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Rabat – In a bid to manufacture durable, sustainable, and eco-friendly furniture, Moroccan couple Nabil Labrazi and Salma Yacoubi founded O’Barrels, an environmentally-friendly startup specializing in upcycling barrels into customized furniture.
Salma Yacoubi spoke to Morocco World News about the story of how the startup came to fruition, the products they offer, as well as the challenges they have encountered.
“Our startup was made by coincidence … I asked my partner to buy some furniture for our apartment … then one day, he came back with a big red barrel,” she said. After Yacoubi asked her husband what the barrel was for, Labrazi told her: “This is the furniture you have been asking for.”
Co-founders of O’Barrels Nabil Labrazi and Salma Yacoubi
The couple spent the entire night upcycling the barrel in a “do it yourself” (DIY) fashion, and the result was better than they expected. The young couple then created an account on social media and shared the piece of furniture with their friends, who were astonished by the results.
Positive feedback
“We did not want to sell it at first, but we had lots of requests,” Yacoubi added, explaining that people’s encouragement and positive feedback pushed them to create the startup. The project had already secured dozens of customers before it had even started.
“People were really amazed by the O’Barrels products”, Yacoubi said, adding that their business offers customers the opportunity to buy customized, eco-friendly furniture, including tables, seats, couches, and decor items, among others.
O’Barrels’ products
O’Barrels’ social media platforms are decorated with their colorful, fashionable, and unique furniture, which has garnered the attention of several Moroccan social media users who are looking for sustainably-made furniture.
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“The customer can choose any color, any logo, and any brand to put on it [the piece of furniture], and we create it for them,” she added.
Yacoubi highlighted the innovative and unique ideas and designs that customers request, adding that they started including other pieces of furniture made from marble and stainless steel to the furniture. “We were amazed by the results, more than the customers,” she emphasized.
O’Barrels’ products
“It was all a challenge … We had no idea about the market, the furniture, and the tools to make the products,” Yacoubi indicated, but the couple managed to overcome those challenges by learning and developing their startup along the way.
Encouraging eco-friendly initiatives
Stressing the importance of protecting the environment, Yacoubi extended her support and encouragement to people who want to start creating eco-friendly products, including furniture.
“Today, we cannot afford not to respect our planet … It is a very critical situation,” she added, urging people to be more environmentally conscious.
O’Barrels spirit lies in the belief that people are already buying furniture, “so why not buy some eco-friendly furniture that will respect our environment?” Yacoubi indicated.
The Moroccan eco-friendly startup is a fierce advocate for the environment, as it uses its social media platforms to encourage its audience to adopt more environmentally sensitive practices, she noted.
“It is very important to respect the environment in every step you are doing, even in buying furniture,” Yacoubi concluded.
O’Barrels’ products
Read also: Morocco Renews Commitment to Reduce Carbon Footprint
