A business that carries the classic story of starting small, yet, with big ideas. Discovery International is towering in its chosen field, the simple business mantra being uncompromising commitment to quality.
Words Jennifer Paldano Goonewardane
The restfulness in the quiet ambience of the room echoes in the warmth of the day. The visitor is swallowed in the serenity of a surrounding that dazzles like a mottled tapestry of an artist’s palette. The captivating colours serenade the soul into a tuneful sojourn of peaceful dwelling. The exuberance in the aura that pervades the space is a display of quaintness fused with grace. The character of the interior sets the stage for a fascinating journey in time. The story of Discovery International cascades like the placidness of its shop; not just a shop, a place of beauty displaying a range of eye-catching and delightful products that the company is proudly associated with.
Europe was the inspiration for Buddhika Gamage, Governing Director, who ‘enamoured’ by the simplistic elegance of unfussy sun shelters in Sweden, launched the product in Sri Lanka. The company ‘started from a dining room table’, with no experience, workshop or office. The journey ahead was testing. Then came along the Architect’s Exhibition in 1996, opening the first window of opportunity, a ray of hope and that initial impetus it was seeking. Nearly two decades later, the portfolio of products and services of the company is impressive. The company’s constant adherence to that simple business mantra of uncompromising commitment to quality has crowned it a specialist in the field of designing and manufacturing a range of Sun & Rain control products, such as awnings, canopies, tents, umbrellas, and a vibrant range of indoor and outdoor furnishing fabrics, custom made cushions and stylish wicker furniture.
Adhering to quality as the driving aim of every project, the company uses Sunbrella(USA), Brella (Australia) and Ferrari (France), the world’s best awning fabrics, canvas and architectural material brands. “A fashionable trade like ours rests significantly on the investment choices we make. The brands used by the company are best suited for Sri Lanka’s humid conditions and harsh weather patterns. They are best suited to a tropical country like ours as they are waterproof, UV and fungus resistant, rot proof and light in weight, endowing them with that exclusive attribute of durability” explained Buddhika, whose company has been conferred with the Green Guard Certificate for not using harmful substances in its products. “We use Green Guard certified materials and recyclable materials in manufacturing our range of products,” he added.
The fabrics, from warm colours to crimsons of many shades to the subtlety of hues, the myriad of choices can style the window, adorn the couch, bedeck a poolside and festoon a facade. Even the most commonplace home or building will be infused with refined elegance with a dazzling sun shade, smartened with cosy chairs accompanied by stains of multicoloured cushions and pillows. The array of indoor and outdoor products such as awnings, canopies, cushions, umbrellas and tents designed and manufactured by the company are distinctive in their appearance because of attention to detail and dedication to perfection. This tenet has driven Discovery International to make an exceptional presence in the market, devoted to a mission of ensuring hassle-free living in an ambience of grace and a character of refined taste.
The discerning clientele have been the best teachers to the team at Discovery International, whose path to success was crusted with stepping stones of learning. The affable team of employees continue to uphold the founding values of the company like a commandment. Their clientele include leading corporates, hotels here and in the Maldives and a niche market of individual customers. It is not the value of a business that is of importance to them. Every customer that steps into the confines of their showroom is respected and served with panache of professionalism.
An unquenchable yearning for excellence in quality coupled with elegance, has constantly driven the company to seek the best and to be a trend-setter. Thus, the innovative range of imported drift-wood and porcelain lampshades at the showroom could not escape the roving eye, like a breath of fresh air the accessories are original in design, akin to the furnishing fabrics that decorate the room in a festival of colours. Be it black in white or white in black, in lines or in loops, the blues, the stains of burgundy and violet and the vivacity of olive and cerise can be mixed and matched to unfurl an inimitable living experience that only Discovery International can promise.
594, Nawala Road, Rajagiriya
(+94 11) 200 4040
(+94) 077 739 6939
