A touch of drama through interior design

Interior design is not just about the visual, it is also intrinsically linked to how the aesthetics of a space will make people feel once they are inside it and the way they use it. Each room in your home should embody how you like to live.

If this is achieved, your interiors will not only be a reflection of your personality and style but, above all, each living area will liberate you to feel your very best.

"One of the most fun things to do as a designer is to treat certain areas of the home as a stage. If you love a touch of drama and sheer extrovert wit, stand back and let the play begin," says Kelly Hoppen MBE, interior designer and owner of Kelly Hoppen Interiors.

Most of us have a public and a private persona and when designing our key living areas, this needs to be taken into consideration. For example, if you're an extrovert in a public arena but prefer your "down time" to be calming and reflective, you may go for exuberant glamour in the areas of your home where you entertain — such as the dining room and drawing room — but keep your bedroom and bathroom neutral and Zen.

However you like to live, try treating your home as a theatre, your rooms as a stage, your life as the drama and you as the star — and your home should remain true to you.

For those looking to bring more drama into their home, the key is to focus on pieces that demand attention. They can be a single, eye-catching feature which forms the central focal point of a room or several dramatic elements that create an atmosphere of "drama" when put together. It might be an item of furniture, a piece of art, a sculptural light fixture or an oversized mirror. Here we take a look at some products to help get you started.

Mirrors

Play with scale and mix it up a little bit. Placing large objects in small rooms is one way of making a space appear larger and more significant. Large, oversized mirrors will not only provide a dramatic statement piece — especially if they boast a glamorous frame — but they will also open up the room and give you a feeling of space and light. The Tango mirror with a silver metallic frame is Dh7,400 and this Flat mirror is Dh4,750. Both are from Western Furniture.

Soft furnishings

As with upholstery, bright colours and animal print on soft furnishings can bring lavish textures and a touch of exotic drama into a room. These authentic, handcrafted fur cushions and throws by Creazioni Di Como range from Dh4,950-Dh17,190, from Western Furniture.

Artworks

Works of art, bytheir very nature, are a medium for self-expression and the perfect means of putting a unique "stamp" on your style. Bold, bright modern art will immediately catch the eye and look stylish in a modern apartment.

If you have the space, create a feature wall with either one large canvas or several smaller ones of different dimensions that complement each other. The larger the canvas or space dedicated to the artwork, the bigger the drama. The original paintings, Window in yellow/green and Planet are from BoConcept and are priced at Dh1,195 and Dh1,395.

See the Light

Light fittings can be an art form in themselves. Large spaces lend themselves to statement designs such as the cluster of Logico ceiling lights designed by Artemide for Villa Borsig, Berlin. Smaller spaces can benefit from artistically designed lamps such as those with interesting forms reflective surfaces which catch the light and the attention.

For more information on Logico and other Artemide designs, visit www.purity.ae or visit their showroom in Al Moosa Business Centre, Dubai. This Ashlor sculptured chrome table lamp is from Home Centre, Dh139.

Furniture

Whatever your colour scheme, you can always create an impact with furniture by using bright, contrasting pieces or upholstery with bold, outlandish prints. Try introducing touches of bright red to an otherwise dark or black wood-based interior to bring it to life or animal-print upholstery on one or two key furniture items to make a statement.

This red faux leather Makara magazine rack from THE One costs Dh169. Intricate or ornate designs also create an impact, such as this Litze coffee table from Home Centre with its decorative metal base, for Dh2,250.