InFocus | Fine Interiors
My home, my haven, my style
Three UAE residents welcome you into their beautiful homes. Sit back, relax and enjoy.
- By Catherine Rankin Harper, Feature Writer
- Published: 23:25 December 2, 2008
- Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
- Clever contrast: Kelly's bedroom has a warm, inviting feel, while the raffles-inspired living and dining area has clean lines to welcome guests into a calm, relaxing area.
Three UAE residents welcome you into their beautiful homes. Sit back, relax and enjoy.
The UAE can be a transient place, with many people staying only for a short time. A natural consequence of this is a home of a functional nature; a place to sleep and eat, somewhere to change en route to your next engagement, perhaps somewhere to rest and watch TV for a few hours. Quite often, not a place you would put a great deal of time or thought into decorating.
The residents of these three homes, however, have designed their properties to be lived in, enjoyed and admired. Each home has a different style and design theme, with unique inspirations behind them, but all have been designed with a real home in mind.
Jane and Duncan Reed, The Meadows
Jane and Duncan Reed's favourite house was a 'black and white' in Singapore — a plantation-style, colonial house built on stilts, with a distinct Anglo-Indian influence. Open shutters would allow the morning breeze to flow through the house while light walls, dark wood and stylish Chinese furniture lent an air of quiet sophistication to the rooms.
The British expats bought their four-bedroom villa
in The Meadows when they arrived in Dubai more than two years ago, but the memory of the 'black and white' is still very much in their minds, as is obvious when you enter their light, airy home.
Walls are covered in shades of cream and white, while simple, tasteful furnishings adorn the rooms. Ceiling fans keep a constant flow of air circulating, lending a relaxing feel to the villa.
"We loved the style of houses and hotels in Asia — in places like Bali — and have tried to recreate this style in each house we have lived in," says Jane. "We have been inspired to look for quality, long-lasting pieces of furniture and have often found pieces on our travels and had them shipped to our house. Many pieces were bought in Singapore, but had been sourced from various provinces in China."
Although Asian furniture can sometimes be described as elaborate, the Duncans took pains to ensure their choices would be long-lasting and not inappropriate in different surroundings. "I think we would describe our style as minimalistic," says Jane. "Although of course we got a lot of our furniture from places in Asia, we have tried to choose contemporary pieces that will fit in wherever we end up living. We have deliberately avoided overly ornate designs, as it's important for us that our furniture can adapt to different houses and different countries. And with style, to us, less sometimes feels like more."
The couple shares their villa with pet cats Sarah and Suli, who were shipped from Singapore along with much of the furniture. And both cats and furniture will make the trip back to the UK, to where the couple intends to return at some stage in the not-too-distant future. "We have friends who have taken crates of furniture back to their house in the UK, only to get rid of it all when the get there as it simply doesn't fit in," says Jane. "Each of our pieces was chosen knowing that we are always on the move — Dubai is a very modern city, whereas we have a traditional property in the UK — and each piece must adapt to future environments."
Kelly Henderson, Uptown Mirdif Garden Apartments
Despite travelling the world with her job as Flight Purser for Emirates, inspiration came from closer to home for 30-year-old Scottish expat Kelly Henderson when she began designing the master bedroom in her two-bedroom apartment in Uptown Mirdif. "I decided on an Arabian theme for my bedroom," she says.
"Something evocative of old Arabian movies I remembered watching as a child, with rich colours and luxurious fabrics — I wanted a room that reflected the tastes of the country I live in."
A four-poster bed in dark wood is the focal point of the bedroom, complete with a red and purple velvet bedspread and numerous brightly coloured and embroidered cushions. "I wanted the room to feel welcoming at night," says Kelly. "I like the warmth that bright, jewel-like colours can bring and I love the way all the cushions make the bed look so inviting."
Kelly chose a deep purple for the feature wall behind the bed, offset by the lighter surrounding walls and rich cream curtains. Majlis-style cushions are scattered around the room, while ornate candle-style bedside lamps and themed accessories such as an Arabic lamp complete the look.
In a total contrast to the lavish style of the bedroom, Kelly drew on memories of trips to her favourite hotel in Singapore to find inspiration for the lounge and dining area. "I loved the soothing décor in Raffles," she says. "The light walls, dark furniture and clean lines have always felt relaxing when I've been there and I wanted to recreate this atmosphere in my living area."
Walls, elegant drapes and soft rugs in shades of cream and white are complemented by the deep brown leather of the lounge suite, while muted accessories bring out the colour of the dark wood furniture. Socialising is a favourite pastime of Kelly's, so it was important to her that the living area was appealing to guests, and provided a relaxing area in which to entertain.
"I had a picture of Raffles in my mind as inspiration, but I needed to ensure my interpretation of the look ended up as a room that guests would also find welcoming and enjoy spending time in," says Kelly. "And for me, I wanted a laid-back, contemporary room I was happy to come home to after a long day at work. I think I've achieved that."
Tarek El Gammal, Marina Promenade, Paloma
Australian Tarek El Gammal, a 34-year-old racing driver, bought his Marina Promenade apartment in February shortly before it was completed. On moving in, he immediately set about creating the home he had been dreaming of.
"I had a picture in my mind of what I wanted," says Tarek. "I like dark wood furniture, but I wanted to include colours in the décor, and I love deep red."
This is evident in the one-bedroom apartment, with a feature wall painted in the rich colour and a sumptuous crimson rug under the coffee table. "I fell in love with that rug as soon as I saw it," he says.
Tarek's approach to interior design was somewhat mathematical and precise; "I went out shopping with a floor plan of the apartment, accounting for every last centimetre," he says. "However, when the first delivery arrived and I unpacked the dining room chairs, I had a moment of panic – how on earth were they going to fit in the room?"
Luckily Tarek's meticulous planning had paid off and the beautiful leather chairs were a perfect fit, as was every other carefully chosen piece.
Tarek's shopping technique was not just influenced by the need to ensure every purchase would fit into the 900 square feet of his apartment. "When I was shopping, I made sure I didn't buy anything unless I absolutely loved it," he says. "For me, the little details count."
Little details for Tarek include the unusual glass light fittings hanging in the living area, the stylish picture frames dotted around, and a dramatic piece of art hanging in the lounge. "I found the painting at Dragon Mart," says Tarek. "As soon as I saw it I knew the colours were just right to go with the furniture and accessories."
Tarek's pride in his apartment is plain to see as he describes his favourite features. "I love the lounge area," he says. "The sofa, the cushions and the rug — it's all just how I wanted it."
But Tarek isn't finished yet, despite owning an apartment that could easily be described as a show home. "I have contractors working on storage in the bedroom at the moment," he says. "And once they're done with that, the carpenters are booked to lay wood flooring throughout. Then it will finally be finished — it will finally be home, and I can't wait for that."
