Danube Home launches its contemporary Ramadan collection
With Ramadan just around the corner, Danube Home has launched a contemporary collection of furniture and home décor for those looking to give their homes a makeover this festive season. The leading furniture brand understands the taste of the UAE’s consumers and has designed an enviable catalogue of modern pieces that are sure to suit the homes of Emiratis and expats alike.
The Ramadan Collection by Danube Home includes a minimalistic living and dining range in monotone shades. The light grey and black furniture pieces with sharp lines and contrasts are sure to appeal to customers who prefer a decluttered and sophisticated home interior. Connoisseurs of understated elegance will love the walnut and gold range that feature living, dining and bedroom furniture in earthy tones with a hint of luxury.
Residents of the UAE are no strangers to glamour and those who emulate the same in their homes can turn to the opulent gold metal and glossy modern pieces, or the luxurious Milano sofa set. For those looking to make their homes an escape from the city, Danube Home has drawn inspiration from Western homesteads with a range of matte leather and tan pieces, that use natural hemp and oak melamine. The brand has also created a series of unique pieces for Kids – from nursery furniture to poster beds, to coordinated comforter sets and other soft furnishings that children are sure to love.
As with all of Danube Home’s range of furniture and home décor, their Ramadan Collection pieces are highly durable, made of strong materials and built to last without compromising on style. The pieces are all made in Egypt with the highest care and quality checks at every step of the way. The Ramadan Collection by Danube Home is available at all Danube Home stores across the UAE and online on www.danubehome.com
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Burj Al Arab celebrates new contemporary artworks and opens to visitors for the first time
1999 saw the opening of Dubai’s most iconic landmark and the globe’s most revered hotel. The Burj Al Arab. Reportedly, the world’s only 7-star hotel, it was proudly designed to resemble a ship’s sail.
The hotel offers the ultimate in luxury and features extraordinary art, design, architectural splendour, ample gold leaf, dancing fountains and a towering 180-metre atrium. Until now, the unique hotel has dominated Dubai’s skyline and has only been accessible by select advanced reservation holders and hotel residents. 22-years later, Louise Duggan’s artworks and new contemporary interiors from KCA International form the exciting new visitors’ experience. The Burj Al Arab is proudly offering access to all visitors so that everyone can enjoy the well-loved and iconic symbol of Dubai.
The Burj Al Arab is translated from Arabic into ‘The Tower of Arabs’.
In January 2021, Louise Duggan, the founder of Ophelia Art Consultancy, was invited by KCA International and Burj Al Arab to develop nine artworks for the new visitor’s experience. Duggan has come full circle. She attended the grand opening ceremony of the Burj Al Arab when KCA International completed the project almost a quarter of a century ago.
The UK born Duggan graduated from Leicester University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Art and Design and English literature. She continued her studies and trained with various award-winning design firms in London before moving to Dubai. Duggan spent her childhood on the vibrant continent of Africa. The colourful cultural heritage has been influential on her work as she deftly demonstrates elements of the African aesthetic.
Client brief
The original interior design concept for the Burj Al Arab was based around the four elements of nature. Khuan Chew of KCA International created an environment of ornate grandeur with an explosion of colour. KCA revisited this theme within the new areas by bringing it up-to-date with a modern twist, clean lines, and elegant features.
The brief was to create nine contemporary paintings to reflect the four elements but in keeping with the rich history of the Burj Al Arab. Designers were instructed to retain the feeling of extravagant opulence whilst creating a modern interpretation of their original design.
Concept
Ophelia Art Consultancy received carpet and fabric samples so they could create a seamless journey from the floor, furniture and art. One challenge was creating artworks that function within the already bold interior but still be powerful enough as stand-alone paintings.
Duggan was inspired by a quote from famed Buddhist nun Perma Chodon. This became the base of their art direction and development. “It’s said that when we die, the four elements – earth, air, fire and water – dissolve one by one, each into the other, and finally just dissolve into space. But while we’re living, we share the energy that makes everything, from a blade of grass to an elephant, grow and live and then inevitably wear out and die. This energy, this life force, creates the whole world”.
Duggan’s pride and the standout piece for this project is the VIP lounge installation. She combined the four elements in their full glory, using yellow, red, blue, and green with overflowing gold lines dripping down the canvas. This painting encapsulates the energy, uniqueness and passion of the project.
The artwork in the bathroom highlights elements of natural marble. Duggan reflects the feminine fire element in the delicate gold lines of energy. Breathtaking zebra marble and dots of gold in the painting express the force of masculine energy. Splatters of vibrant hues of red, green, yellow, and blue represent the four elements.
The extraordinary Burj Al Arab experience commences with two paintings at the Mina a’ Salam hotel. The journey is inspired by numerous gold lines that carefully weave their way through the painting and pick up the fresh verdant highlights from the carpets. Two striking paintings in the prayer rooms represent the grounding forces of the earth with deep brown tones. Duggan used plentiful gold in these paintings to continue the journey of discovery and illustrate the strength of the human spirit.
KCA and Ophelia Art Consultancy worked closely together to develop the paintings to create one voice throughout the interiors. Duggan expressed, “It was truly a celebration to work on such an iconic project”.
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Contemporary showering solutions with Ideal Standard’s new Connect 2 range
Ideal Standard expands its showering portfolio through its latest launch of Connect 2 shower enclosures.
Bringing together expert engineering and contemporary designs to meet the requirements of everyday life, Connect 2 shower enclosures take the aesthetic of your bathroom to the next level. These bath screens are not just designed to elevate your shower experience, but also, are easy to install, clean and maintain.
The range of models include: pivot, bi-fold, 1 and 2 door sliders, corner entry and quadrant options in a range of different sizes. This comprehensive range allows for practical showering solutions for almost every bathroom or en-suite installation requirement.
The collection features a 1950mm high semi frameless 6mm glass, bright silver profiles with 50mm of adjustment, easy clean safety glass, metallic logo, metal handles inside and out as well as concealed fixings in the form of chrome cover caps and double vertical seals between doors and side panels.
Frederick Trzcinski, Marketing & Innovation Director at Ideal Standard MENA, said: “The Connect 2 shower enclosures range has been engineered for everyday living. With its space saving capabilities and easy installation and maintenance features, the range has been designed with functionality in mind.”
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Colombian artist Gustavo Vélez to showcase sculptures at Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery in Dubai
Colombian artist Gustavo Vélez, known for his sculptures which embody a certain creative fluidity will showcase his artworks at the Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery on the Blue Waters Island from October 1-December 1, 2020. Along with a virtual online exhibition that can be viewed on Oblong website curated by Italian curator Susanna Campolonghi, featuring 15 artworks of Gustavo Velez, from end of October 2020 to the end of January 2021.
One of the most prominent artists from Medellin, Colombia, Gustavo Vélez sculptural process is the result of the figurative artist’s interpretation, abstracted from the reality of our world. Vélez transforms the matter into works that play between the figurative and the conceptual, between forms easily identifiable and others more abstract, full of movement, light, shadow and search of the infinite.
Entwining elegant lines, the thin, light sculptures depict Vélez’s particular way of creating tri-dimensional shapes. From every angle, their forms are seamless and lines, dynamic; their shapes change when light changes, giving the spectator an infinite, pleasant possibility of viewing the pieces.
Kasadamo to focus on creating furniture in collaboration with contemporary and pop-art artists
Kasadamo, an innovative start-up aims in creating luxury furniture made in collaboration with contemporary and pop-art artists. The company focusses on providing unparalleled pieces of art and unique designs, realised with the finest materials and techniques.
Kasadamo is dedicated to bringing people closer to their dreams by putting visions, artists and outstanding craftspeople together to show that everything you can imagine is possible. Their revolutionary way of making art will enable a completely new approach to giving life to interior projects.
“We have noticed that the furniture sector is too passive compared to other fields which tend to evolve and become digital. It was from there that we conceptualised this company to bring something new. We believe that pieces of furniture are the perfect element for artists to express themselves in an innovative and revolutionary way.” says Deborah Nardo and Vincent Mazenauer, co-founders and CEOs of Kasadamo Limited. “Luxury furniture will be the new canvas of our artists, to create unique masterpieces that evoke beauty and freedom. We offer unique luxury furniture collections and art, imagined by Kasadamo, to make people’s interiors outstanding.”
This innovative new brand aspires to cultivate a philosophy where leaders are mentors who empower others, where people feel truly valued and sincerely supported at work.
The brand has a strong ecological conscience and seeks to offset 100% of the CO2 emissions from its activities, using a well-known method; tree planting. The brand is committed to donate the amount necessary for the plantation of 5 trees for each product sold. A counter will be updated regularly, with the total number of trees that Kasadamo has replanted.
H2R Design gives a contemporary spin to Emirati restaurant Kraz in Sharjah
Kraz is a modern Emirati restaurant located in a residential area in Sharjah. H2R Design firm modernised Kraz in a way that suits the contemporary Emirati lifestyle with a manifestation of the new while appreciating and honouring the traditions and values of older generations through its on-ground ‘majlis’ style seating areas. Modern chairs and tables sprawl across the central area, while the side walls nest majlis cushioned sofas and lowered tables.
Their inspiration for the interior design of the restaurant was influenced by the cosiness of the historical majlis which represents the space for warm gatherings, a place dedicated to important conversations, a dwelling to share food, laughter and memorable moments.
The cultural connection paved the way for the development of the design, ensuring the local flair is represented in detail. Simultaneously, the interior design also takes an understated approach to modernity; adding sophistication and richness with the utilisation of textures.
Key design features include geometric patterns, textured paints, and handmade porcelain wall tiles from Italy. The intricately carved Mashrabiya panels pertaining to the characteristic of Arabic residences are made of wood and placed on the ceiling, walls and also as a hallway divider.
Photography: Alex Jefferies