Farra Design Center

Farra Design Center is a Lebanese home-products business whose activities span furniture retail, importing, distribution, interior design, and supply for hospitality and residential projects. The company traces its origins to 1939, when Anwar Farra established a business in Lebanon supplying raw materials to furniture manufacturers and the wood-furnishing trade. The enterprise was named after the Farra family and remained privately held by the founder’s family. Its business model developed alongside Lebanon’s furniture and hospitality sectors. During its early decades, Farra concentrated on imported raw materials used by furniture makers rather than selling finished products directly to consumers. As Lebanon’s economy and tourism infrastructure expanded in the mid-20th century, demand grew for furnishings and equipment for hotels, restaurants, residences, and other visitor-oriented facilities. Farra broadened its role from materials supplier to furniture importer, wholesaler, and distributor. The company entered direct retail in 1976, opening its first FARRA store in Downtown Beirut. In the early 1980s, the store relocated to Dekwaneh. Around the same period, the family created Société les Fils d’Anwar Farra SARL as the business became more closely managed by Anwar Farra’s immediate family. In later years, the company shifted from an emphasis on exclusive wholesale supply toward a more visible consumer-facing retail format. A major physical and commercial milestone came in 2004, when Farra constructed a seven-floor showroom and moved its flagship operation to Mkalles Main Road near Beirut. The building’s retail concept uses extensive glazing, white exterior surfaces, and rooftop glass and skylights to introduce daylight into the showroom. The company has described the design as supporting lower energy use, while its merchandising model combines showroom displays with warehouse-held variations that can be presented to customers on request. Farra’s products include imported furniture and home accessories, particularly goods sourced from international suppliers in Europe and North America. Its furniture assortment has included products from Italy and Spain, while some pieces are locally engineered or designed through the company’s interior-design department. Company technicians assemble Farra furniture. Beyond standard retail, the business provides design and furnishing services for large residential, hotel, restaurant, and other architectural projects, including renovation and decoration work delivered through interior architects and project teams. The company has cited projects in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean. Examples identified in company-related reference material include the Byblos Palace Hotel, Ramada Downtown Hotel, and Markazia Monroe Suites Hotel in Lebanon; Spring Compound Villas in Qatar; Amaia Residence in Kuwait; As-Salam Palace, also known as the Presidential Peace Palace, in Baghdad; and a residential resort in Limassol, Cyprus. These references position Farra not only as a furniture retailer but also as a supplier and contractor for design-led hospitality and residential developments. Farra has also maintained a community and design-development role. In 2004 it established Divine Details, a philanthropic division intended to encourage creativity among young designers and architecture students through competitions, exhibitions, portfolio development, and employment opportunities. Documented activities include a furniture competition in 2004, a Lebanese painters’ exhibition and Christmas tree competition in 2010, and an inter-university furniture contest in 2011. The company has additionally supported charitable organizations and initiatives in Lebanon, including Injaz Lebanon and Trees4Lebanon, and has made part of its main floor available to nonprofit groups for fundraising events. The business remains a family-held Lebanese brand with a broad positioning across impor…

Farra Design Center was founded in Lebanon in 1939 by Anwar Farra, who was born in 1911. Its original activity was the importation of raw materials for wood furnishing and furniture manufacturing. Rather than beginning as a conventional furniture shop, the company served manufacturers and workshops that required imported inputs for the production of finished furnishings. The company expanded during the decades when Lebanon’s economy, hotel sector, and tourism infrastructure were developing. Growing demand for hotels and tourist facilities encouraged Farra to move beyond raw materials and become an importer and distributor of finished furniture. By the later 20th century, its activities included wholesale supply to the furniture trade and furnishing support for commercial and hospitality projects. Farra’s first retail store opened in Downtown Beirut in 1976. The store later moved to Dekwaneh in the early 1980s. Around this period, the business became more closely operated by members of Anwar Farra’s immediate family, and Société les Fils d’Anwar Farra SARL was established. The family-owned structure continued as the company developed its retail identity. In the 1990s and 2000s, Farra placed greater emphasis on consumers in addition to its established wholesale role. The company expanded its showroom presence and developed a broader offering of imported furniture, home accessories, and interior-design services. A decisive milestone occurred in 2004, when it built a seven-floor showroom and moved its flagship store to Mkalles Main Road. The building used glass, white-painted walls, and skylights to create a naturally lit display environment. Its retail model did not require every available variation to be displayed on the sales floors; additional colors and configurations could be held in a warehouse and shown to customers when requested. The company’s merchandise has combined furniture imported from international suppliers with products locally engineered or designed through Farra’s interior-design department. Reference material identifies North America and Europe as important sourcing regions, with Italy and Spain specifically associated with its imported furniture range. Farra technicians assemble its furniture, while its interior architects and project teams undertake larger furnishing, renovation, and decoration assignments. Farra has supplied or quoted projects across Lebanon and selected international markets. Identified examples include the Byblos Palace Hotel, Ramada Downtown Hotel, and Markazia Monroe Suites Hotel in Lebanon; Spring Compound Villas in Qatar; Amaia Residence in Kuwait City; As-Salam Palace, or Presidential Peace Palace, in Baghdad; and a residential resort in Limassol, Cyprus. These projects demonstrate the company’s extension from retail into hospitality, residential, and architectural procurement. Community activity became a visible part of the company’s identity through Divine Details, founded in 2004 as a nonprofit philanthropic division. The program supported young designers and architecture students through competitions and exhibitions intended to develop creative work, portfolios, and employment prospects. Recorded activities included a furniture competition in 2004, a Lebanese painters’ exhibition and Christmas tree competition in 2010, and an inter-university furniture contest in 2011. Farra has also supported Lebanese charitable and environmental initiatives. Its cited activities include support for Injaz Lebanon, which provides entrepreneurship education to students, and Trees4Lebanon, an initiative associated with tree planting. The company has stated that it selects suppliers with environmental and quality commitments, including responsible production and ISO-related environmental standards, although independent verification of those claims is not established in the supplied material. It has also made approximately 1,000 square metres of its main floor available to nonprofit associations for events and fundraising. The enterprise is identified as privately held by the founder’s family and has changed its legal name to Société les fils d’Anwar Farra SAL under Lebanese entrepreneurial law. Available reference material does not establish a current list of executives, precise present-day operations, financial results, or a verified official website address. Its documented history supports describing Farra as an active Lebanese family business centered on furniture retail, importing, distribution, and interior-project delivery.

1. 2011Inter-university furniture contest

   Divine Details organized an inter-university furniture contest for design students.

   Source
2. 2010Divine Details exhibition and competition activities

   The initiative held a Lebanese painters’ exhibition and a Christmas tree competition.

   Source
3. 2004Flagship showroom moves to Mkalles

   Farra completed a seven-floor showroom and moved its flagship store to Mkalles Main Road.

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4. 2004Divine Details is founded

   The company launched a philanthropic design initiative supporting students and emerging designers through competitions and related events.

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5. 1980Store relocates to Dekwaneh

   The retail operation moved to Dekwaneh during the early 1980s.

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6. 1976First FARRA retail store opens

   The company opened its first store in Downtown Beirut, beginning its move toward direct consumer retail.

   Source
7. 1939Company founded as a raw-material supplier

   Anwar Farra established the Lebanese family business to import raw materials for wood furnishing and furniture manufacturing.

   Source

A Lebanese family-owned design and home-furnishings retailer combining imported furniture, locally engineered and designed products, showroom retail, and interior-project services.

• Residential furnitureFurniture

  Farra sells residential furniture for living rooms and other home settings. The range combines furniture imported from international suppliers with products locally engineered or designed through the company’s interior-design department. The showroom does not necessarily display every color or configuration; some variants may be held in a warehouse and presented to customers on request. Company technicians assemble the furniture.

• Home accessoriesHome furnishings

  The company’s home-accessories assortment complements its furniture collections and supports residential decoration projects. Public reference material describes these goods as part of the imported collections presented through the FARRA showroom, but does not provide a complete current product catalog.

• Hospitality and project furnishingsInterior-project supply

  Farra supplies furniture and related interior products for hotels, restaurants, villas, residences, and other architectural projects. Its interior architects can support substantial renovation and decoration assignments and coordinate delivery of finished products. Identified projects span Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, and Cyprus.

• 2004Divine Details

  Lebanon

  Farra created Divine Details as a nonprofit philanthropic division to encourage creativity among young designers and architecture students. Its activities included competitions, exhibitions, portfolio development, and efforts to improve access to local employment opportunities.

  Outcome. The initiative continued with documented furniture, art, Christmas-tree, and inter-university competitions and exhibitions through at least 2011.

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• Support for Injaz Lebanon

  Lebanon

  Farra has supported the Lebanese division of Junior Achievement Worldwide, known as Injaz Lebanon, whose activities include extracurricular entrepreneurship training for students in public and private schools.

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• Trees4Lebanon support

  Lebanon

  The company has been associated with Trees4Lebanon, an environmental initiative connected with a goal of planting one million trees by 2020.

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• Nonprofit event-space program

  Lebanon

  Farra has made approximately 1,000 square metres of its main floor available to nonprofit associations for events and fundraising activities.

  Source

• 2004Construction of a seven-floor flagship showroomStrategy

  Farra sought to strengthen its consumer-facing retail presence and move beyond its historical wholesale-supplier role.

  What changed. The company built a large showroom and transferred its flagship operation to Mkalles Main Road.

  Aftermath. The Mkalles site became the principal documented retail location and supported the display of furniture, accessories, and project-oriented collections.

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• 1976Expansion into direct retailStrategy

  After decades as a raw-material supplier and trade-oriented business, Farra opened its first retail store in Downtown Beirut.

  What changed. The company established a consumer-facing FARRA store while retaining its importing and distribution activities.

  Aftermath. The move laid the foundation for the company’s later showroom and consumer-retail positioning.

  Source

• 2011Farra holds inter-university furniture contest

  Divine Details organized an inter-university furniture contest as part of its design-development and community activities.

  Campaign
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• 2004Farra moves flagship showroom to Mkalles

  Farra completed a seven-floor showroom and transferred its flagship operation to Mkalles Main Road near Beirut.

  Other
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• 2004Divine Details launches design and student-support program

  The company established Divine Details as a philanthropic division focused on design competitions, student creativity, and opportunities for emerging Lebanese designers and architecture students.

  Campaign
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• 1980Farra relocates its store to Dekwaneh

  During the early 1980s, the company moved its retail operation from Downtown Beirut to Dekwaneh.

  Other
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• 1976Farra opens its first retail store in Downtown Beirut

  The company expanded from raw-material supply into direct retail with the opening of its first FARRA store in Downtown Beirut.

  Other
  Source

1. Farra Design Center