Interior designers and stylists flocked to an ultra-cool exhibition in Dubai’s Design District — or d3, as it is known — to soak in the newest looks for the next twelve months. Covering furniture, lighting, bathrooms, kitchens, textiles, and accessories, it was also a platform for more avant-garde pieces of art and sculpture — an ideal space to gain insight and inspiration for the year ahead.
Held at Downtown Dubai as part of the wider Dubai Design Week in October, the show attracted 90 brands from 25 countries, as well as showcasing the best from the Middle East. Here are four key trends from the event to watch out for in the coming months…
In the spotlight
You can’t escape the direction the world of installation-style lighting is heading in, if the pieces on display at Downtown Design were anything to go by. Glamorous, ornate, bordering on ostentatious, the future of statement light fixtures is bright. Czech glass, also known as Bohemian, is known for its uniqueness and quality, and was thrillingly showcased at the exhibition in the extraordinary work by Lasvit. This hand-blown glass look in light fittings and any pieces that hark back to the extravagant times of the old European and Russian royal dynasties are going to be big news next year.
Bathrooms as wellness spaces
Bathrooms as places to feel rejuvenated and pampered, rather than just wash areas, was a clear trend, and one that fits in with Dubai’s love of luxury. Elegant spaces, filled with light, that use top-of-the-range products were big with the European set. A good example was German bathroom specialist Hansgrohe, which used the show to unveil its new overhead Select Rainmaker showers (inset) that transform bathrooms into spa-like areas. The rimless surface, framed by a narrow chrome casing, gives these overhead installations a chic but understated look that can work in any bathroom environment.
The Italians are back
Italian products got their own sprawling pavilion at Downtown Design, signaling a return in favour for the country’s famed craftsmanship and eye for timeless luxury. Indeed, Made in Italy interiors exports to the UAE recently touched $200 million (Dh735 million) and are set to grow. Worth looking out for are products from Fantini Mosaici, a bespoke flooring company best known in this region for its stunning finishes at the iconic Shaikh Zayed Al Nahyan Bin Sultan Mosque. And continuing the spa theme mentioned above, innovative ecologically friendly label HOM has an efficient and sophisticated new range of household equipment to heat and dry bathrobes, towels and clothes.
Go mental for metal
A strong general trend seen right across the interior design segments of the show was a love of all things metallic. Copper accessories — including light fittings and piping — were prevalent, as was the general use of metallic elements for decorating. The repurposing of second-hand metallic fixtures and fittings will be big in 2016 according to the experts on the floor — and don’t be restrained, more is more.
