Wednesday, August 27, 2008

If you were hired in Dubai....

During the last High Point show while waiting for Suzanne Kasler to speak, I had the pleasure of talking with a remarkable designer from Dubai...and unfortunately I have lost her card. But with the billions of dollars being thrown around over there, it must be amazing to be in the midst of it all....carte blanche accounts and mon dieu, I need to take a breathe. Of course there must be slews of headache and heart-break too.

Some of the designers live in Dubai and some do not, but they all do business there....where the $$$ is.

During my hunt for designers and images, I wanted to avoid what I would consider the stero-typical middle eastern look and see what is happening there that could just as well be in LA, NY, Dallas, Tampa and so forth.

If you could have a project what would it be? A prince's palace? A cosmopolitan apartment? An escape cottage on an Oasis? A Persian Gulf beach house? Do tell.

These are by Jean Louis Mainguy and are his Classic style.








These are his Fusion Style.










Contemporary Style.










These classic and contemporary apartments are by Mona Hatem -Interior Architecture and Design in Lebanon.









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5 comments:

  1. katiedidAugust 28, 2008 at 5:43 PM

    All that cash....it's amazing. I wonder what it owuld be like to live and work there. If there is any red tape to cut through to get a job done. Any greasing of the wheels so to speak. Thanks for the virtual tour of design in Dubai!

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  2. Willow DecorAugust 28, 2008 at 7:32 PM

    Alex,
    Dubai is so interesting. Since my blog on Christopher Peacock kitchens I have gotten several emails from Dubai about CP's signature Scullery Kitchen. Did you happen to find any kithcen photos? I am interested in why that style is so appealing there.

    BTW, a wonderful post! Wouldn't it be fun to work there!

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  3. J.CovingtonAugust 31, 2008 at 12:09 PM

    Now that is interesting...I only saw one or two kitchen photo's. Most were selling the formal intertainment areas...not so much the private areas the family would really occupy. For example, their were a number of childrens bedrooms, but I can only remember one master bedroom. Maybe it's the out-of-sight out-of-mind mindset??

    Katie, I imagine the red tape must come on industrial size rollers over there and a little "green" in the handshake too!

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  4. qeratOctober 12, 2008 at 6:44 AM

    From what I hear it is not easy time for designers in Dubai with all the competition and clients NOT spending as they used. Many designers are having to revert to copies of original pieces made in Asian countries to cut down on costs. Competition is cut throat.

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  5. J.CovingtonOctober 18, 2008 at 10:25 AM

    Qerat - I can imagine that. Times are getting tighter and the competition, as you said, must be unbelievable. Thank you for reminding me that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence!

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