H2R reveals the elegant design of new luxury private members’ club: The 9
The Dubai-based interior design firm H2R has revealed details of yet another project completed in 2021, The 9 – a new luxury private members’ club, located in The Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates.
A regional first for a shopping destination, the opening of the club is the first phase in Mall of the Emirates’ development plans as it further enhances its customer experience, F&B and lifestyle offering.
A destination designed to indulge the interests of the most discerning individuals, luxury shoppers and mall lovers, H2R Design worked closely with the MAF team to design various areas of The 9, as well as Capsule Arts to complement the design with art and decorative accessories.
This includes The Library – a space to read, relax and play with a pool table, library shelving for books and board games; The Suite – a luxury sleeping pod, perfect for jet-lag or a mid-afternoon nap; 9 Cigars – a state of the art humidor and cigar boutique combined with a unique lounge; The Link – a meeting room for conferences yet designed in a contemporary and minimalist style with a beautiful courtyard feature; Sartoria by Sergio Nesci – a bespoke tailoring service for suits and shirts, The Pod – an office; The Fitting Rooms – personal Stylist Services and finally The Barber – for male grooming and treatments.
Speaking about the opening, Husain Roomi from H2R said: “Projects such as The 9 are exactly the type of destination and experience that truly inspires us. Rather than create something seen before, having the chance to create a new destination within the already established one of Mall of Emirates, inspired by the luxury clientele that it will welcome, was a source of great fun for us. The minimalist and luxurious design reflects our personal tastes well and is a fantastic example of how style and the consumer experience can go hand in hand and complement each other perfectly.”
Inspired by the luxurious and yet minimalist taste of its refined clientele, the design pays close to attention to details (much like the detailing of a well-tailored suit), with different textures and layers, a colour palette of dark browns, black and leather. Building on the luxury narrative, sports memorabilia and collectables feature throughout the entire space, alongside framed black and white sartorial photography that captures luxury travel, exclusive sporting events and movie stars. Typographic artworks exhibit motivational and humorous quotes aimed to appeal to the guest’s personality.
From the moment of arrival, the reception’s design aesthetic instantly speaks of sophistication and craftsmanship to appeal to the discerning clientele. Due to the extensive use of marble, custom wallpapers and Italian furniture, guests enter into an exclusive world of curated spaces that have all been tailored for sophistication and self-care.
The Library showcases statement art pieces, select photography artwork focusing on high-class sporting events, and plush lounge seating, with a striking Irish Green Marble tile wall, and Athens Grey Marble stone flooring.
With the use of natural light, the luxury cigar boutique, 9 cigars has comfortable and inviting furniture, dimmed lighting and a well-equipped state-of-the-art humidor. A curated collection of books are displayed amongst distinctive sculptures and decorative accessories in a variety of glass and ceramic, that together set the ambiance.
Taking centre stage within the Cigar Room is a striking and powerful monochrome image of a local Cuban woman posing confidently as she goes about her day, with a cigar casually held between her teeth. The image was taken by established German photographer Bastian Linder, where he manages not only to capture her character, but the feeling of cuba – a city most famous for its cigars.
The Fitting Room stands proud in style and elegance. Crafted elements have been built into the hotel pod which feel like sanctuary, whilst beautiful clothes are showcased against stunning surfaces.
Lastly, The Barber, an intimate private space that offers a host of relaxing services, has been curated with the modern man in mind. The space is complete with olive, chrome, and black marble undertones, presenting a contemporary yet masculine feel.
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New Zealand at Expo reveals how its pavilion theme will be brought to life
With just four months to go until the start of Expo 2020 Dubai, New Zealand is unveiling more detail, and a new video trailer, about how the nation’s theme of Care for People and Place will guide all the engagement, activities, and events undertaken at the mega event inside the New Zealand pavilion and beyond.
The theme is inspired by the indigenous environmental ethos of kaitiakitanga, the understanding that humans and nature are inextricably connected. It is a deep belief that humans have a responsibility to care and protect the land, sky and water and that nature will, in turn, provide and care for humans to sustain and safeguard a future for all. This Care for People and Place forms the theme for New Zealand’s pavilion and activities at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Our new video is a teaser as to what visitors can expect when they come to the New Zealand pavilion and an insight into our theme. As an inclusive and multicultural society, New Zealand takes a long-term, multi-generational view to both social and environmental issues, some of which can be seen in the footage. Our pavilion experience at Expo 2020 will demonstrate how we apply Care for People and Place to all facets of life, particularly when it comes to business, social inclusion, women’s empowerment, youth development, food production and agriculture, our primary export sector. We believe this approach is helping to unlock significant economic advantage for New Zealand to leverage at Expo 2020,” said Clayton Kimpton, New Zealand’s Commissioner-General to Expo 2020 Dubai.
The visitor experience within the New Zealand pavilion has been inspired by a key example of kaitiakitanga as in 2017, a world-first legal status was accorded to the Whanganui River in New Zealand. Under the legislation, the Whanganui River was and is recognised as a living entity, called Te Awa Tupua. The innovative legislation obligates the government, local authorities, and all communities of the river to work together under Tupua Te Kawa, the innate values of Te Awa Tupua. This important historical move from leading indigenous communities within New Zealand will form the base of a beautiful, immersive visitor experience which will leave guests with a deeper understanding as to why kaitiakitanga is so important to the planet. The experience will also show how and why New Zealand continues to push innovation and technology across a range of important business sectors such as agtech, healthcare and food and beverage production in order to care and protect.
“The idea that we are indivisible from the natural world is expressed through every aspect of our pavilion experience – from the architecture and building façade which is designed to ripple with a pulse coupled with the thought-provoking cinematic storytelling, to the entertainment and cultural programme that highlights a huge breadth of talent and an outstanding restaurant which celebrates New Zealand produce that is always made with care,” continued Kimpton.
The New Zealand Pavilion will also feature a full-service restaurant operated by Emirates Flight Catering, where visitors can taste the outstanding quality of the country’s food and beverage offering. Named “Tiaki” meaning to care, safeguard, protect and preserve in te reo Māori, the restaurant demonstrates New Zealand’s special connection to the land and sea – a relationship founded on respect and understanding that when nature thrives, we all thrive. The country’s lush, green pastures, fertile soil and cool, clear waters combine to grow outstanding, great-tasting, nutritious produce, from a trusted and safe source.
Beyond the design, experience and restaurant in the New Zealand pavilion, Care for People and Place lives throughout the country’s programming, entertainment and business interactions at Expo 2020.
In another world-first, New Zealand is leading on, and working with, international Indigenous and Tribal peoples to deliver the first ever Global Indigenous Symposium at a World Expo. Known as Te Aratini, it will be a culturally significant moment, which is set to elevate the contributions, unlimited potential, and insights that Indigenous Peoples offer in solving current and future global issues. The symposium will be held in November 2021, during Expo 2020’s Tolerance and Inclusivity Week. In the spirit of inclusivity, Te Aratini will support attendees to develop a deeper and more holistic understanding of Indigenous Economic Inclusion and the converging roles of culture, community, commerce and conservation in the protection, maintenance and resurgence of the world’s indigenous economies from an indigenous perspective.
Care for People and Place also extends to future generations through extensive learning experiences and opportunities which will be showcased at Expo 2020. These programmes have been designed to support the growth of future leaders and include the Global Kaitiakitanga Project for young entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to world issues and a trainee chef programme which will see four talented young chefs from New Zealand work alongside professional chefs from Emirates Flight Catering in the Tiaki restaurant for a once-in-lifetime experience which will springboard their careers.
Along with the support of youth, empowering women and promoting gender equality is another area where New Zealand will be showing Care for People and Place. As a country with a long-standing commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment, New Zealand will use its experience to lead a special event in conjunction with International Women’s Day in March called ChangemakeHER, which will see inspirational females from around the world share their tales, experiences, and learnings in the hopes of inspiring future female leaders. The country will also curate a World Majlis at Expo 2020 to promote gender diversity working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in partnership with Australia.
New Zealand’s participation in Expo 2020 is supported by corporate sponsorship from a number of iconic New Zealand brands that are known as the Care Collective who each have their own approach to kaitiakitanga.
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DZ Design reveals a new brand identity with a redesigned logo and website
Dubai-based interior design studio, DZ Design, has unveiled a new visual identity, a new website, and a free eBook for residential interiors. Originally established in 2014, by husband-wife duo, Dina Murali and Zain Belgami, DZ Design started as a small architectural and interior design studio with just the two of them working across their dining table.
Drawing on more than 30 years of combined experience in the fields of global hospitality design firms and retail groups, Murali and Belgami have built a great reputation among their growing list of clients and a portfolio of exciting mid-size hotels, luxury residential commissions, and commercial projects.
DZ Design was among the first tenants in the heart of Dubai’s new creative zone – Dubai Design District (d3), followed by the opening of a fully-fledged office in India.
With the slogan “Great value for designs you’ll value” spearheading their rebrand launch campaign, Murali, design director at DZ Design, says that no one teaches designers how to run or market their design or architecture business.
“And as with many studios, we were too busy with our projects and didn’t give enough attention or time to our personal branding. We also knew that we needed to hire someone externally who would see us, and our studio, more objectively than ourselves. The result was a wonderful journey of discovering our strengths and weaknesses,” she explained.
The team chose a font that nods to traditional and timeless design, rather than being too trendy or quirky. A thin diagonal line that cuts through the logo symbolises the diversity of their projects, with a new tagline “Great value for designs you’ll value” becoming an integral part of the logo.
According to Belgami, managing director at DZ Design, comments: “The new brand aligns with the core values of our studio, both collectively and individually. It also allows us to apply it as a new sign of quality, and a sign of a DZ Design Services and design work that our team and our clients can be proud of.”
Focussing on mid-size hospitality and luxury residential markets, DZ Design’s latest projects include work for the Radisson, Citymax, Pullman, Movenpick, Hilton Hotels, and Emirates Park Zoo and Resort, amongst others.
With the new website launch, Murali has also just published her first eBook “The ultimate guide on how to create and style your own hotel-inspired home” which can be downloaded from their website.
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IKEA study reveals consumer trends for an organised 2021
IKEA is inspiring people to bring more ease and joy into their physical and mental space by reorganising their lives. The Swedish retailer promises to provide consumers with ideas and solutions for every space; whether it is where the kids play, where they dress, sleep, eat or just life at home.
For the many, home is where the heart is. When it comes to life at home, people hoard on to things that are eventually hidden in drawers, cupboards, and closets or just kept in the open due to the lack of space. To understand the mindset of consumers and importance of decluttering in their lives, as a part of the launch of its new season, IKEA hosted an independent research of more than 1000 people. The survey revealed that on average, people in the UAE declutter their homes once a week. Respondents also agreed that a powerful way to bring more ease and joy into their physical and mental space is decluttering. Almost half of the respondents wanted to declutter to make their interiors more relaxing and one third (35%) would be willing to get rid of their unused belongings and rearrange to make a more airy and open space.
The pandemic impacted life at home for the many people. People started spending more time at home, sharing spaces and home décor became priority. Continuous investment on home interiors became an ongoing trend. With spaces becoming more functional, IKEA asked consumers why they would declutter their homes. More than half said this would increase their productivity while over 40% accepted being inspired by homes of family and friends and achieve better sleeping habits.
Despite the changing trends, almost half of the survey respondents agreed that the Living Room and Bedroom remain the most important rooms to be decluttered. Amongst the items that are decluttered in these rooms, Clothes (57%) and Shoes (30%) topped the list. A third of the respondents also agreed that kid’s toys are decluttered as often as once a week but only 19% spend time decluttering this room. This highlights the need of inspiring people to invest in organising solutions that will help them maximise usage of space.
Of the different solutions available, 42% agreed to using shelves across all rooms to reorganize. Over a third (35%) of female respondents are using the extra space under beds and sofas to re-organise therefore making smart use of every area in their home.
Amongst other things, working from home is increasingly common all around the world. One third of the respondents agreed to declutter in order to create multi-functional spaces where various activities can be incorporated such as work video calls.
Commenting on the survey and IKEA’s seasonal launch, Carla Klumpenaar, GM Marketing, Communications & Interior Design at IKEA – Al Futtaim, UAE, Egypt, Oman said: ‘’Through simple ideas that deliver a big impact, with inspiring experiences, seamless solutions, and smart ideas, we want to enable people to have a better everyday life at home. It was important to reach out to the many people to understand how we could help them replace chaos with order. The survey results made us confident of our initiative and through new ideas we want to motivate them to start cleaning out, sorting, displaying, hiding, recycling or even simply donating. We welcome you all to our stores; to a season of a more organised you!”
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Jotun reveals its latest collection—REDISCOVER
Jotun unveils REDISCOVER collection, colours for 2021. The collection features newly developed colours complemented by timeless hues. Embodying the nostalgic and the new, 29 easily mixed and matched shades offer an opportunity to create 21st-century interiors that relax, energise, and inspire.
“A port in the storm, the roles our homes play in emanating calm and comfort is more prevalent than ever. Some colours can help us achieve that sense of peace and comfort like the shade 12118 Hummus with its creamy harmony, while others can conjure a feeling of freedom, fostering a connection to nature like the refreshing shade of 4894 Ocean Air. Beautiful, timeless colour combinations create truly stylish homes and surroundings where we feel at one, with our home,” said Rana Khadra, colour and creative manager at Jotun Middle East, India, and Africa (MEIA).
Bloomingdale’s Home reveals ‘Designed For Living’ collection
Designed For Living, Designed For You. Bloomingdale’s latest homeware campaign is a focus on luxury homeware, furniture, and interior trends that combine functionality and a contemporary aesthetic to instantly upgrade your home.
Soft, tranquil creams and stone greys set the tone for serene and sophisticated living spaces – an understated palette creates a blank canvas, a running undertone across the new furniture collections for living, bedroom, bathroom and dining areas. Home decor and accessories from Eichholtz, L’Objet and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, inject texture and seasonal color whilst Bloomr complements spaces with long-lasting faux florals and plants. A range of statement pieces and accessories, including bookends, vases, candlesticks and ornaments offer the perfect addition to transform a room by drawing the eye to its exquisite design and pattern.
Eichholtz’s navy blue velvet 3-seater sofa, a standout piece for the family living area, flaunts a simple and slick design that seamlessly blends in with a pre-decorated space, and dark wood paired with hints of warm chrome set the mood with softly curved armchairs courtesy of Adriana Hoyos Furnishings.
For luxury bathroom settings, Abyss and Habidecor bath towels and mats add a spa-like opulence to everyday with turmeric, subtle orange and gold accents adding warmth to soft cream.