Say hello to ema! A new design firm launched by former Wilson Associates’ core team
Further to the closure of Wilson Associates and its Dubai office, managing partners Tim Etherington and Iain McLaughlin launched their interior design firm – Etherington, McLaughlin & Associates (ema).
With its headquarters in Dubai Design District, ema will continue to cater to large-scale luxury hospitality, but also to F&B, wellness and corporate workspace markets.
Joined by Wilson’s former design directors Maud Capet and Julie Djohan, the key design leaders behind iconic hospitality projects, including yet-to-be-opened Marsa Al Arab, Anantara Mena Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah, MGM The Island, the studio will offer full-service interior design and FF&E services.
“We stayed together because of the legacy we’ve built. Our objective remains the same. With a clear vision of strengthening and enhancing a team capable of designing and implementing luxurious projects, ema’s emphasis is on creative excellence, documentation quality,” says Iain McLaughlin, founding partner of ema and a former operations director at Wilson.
Both Tim and Iain have had extensive experience in the design and architectural business, having designed and managed a wide typology of projects for both small specialist boutique studios through to large global corporate organisations – from luxury yachts and hospitality to flagship retail stores, showrooms and brands.
Former managing director of Wilson Dubai and Gensler Shanghai offices, Tim Etherington, a founding partner of ema, brings to the table nearly three decades of multidisciplinary design experience, spanning 15 distinct markets on five different continents.
Etherington comments: “As a firm, we want to establish and maintain strong client relationships and deliver excellent creative solutions. The firm’s primary focus centres around creative innovation, talent development, maintaining and developing key client relationships and strategically positioning the business to support and optimise client’s position in their respective sectors”.
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Wilson Associates’ Dubai studio unveils its renovation for Pai Thai, a fine dining establishment located inside of the Jumeirah Al Qasr Resort in Dubai. The firm was tapped to refresh the restaurant’s interiors while increasing dining capacity, season-proofing the exteriors for year-round service, and creating efficient patterns of mobility and flow for both patrons and staff.
Designed in the style of a Sheikh’s summer residence, the Jumeirah Al Qasr Resort in Dubai is a one-a-kind destination that embodies palatial luxury inspired by 1,001 Arabian Nights. Pai Thai, an authentic Thai cuisine experience, is situated amid the waterways of the resort. Hidden behind the lush foliage of the surrounding gardens, the restaurant invites guests to make their way through a boat or buggy where they will ultimately come across an expansive terrace that hangs across the water. Pai Thai’s distinctive facade, boasting both character and tradition, is draped by the backdrop of the expansive waterside terrace and charming inner courtyard. The path from Abra Station to the front entrance is lined with unique, decorative umbrellas in different shapes and sizes; sourced in Thailand and detailed with bells.
The interiors refresh resulted in a buzzy, yet intimate experience that lives up to Pai Thai’s recognition within the region as a “bucket list” dining destination with a wealth of industry awards and a loyal following. Keen to maintain Pai Thai’s eclectic character, the client asked the Wilson Associates team to honour the restaurant’s charm while refreshing the offering to stay competitive in Dubai’s increasingly saturated food and beverage market. 
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