lamp at 2b design combines old metal work with modern lighting
Raja Moubarak and Benedicte de Vanssay de Blavous Moubarak, the owners of a new Palo Alto store called Beyt by 2b design, have a rare gift for seeing potential where others might only see despair. From a bombed out building in Beirut to a group of unemployed craftsmen in Damascus, their business offers renewal to people and things that might otherwise be abandoned.
Salvaging rubble to create beauty
The idea for Beyt by 2b design came from the years that the couple spent living in Beirut, Lebanon. Once known as the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut has many beautiful French and Venetian-designed buildings that were destroyed by years of civil war. Desperate to save the ornate iron work of these old buildings from being melted down for scrap, Benedicte began salvaging pieces and using them to design lamps, tables and other home decor items. To refurbish the metalwork, she found unskilled, disabled and marginalized persons and trained them for years until they became highly skilled craftsmen. She called the brand Beyt, which is the word in Arabic as well as Hebrew for house or home. This name reflects a dimension of the couple’s work, which is to promote reconciliation between people who are in a state of sectarian tension in the Mideast.
this inlaid work on this door was done by Syrian craftsmen
A business that combines profits with commitment to giving back
When the family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, they set up a store to sell the pieces Benedicte created. In September 2015, Beyt by 2b design opened its second location at Town and Country Village in Palo Alto. Drawing on Raja’s background in business, 2b design has created a unique retail niche that combines social responsibility and for-profit enterprise in a business structure called a certified B Corp. B Corps (the “b” stands for benefit) are required to demonstrate positive social and/or environmental impact in addition to revenue.
Unique products that are environmentally sustainable and create hope
lamp at 2b design made from salvaged metal
A visit to Beyt by 2b design reveals a treasure trove of beautiful and unusual items that combine history with contemporary design in fascinating ways. Raja was excited to explain the origins of each piece and how Benedicte had both re-used discarded materials and employed underutilized workers during the production process.
For example:
- an inlaid door made by Syrian craftsmen whose skills were discovered by a Dartmouth professor.
- a lamp made from an art nouveau gate that was abandoned in Cairo and attached to a lampshade made by formerly homeless women in Cambridge.
Repurposed antique French linens at 2b design
- a pillow made from antique French dowry linens and remnants of old Chanel suits (really!).
- glasses and ceramics made by the last factory still operating in Damascus.
- jewelry made in Ethiopia out of discarded bullet cases.
“No pity sales”- 2 b design thrives through quality and design
The stories behind these pieces are amazing, but the designs are what keep the store in business. “We are not looking for ‘pity sales,'” Raja explains. “The products have to stand on their own, and our focus is always on aesthetic beauty and quality.”
While competition is stiff and mass produced items will always be less expensive, Beyt 2b design appeals to educated consumers who want to spend their money consciously. “It’s not easy to sustain any business, let alone one that relies on so many different international elements,” Raja said. “But we find customers in Cambridge and here in Palo Alto appreciate our commitment to sustainability and and our environmentally-friendly design.”
Bringing broken things- and people- back to life
jewelry made from repurposed metal
As they have in Cambridge, Beirut and Damascus, Raja and Benedicte hope to employ local people in the Bay Area who need help getting on their feet by training them to work for Beyt by 2b design. “We need things that are broken to be brought back to life,” he said, “and people need work and hope – it’s a great combination for our business and for the community.”
Beyt 2b design is located in Town and Country shopping center at 855 El Camino Real, # 120. Open Mon-Sat: 10-7pm. Sunday: 11-6pm. Tel: 650-3261899. For information, visit Beyt 2b Design’s website or www.2bdesign.biz.
All photos by Palo Alto Pulse.
a lamp made from salvaged ironwork at 2 b design
2b design’s principles are on display in the Palo Alto store
