Inside Messara Living

As we walked into the lofty Messara Living showroom, strokes of European style infused with contemporary design greeted us. An insightful conversation with Team Messara followed, shedding light on their legacy, musings, and a larger-than-life vision.

“Every year, we try to put ourselves in danger to bring something new to the market. We are innovators,” Laurent Messara, the humble Owner and CEO of Messara Living reveals. Globally recognized for its elegant wall-coverings, flooring and furniture solutions, the perseverance and perspiration of three generations throb in the brand’s foundations. 

As we sipped on a cup of Italian coffee at the Messara showroom, Laurent expressed how the showroom had been designed with a European perspective. The hospitable CEO quipped, “Although we are located in Sharjah, a lot of people come and say once we step in, we step into Dubai!”

The Fountainhead and Heritage

The Messara Saga began in 1933, almost a century ago, when Laurent’s grandfather laid the first brick of the now-famous brand. “My grandfather had started a carpet trading company in the Dubai of the times, which was Alexandria in Egypt. It was where the East met the West. My father continued in 1950, selling in Kuwait and Jeddah and in the early sixties in the Trucial states.” Finally, in 1989, his father picked Sharjah as the new and potent epicentre of business. 

Laurent fondly talks about his brother’s leadership after their father, which paved the way for him to join the brand 27 years ago. Each of them has contributed to the enduring legacy of the brand, fostering its growth and expanding its horizons.

“My grandfather had started a carpet trading company in the Dubai of the times, which was Alexandria in Egypt. It was where the East met the West. My father continued in 1950, selling in Kuwait and Jeddah and in the early sixties in the Trucial states.“

– Laurent Messara, Owner and CEO, Messara Living

The Three Striking Features of the Venue

Messara Living Concept Store and Gallery has three features that help the brand put a spotlight on what they do best. The first one is a library. It contains a wealth of knowledge about the design industry and is also a nod to the history of the field. The second one is a captivating luxury vinyl tile (LVT) high wall that stays in the mind much after it is out of sight – something Messara is known for.

The third impressive feature is their carpet display, which would leave anyone dumbfounded. Rightly hailed as the ‘new identity’ of the brand, the carpet display has found its way into many of the brand’s trade shows, the latest one being Horeca and Mzaar Festival in Beirut (under Magic Carpet, as Messara is known in Lebanon) and INDEX 2023 in Dubai. Messara Living is dedicated to incept such remarkable showrooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi soon. The one in Sharjah is the first step further strengthening their position in the UAE retail market.

Above: Luxury Vinyl Tile High Wall; The Signature Messara Entrance; The Library
Below: Messara Living at INDEX Dubai 2023

Propelled Through Innovation and Abundant Stocks

“Innovation is crucial for staying relevant in business. We want to portray ourselves as innovators in the medium and high-end and contracting world for interiors and exteriors, when it comes to flooring, wallcovering and furniture,” believes Laurent, whose unwavering focus has been to take smart risks. The brand gains an edge with its wide range of well-stocked SKUs, enabling them to undertake projects from scratch and initiate work promptly. “At one point, we were just showing our warehouses as our main strength. We have a stock value of almost 50 million dirhams,” shares Laurent. Undoubtedly, such a resource makes for a primary and indomitable strength.

With over 2 million square metres of flooring, complemented by their furniture and wall-covering solutions, Messara boasts a state-of-the-art showroom of 900 square metres on the ground floor and 450 square metres on the mezzanine with ceilings that make you crane your neck.

“At one point, we were just showing our warehouses as our main strength. We have a stock value of almost 50 million dirhams.“

– Laurent Messara, Owner and CEO, Messara Living

Quality X Quantity: Happiness beyond Business

Messara caters to both B2C and B2B markets. Currently, their B2B clientele encompasses an impressive list of 2500 entities, including renowned names like Accor (Movenpick, Sofitel, Novotel), InterContinental hotels, Talabat or ADCB. Laurent points out their collaborations with numerous restaurant chains in the UAE, and he joyfully notes his family’s reaction when they dine at places furnished with Messara’s flooring and furniture. “My daughters, in particular, are thrilled to be in spaces their father had a hand in creating!” 

Distributors of European and American products, Messara is constantly expanding its presence in Congo, Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. They represent major furniture factories from the USA, Europe, India, China, Turkey, and the GCC as well.

“Currently, our B2B clientele encompasses an impressive list of 2500 entities, including renowned names like Accor (Movenpick, Sofitel, Novotel), InterContinental hotels, Talabat or ADCB. My daughters, in particular, are thrilled to be in spaces their father had a hand in creating!“

– Laurent Messara, Owner and CEO, Messara Living

Towards A Greener Tomorrow

Building for the future, Messara Living is conscious and on-point with their responsibility towards the planet. For instance, they collaborate with ‘Associated Weavers’, who use old fishing nets to manufacture carpets. These nets are brought back from the bottom of the seas to avoid entangling marine life and then transformed into yarn.

But that’s not all. European standards set the volatile organic compounds exposure limit indoors at 1000 micrograms per cubic metre, and Messara makes provision for this as well. Laurent elaborates, “We are 100 times more stringent than this norm, with less than ten micrograms per cubic metre with our Tarkett vinyl flooring. This ensures indoor air quality never compromises your health.”

“We are 100 times more stringent [than the Volatile organic compounds exposure at 1000 micrograms per cubic metre European Standard], with less than ten micrograms per cubic metre with our Tarkett vinyl flooring. This ensures indoor air quality never compromises your health.“

– Laurent Messara, Owner and CEO, Messara Living

Everything Under One Roof

Laurent believes that Messara and its 80 members create what the designers and architects desire and hadn’t yet realised they needed. Joining the conversation, Shahad Alselmi, Head of Marketing at Messara Living, emphasises how the showroom houses a variety of brands all in one place, saying, “You might come for a sun lounger and be surprised to find flooring options like decking or artificial grass. Everything for outdoor spaces is in one place.”

Designers can also find some distinctive products, like the sisal carpet that only Messara can border to custom-sizes and shapes in its workshop. Laurent said it is made from natural yarn, sisal or seagrass, and added, “This is a unique proposition that only we created. It’s a proposition that pleases a lot.”

What the designers love the most about Messara is having  everything in stock, on display and tangible. It makes decision-making not only easy but enhanced. Laurent mentions how Messara is the biggest stockist in the Middle East when it comes to carpet tiles, with 11 modern warehouses and a future 5,000 m² logistics center under construction. The brand also has a workshop that hand-assembles carpets. They can be fully customised by a skilled team of fitters, much to their clients’ delight.

Not Just Shopping, An Experience

“From the moment you step into Messara’s concept store, everything is different,” shares Shahad. She talks about how the aroma of coffee and the rays of sunlight entering the concept store make it a memorable experience. But there’s more to it. “We offer VIP services. If you need a visit and lack transportation, we provide pick-up and drop-off. We can even collect your old outdoor furniture and handle its disposal. Installation is also on us,” Shahad reveals.

At Messara, it is about giving brands more visibility to the contractors and designers with trust, transparency and the robust Messara’s legacy. Despite the challenges that each day brings, Messara consistently delivers exceptional quality, readily available stocks, access to a mock-up room, expert consultation, swift delivery times, supplementary services, and personalised attention for all clients. At Messara, the motto is to always go the extra mile and make a difference.