NITA’s Owner Carves a Niche in the Furniture Market
INTERVIEW
Although NITA has only been open since 2017, it has already become an exceptional place for those in the know. As a furniture house hurtling toward the future, NITA has perfected the art of merging classic luxury with the aesthetic values of minimalism.
Having an eye for detail and perfection, NITA’s owner, Miranda Khetsuriani, left her pharmaceutical profession to dedicate herself to improving lives through furniture. Her family has built NITA with a great sense of tradition, family and community.
From the day of NITA’s inception, Khetsuriani has been steering the company to ever new heights with one principle in mind: to level up the furniture industry in Georgia through maintaining an unmatched standard of quality and consistency.
That NITA conveys the best of European elegance is no exaggeration. The furniture house’s interior is modern and minimal, with bursts of luxury and color. All displayed items are decked in earthy tones, which have a warm and sumptuous feel. Bold furniture designs pair effortlessly with modern forms, and are always infused with unique accessories-like silhouettes that showcase Ms. Khetsuriani’s attention to detail.
One instantaneously feels the principles that NITA’s creator considers fundamental to good design, like honoring natural materials, working with simple, organic forms, and making the functional beautiful. NITA has all it takes to help you create a comfortable, serene and visually appealing private oasis.
Ms. Khetsuriani sat down with GEORGIA TODAY to explain the constant lure of the Georgian luxury furniture brand, and how vital it is to maintain its tradition in an ever-expanding market.
HOW DID NITA COME TO LIFE?
Before my journey with NITA began, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years. I loved my profession so deeply that I thought I could never do anything else. My husband, Kakhaber Levidze, the founder of NITA, has been working in the furniture industry for 24 years. When he decided to create his own furniture company, he asked me to assist him. I helped him choose the name for the company: the name of our granddaughter, Nita. When we began to collaborate with large furniture companies, I decided to get more involved in the business. We chose the best companies, the exclusive collections of which were brought to Georgia by NITA furniture house. When we signed a contract with Weltew Home, Turkey's trademark furniture company, I had to leave my pharmaceutical profession for good and fully concentrate on this new project. At the time, I wasn’t sure this industry was close to my heart, but now I can't imagine living a day without it. I’ve found that as you grow, learn and live, so do your passions. Today, very much like my granddaughter being my flesh and blood, NITA furniture store has come to have immeasurable importance to me and my family. I can boldly say that I was born again with NITA. It has become my ‘second self’. There is Miranda, and with her, there is always NITA.
TO SOMEONE WHO IS JUST LEARNING ABOUT YOUR SHOP TODAY, WHAT DOES NITA SPECIFICALLY OFFER?
We offer a wide selection of bedroom, living room and dining room furniture to satisfy every imaginable need. We aim to grow NITA to be the brand synonymous with your home. We want to ensure we can constantly develop and add the latest technology and trends to help you create your private oasis at home through elegant, high-quality furniture. We have great respect for the materials, and always try to strike a perfect balance between tradition and innovation; we believe that luxury is a combination of elegance, comfort and exclusivity. We’re proud to champion family values, respect, trust, recognition and teamwork, in everything we do. As we believe it is necessary to leave the customer as satisfied as possible, our customers can always request changes to the furniture that we offer, especially in terms of color and fabric. We want shopping to be a pleasure for our customers. Visit our spacious, beautifully laid-out store for fresh coffee and a friendly atmosphere. We encourage you to take your time, relax, and feel at home.
DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE, VISION AND THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND NITA.
The driving idea behind NITA was, and is, that anyone should be able to afford stylish, modernist furniture. We always put the client first. This is why we offer prices that are hard to match. NITA has been created with one idea in mind: to elevate the everyday in your life. Timeless design is the core to our product selection. By this, we mean that our customers will still be happy with their purchase in 20 years’ time. We have selected suppliers based on their ability to produce excellent craftsmanship.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED FROM RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
I’ve learned many valuable things about business over the last four years I’ve spent with NITA. Being self-taught is a rough route at times. But it’s invigorating when you accomplish a goal, or even simply meet someone who is interested in what you’re doing. I often try to inspire others to achieve their goals, build their business, and create something that enhances the lives of others. Business to me is very much akin to art. If you don’t keep your mind open to new ideas and creativity, your business isn’t going to evolve. Stimulation, organization and interpretation are some of the many aspects of perception that one needs to achieve success in both realms. Dedication is also key. To be accountable within your business is important, and to build strong relationships with customers. I’ve learned to do market research. The study of customer behavior is also vital. By the way, my husband is a musician. He plays and sings. However, he too found more development in business.
IT’S OBVIOUS YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EXCEPTIONAL. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT IT.
We share our core values with the members of our group. NITA’s knowledgeable and experienced staff are always on hand to assist you in fi \nding exactly what you need. They will do anything it takes to keep a customer happy, whether they have purchased or not! This is the core mantra of our business.
WHAT IS NITA FOCUSING ON NEXT?
My biggest wish is to establish a NITA Enterprise in Georgia; to produce furniture locally. By sourcing our products locally, we will make it our priority to use the highest quality materials available; and since every piece will be assembled in a small batch or by hand, customers will be sure to get the premium quality furniture they deserve. We also plan to enrich our collection by adding new lines of branded furniture from countries like Italy and France. I want NITA to become even more wide-ranging and multicolored. We’re thinking of adding a few new branches as well; at first, we’ll focus on opening stores in Georgia’s largest cities. We now offer a teen line, with premium quality, antibacterial and anti-allergic fabrics and mattresses. We provide ideal mattresses for every need and type of comfort. Each model has its specific purpose. For instance, our fabrics made of Coolmax technology are capable of dissipating moisture, thus guaranteeing far more breathable surfaces than the traditional ones. We only use soft, light and breathable fabrics. When our foremost aim to establish NITA’s local enterprise bears fruit, we are definitely going to include a child’s line too, from infancy onwards. Very soon, towards the end of December, we will pamper our customers with a new collection, which will be displayed in NITA’s showroom. In January, if the pandemic allows us, we’ll visit the furniture exhibition in Istanbul, where we annually choose our new furniture models.
BY ELENE DZEBISASHVILI