Brazilian luxury bespoke furniture and interiors brand ‘Ornare’ opens flagship showroom in Dubai
Brazil headquartered international luxury bespoke design brand, Ornare, announced the opening of its Middle East flagship showroom in Dubai. Operating out of the iconic Opus Tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the brand’s expansion in the region will be led by the dynamic trio Carina Fontes, Maryam Al Nabooda, and Shalise Basso – businesswomen with deep experience in the design industry.
Commenting on how the opening aligns with the brand’s expansion strategy focused on growth markets like the UAE where the luxury retail market has seen double-digit growth over the past decade, Carina Fontes said, “The country is marked by economic prosperity and high demand in the luxury market from customers who give priority to quality. It is an audience that is willing to pay for sophistication and refinement. The UAE is therefore a very strategic market for Ornare and we have positive expectations for the new showroom”.
As a brand well established in the global interior design and architecture market, Ornare prides itself on providing complete customized solutions for the whole house – from kitchens to wardrobes, bathrooms, wall systems, accessories and more. Stressing on its authenticity as a 100% Brazilian product made in São Paulo, the brand’s Founding Partner Esther Schattan added, “We have grown year after year, and we are consolidating ourselves internationally as a Brazilian luxury company. In Brazil and the world over, consumers are spending more time in their homes, investing even more in their environments by increasing the comfort and beauty of their living spaces. This is the right time for us to introduce a taste of Brazilian luxury into homes in the UAE.”
Ornare specializes in offering a high degree of customization for discerning clients, allowing them the freedom to execute extremely sophisticated projects. As part of the service, the brand also uses state-of-the-art technology to enhance customer experience. Clients and business partners can view 3-D modelled designs of the project via Virtual Reality or video before it goes into production.
In addition to the new Dubai flagship and showrooms in Brazil, Ornare has eight others strategically located in the United States. The company has ambitious goals to grow the international business to account for 40% of total sales by 2024.
Photo credit: Marko Zirdum
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Casa Milano opens 40,000 sqft showroom in Abu Dhabi
Luxury home solutions retailer, Casa Milano, opened its doors to the people of Abu Dhabi on 12 December, a couple of months after celebrating two successful years of inception.
What started as luxury sanitaryware and tiles brand has now diversified to complete home solutions by beautifying the outdoor spaces with landscaping and pools solution, creating unique indoor spaces with parquet, and designer kitchens making it a destination for designers and for those planning to build/refurbish their homes.
The outlet is offering an exclusive assortment of designed counter bowls, showers, faucets, tiles and slabs, and solid surfaces manufactured by over 40 of the world’s top brands in the largest luxury showroom in UAE spanning over 40, 000 sq. ft.
As the company continues to align with different luxury brands like Glass Design, Devon & Devon, Roberto Cavalli, Cristal et Bronze, Maison Valentina, Isvea Italy, Cora, Ter Hurne and much more Casa Milano is turning out to be an experience rather than just a showroom.
The retailer will showcase a few new brands in their state of art Abu Dhabi showroom like Hansgrohe, Axor, Arredo3, Franke, Sanit, Porcelanosa.
“A very important moral that I have learnt from my father is we need to partner with brands who become long-term associates and have the same mindset for mutual benefit and growth. I am elated to say that we have recently partnered with two of the best names in the industry – Hansgrohe for faucets and showers with Arredo3 for kitchens,” says Azhar Sajan, who leads the luxury venture.
He added, “We intend to showcase all our products in a way that the customer can visualise having it in their homes.”
The lockdown also gave people ample time to refurbish their homes which has now become their offices, classrooms etc., leading to a demand for home improvement solutions.
Sajan added: “The home improvement segment has seen a significant growth in the last year. We received enquiries from our consultants in Abu Dhabi. This will hopefully be first of the many showrooms we plan to open in this emirate.
“Earlier people were keen on giving their living rooms a luxurious touch because they would spend most of their time at home in that space. Now the bathroom has evolved to become a personal space with people wanting to spend their ‘me’ time there, they want now add luxury to their bathrooms as well. If you’re spending a fortune on the house, then I am sure you can spend a fraction of it to add an aesthetic touch to the bathroom which you would be using multiple times in a day.”
The brand hopes to open a store in Sharjah next year and outlets across the entire GCC in the next five years.
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The Bowery Company opens a new flagship showroom in Al Quoz
The Bowery Company launches a new showroom in Dubai’s Al Quoz District. The eponymous 5000sqft flagship space furthers the region’s progression & commitment to great design. Members of The Bowery Company’s Hub will avail of their dedicated working station, meeting room and access to curated events catered specifically to the region’s burgeoning design community, all in an unparalleled space of solace.
The Bowery Company Founder, Christiane Nasr, noticed a lack of stores or brands within the U.A.E that brought the edge of New York City, or the clean minimalist aesthetic of Scandinavian furniture Launching the mutli-brand retailer, she was the first to bring decor trends which focus on expressive interior pieces while promoting comfort & nostalgia to the Middle East. The Bowery Company is the leading partner in the GCC for prominent design brands such as Ferm Living, 101 Copenhagen, Kristina Dam, Bolia & many more. “I’m known for affordable luxury,” explains Nasr. “It’s about providing items for clients who appreciate good design.” From the very beginning Nasr has been solely responsible for being the catalyst in the newfound desire for a more sophisticated aesthetic in homes across the Middle East.
Iconic global design brands HAY & FEST are both now exclusively on the retail scene and stocked by The Bowery Company – furthering the brand’s goal of democratising great design.
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In Pictures: Showroom Complex in China by Studio DOTCOF
A corporate showroom that is unlike spaces such as art galleries or museums that are directly open to the public, and is mainly used for receiving clients or partners related to the enterprise’s business. A showroom is often relatively big and isolated. At times when no reception is happening it often lays vacant, and its use efficiency is fairly low.
Employing the concept of the Showroom Complex, Studio DOTCOF has designed the head office showroom on Xiupu Rd in Shanghai for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. It incorporates such spaces as an art gallery, a square, a theatre, a restaurant, and a cafe to give the visitor a more complex and diversified spatial experience.
The art gallery is where unique products are displayed. The design adopts an arch to emphasise the towering characteristic of the space and to bring out the beauty of the exhibits.
The square serves as the transitional space between the main exhibition hall and the rest of the space. It is mainly used to display mass-produced products and is also the place where multiple traffic flows converge. The designer created a totally open space to allow people to gather, and some of the exhibits can be shown on weekdays.
The theatre space is used for product releases, seminars, and events, etc. The large sliding doors on both sides of the big screen can be opened when an event is over, connecting the adjacent cafe and restaurant spaces. These two spaces are ideal for breaks and informal talks before and after official visits, and here visitors can stop to enjoy coffee and snacks.
Photo credit: Chen Hao
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