Zenporium Ltd

Honeymoons usually conjure up blissful memories of the first moments in life spent together as newlyweds, not hatching out a business plan. But for Serene Gebara and Omar Kamal, co-owners of Zenporium, they managed to achieve both on one stretched-out trip to Southeast Asia.

“That was how we initially started,” laughs Serene. “After we got married and had decided where to go for our honeymoon, we decided to extend our stay to buy some furniture for ourselves, but ended up loving what we found so much that we decided to explore business as a venture.”

The honeymooners set off to Southeast Asia, where their attention was drawn to the vast amount of wood being reworked into furniture. They saw a practice there that was widely underutilized in Toronto, where “waste” wood is largely thrown away in favour of newer products. Serene and Omar weren’t crazy for this use-and-dispose style, and wanted to return home with a different approach. “The idea [for Zenporium] was very heavily based on our passion for a particular style or feel of furniture,” says Serene, “and a sustainable approach to furniture building that allows for high quality wooden furniture without the guilt of hurting live trees.”

At Zenporium, salvaged or reclaimed materials are given new life as unique and attractive furniture and accessories.