own bosses, which is both a blessing and a curse. When I find myself becoming overwhelmed, I take it as a sign that I need to take a break and recharge. And I do – whether it’s staying at home to binge Netflix or simply stress clean. I also make sure that I completely disengage from work, and leave my laptop and work handphone in my work studio.
Where do you get your materials for your wood wall decor from? Is there a push within Kulihart to create designs that withstand the test of time, as opposed to pandering to trends?
We choose our materials carefully from local sources, and only buy from overseas if what we need is not available in Malaysia. As much as possible, we try to create evergreen products – but we also follow trends to keep our designs current. We strike a balance between these two elements, so our decorations and products can be trendy as well as useful.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you first started out with your business?
Collect customer feedback! I started doing this for Kulihart, as I didn’t get the chance to do it correctly with Akudankraf. We do a lot of reposting and sharing on Instagram, but we never compiled our reposts into a single database, or page. This resulted in me losing a lot of reviews and feedback, which are so precious to small businesses like my own.
Additionally, this: When you feel like giving up, and have lost trust in your business, it can help to go back and look at all the feedback and reviews you have received. Seeing how your products have impacted customers’ lives will remind you of the happy moments you’ve had making them.
What’s your personal favourite design or product from your catalogue?
I love making my macrame earrings just as much as I love wearing them!
Share your favourite ways to incorporate your designs and products into home decorations!
We use a lot of natural earth tones in our products, so they’re easy to incorporate into any theme or decor concept. Take our floral wall clock as an example. It comes in natural light or dark honey, and both tones look great on walls of any colour! They also look great when used in combination with plants or art prints.
Where do you see Kulihart in the next 10 years? How has the brand and its catalogue grown?
In ten years’ time, I’d love to see Kulihart with its own physical store and a wide variety of large furniture options! I’d also love to be sharing my expertise and knowledge with other creative entrepreneurs. It’d be great to have a thriving community of female entrepreneurs who can come together and share ideas and knowledge!
Which Poptron merchants do you want to hear from next? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow us on our social channels for more fun content, tips, and stories on your favourite local brands!
