Our Story
We create beautiful art that can be used. Because we view furniture as art, we carefully handcraft our pieces with rare materials, at museum-level quality. We believe that art should not just be seen, it should be thought provoking and experienced. At Contour, our goal is to bring the art museum home.
We Design and Build Unforgettable Art that Functions as Furniture
Our mission is to connect Africa and America through sustainable design. Contour’s timeless handmade collection reflects the beauty and intrigue of Malawi, a small country in East Africa. For each project, we plant trees across Malawi. Our goal is to plant 1,000 trees per year to help offest deforestation and the collective carbon footprint.
What sets Contour apart is our exotic wood material palette and our attention to detail. Our sustainably sourced collection is native to Malawi and unmatched in America. We approach African Mahogany, Acacia and Teak as a unique canvas with endless possibilities. We can design based on your ideas for your home, or we can start from scratch and create something unforgettable. With each option, we aim to exceed your expectations. It will not only be a conversation piece, it will be a legacy piece that will last forever.
The Contour Gallery
Contour Success Stories
Customer and Media Reviews
- Susie Tommaney, The Houston Press
"The seed soon becomes the tree and ever since Jamar Simien first saw the potential in those handcrafted mahogany bowls, the operation has been growing exponentially. With Ike Igbo based out of Lilongwe, Malawi and Brandon Destouet in Houston, they're building an infrastructure with the Malawi community, training and educating on best practices."
- Michael, Boca Raton
"I’m so glad we hired Jamar to design and build our new table. It was a joy to be able to support the work of such a talented artist. Getting to know him and feeling so connected to the process of making this piece has been a wonderful experience for me. Each time I look at my beautiful table I am reminded of my good fortune both in being able to live with a piece of such beauty as well as to be able to feel the connection to the wonderful human who designed it."
- Joanne, Chicago
"I am so grateful to have found Jamar Simien and Contour! From my first contact with Jamar, I felt very comfortable and confident that I was very lucky to find an artist and craftsperson who was both extremely talented and passionate about his work. He helped guide me through the process of picking a piece of wood and designing just the right piece for the space."
Our Canvas is Exotic Wood
Contour only uses trees that have fallen naturally due to old age or weather conditions. All of our exotic wood species are sustainably sourced in East Africa and certified by the Malawian Department of Forestry, CITES and USDA.
Art Goes Green
We handcraft elegant modern African furniture, with the environment at the forefront of our work. The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a coalition of manufacturers, retailers and designers dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry.
We empower communities in East Africa by collaborating with local artisans to design and build custom furniture. We are passionate about creating meaningful, sustainable pieces of functional art. These handcrafted pieces of bespoke furniture are made from 100% sustainably sourced exotic wood, only found in remote regions of East Africa. We have partnered with a non-profit organization that plants trees across the country of Malawi, for every Contour piece sold.
From Malawi with Love
Recycled tumbled glass and copper beautifully handcrafted into functional art. Each piece of glass is found on the shores of Lake Malawi. We collaborate with local artisans in East Africa to handcraft one of a kind artwork that can be admired, but more importantly, used.
From Tree To Table
All of our original products are sustainably sourced and hand milled in Malawi, East Africa. It is then shipped to America where we have a large inventory of exotic hardwoods. Based on our client’s vision for the project, we choose a piece from our collection, then we begin the intricate process of turning raw wood into functional art.
We are proud of the relationships that we have and the unique story that each piece carries along the journey to America. We have developed a sustainable design and build process in Lilongwe, Malawi that involves collaboration between several people that all care about what we do. Once it is in America, our creative team in Houston brings each project to life.
Contour Press
The unique story of Contour has been featured in a variety of publications across the country and around the world.
