Giving the gift of Imagination!

Giving the gift of imagination is one of the most wondrous gifts you could give your child. No one knows better than me what it means to have a colorful imagination! Being a recluse had an advantage, i grew up with a vivid imagination that has many a times been my escape and also a boon for my Interior design profession. During my time in design school I recall our professors encouraged us to be as imaginative as possible, even if it meant it was borderline ridiculous. It was safe to do so for fantasy school projects with no budget restraints or consequences. Now i understand the importance of exercising our imagination because imagination is the root of creation.

In the words of Albert Einstein

                 “ Logic will get you from A to B but Imagination will take you everywhere”

My next product Circu sparked my interest because it is magical & fanciful, just what the designer recommended! It is a statement piece, it is out-there and at the same time it is functional! It brings a bit of old world charm into the world of millennials. 

 

 I am sure these products will bring a smile to your face and waken your inner child! 

                          Until next time …. “Stay Childlike….stay Funky!”

Metal Sheer

It’s been 8 months since my last post, I can’t believe it! Since i started this blog, life has taken me on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. It’s been difficult but i have made peace with the uncertainty of life. I can safely say the fact that i love what i do, my work, my passion for design has kept me sane. I have drowned myself in work just so that i can escape from the chaos of the outside world. Juggling work and responsibilities at home leaves me with little time for myself, whether it’s simply to take a walk or write a little something. I hope to write every few weeks hereon because i love to share things that excite me in the design world and i have been collecting interesting materials to share since very long. So here goes…

All things that shine, glitter and gleam excite me, so when i came across Sophie Mallebranche’s incredible collection of metal sheer's and panels i was thrilled!! She creates textile with metal!! Her stainless steel, brass, bronze and tin weaves combine with Silicone, silk or linen that can be used as wall coverings, window coverings, laminated on glass, wrapped around furniture to name a few. The effect is spectacular especially the applications that i have seen in the hospitality sector. I cannot wait to specify it on a project and i hope you do too. By exposing our clients to such materials we are supporting these amazingly talented designers and artists.

These are some of my favorite applications of the product, what are yours?

                             Till next time… Stay Strong… Stay funky!

Showers & Faucets by JEE-O

I am so thrilled about the Soho collection of Showers & faucets from JEE-O . I love the industrial design! A reminder of how a simple design can be so powerful!

The Soho series comprises of freestanding shower mixers, freestanding bath mixer and wall mounted faucet made of black matt hammer coated stainless steel. Thanks to the one-move cartridge in the faucet mechanism, the cleverly designed handle with a tactile rubber coating can be operated in the same way as a joystick. All JEE-O soho products are made from stainless steel and finished with a dark, all-weather hammer coating for the right industrial look.

The Soho 01 shower design was awarded with a RedDot design Award 2014 and is nominated for a German Design Award 2016.

I am eager to hear what you think of this product, please leave your comment below.

Until next time "Stay strong.... Stay Funky"

'Al Qasba' Project - My dream come true!

When i moved to the U.A.E nine years ago i stayed in Sharjah for the first four years. Sharjah is considered to be the cultural capital of the nation. One of my favorite hang-outs here was “Al Qasba”. It is one of the most picturesque sites in Sharjah. It is home to “The Eye of the Emirates wheel” which is a 60 meters high ferris wheel. It’s two buildings are separated by a one kilometer long manmade canal. Al Qasba’s unique architectural design includes pedestrian bridges across the canal and boats to take visitors onto the adjoining Khalid and Al Khan lagoons. It also features the state-of-the-art Masrah Al Qasba, a 250-seat theatre, winner of LEAF Award 2012 in Refurbishment of the Year category, which hosts a plethora of events, including artistic, musical, film, theatrical, and poetry performances, as well as conferences and summits on a regular basis. Al Qasba is home to Business Centres which offers support to entrepreneurs by providing them with virtual offices. Al Qasba's Maraya Art Centre is an initiative by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) to promote young artists from both the Arab region and the international art scene. The non-profit art space launched in March 2010 is one of most spectacular venues for contemporary visual arts in the United Arab Emirates.

 Al Qasba

Al Qasba

It was my dream to have an office in Al Qasba someday! I love what it reflects, it is traditional yet ever embracing of the modern culture. There is a beautiful balance and harmony that echoes through it’s structure, it’s ambience and it’s people. 

I came very close to realizing that dream this year as i was approached by Shurooq (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority) to design one of their offices in Al Qasba! Firstly being approached by a government authority is a little intimidating but at the same time exhilarating as well. On my weekly site visits i stood on that bridge and thought about that dream i had nine years ago, i was so thankful !! It is one of those moments in life where no one may see the achievement, it may not be that great to be recognized, but u feel it in your heart and its over whelming. It is a testament to the strength of the human mind and how some conviction and passion can bring the universe together in your favor. It may happen once in nine years but it is ever so powerful :)

The design process- Site pic, my sketches and 3d rendering.

My project manager from Shurooq is one of the most gracious and talented young girls i have met and an absolute pleasure to work with. I am truly grateful that she believed in me enough to convince the management of my capabilities. 

Aesthetically the project is very simple. We focussed on making the layout as functional and efficient as possible. I concentrated more on the work flow and traffic around the office and made sure all the services were well coordinated. We divided the two departments on either side of the central space with the department heads over looking their staff who were located in the back area. We strategically placed the pantry behind the reception area for easy access and made a design feature of it. The beech wood panelling that encases the pantry is highlighted by warm strip lighting from above. The same feature is repeated in the partition that divides the offices. Our initial proposal was to go with a cement floor but because of budget and time restraints we had to opt for tiles with a cement look. Overall it may not be high on design but it is a very functional and well planned office, if i may say so myself! I wanted it to imbibe the balance and harmony of the Al Qasba. And i was very pleased to hear from Shurooq that the “Project was a success!”. Appreciation from my clients will always be my greatest victory!

Site work in progress

Final results!

Until next time “Stay true to yourself…. Stay Funky”

Flexible Spaces

Space planning in the commercial and retail sector has evolved greatly. Workspace research suggests there are various benefits to open space planning. The sense of community that an open work environment can provide, better communication, the ability to house more employees, reduced set up time and renovation costs are some of the benefits. I believe providing flexibility in a space is the most important factor of them all. 

This is why i think this next product is remarkable.

Molo is dedicated to an exploration of sensory experience in space making, combined with experiments in manufacturing, materials and structure, the molo studio explores overlapping realms of art, architecture and design. molo has created projects as diverse as a museum in Japan, a modular wall system and a tea set. molo's products are inspired by studies in architecture and the idea that smaller tactile objects have a real potency in the physical experience of the built environment. Working back and forth between the intimate scale of furniture and small utilitarian objects, to the larger scale of buildings and landscapes heightens the sense of human scale and physical experience in architecture and brings the perspective of thinking in a larger context into the creation a smaller object.

They have created furniture, lighting and space partitions using their innovative honeycomb textile and paper that is expandable and can be reconfigured as you please. When not in use these compress solving storage problems, reducing packaging and waste. Their application is vast and have especially been used in trade shows, exhibitions, museums, events, theatre, retail, offices, commercial and public spaces.

 

softwall + softblock modular system

A flexible freestanding partition system that can expand and contract to freely shape more intimate spaces within larger open areas. The cellular structure of softwall + softblock serves to dampen sound while translucent or opaque versions sculpt the light of a space.Recognized for its elegant innovation, softwall + softblock is a part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

They can be manufactured either with textile or kraft paper. 

textile

A non-woven polyethylene material, trade name Tyvek©, is 100% recyclable and is made from 5 – 15% recycled content. Its lightweight paper look and feel is tear, UV and water resistant, making it durable to handle and maintain. textile softwall + softblock is available in translucent white and opaque black.

White textile softwall + softblock comes to life when light transmits through its delicate pattern of translucent fibres and pleats.

Black textile softwall + softblock is dyed with a UV resistant bamboo charcoal ink, lending the material a velvety opaque sheen reminiscent of charred wood.

The textile material has a “class A” flame spread in North America. 

kraft paper

A stiff robust unbleached paper, it is 100% recyclable and made from 50% recycled fibre. It is available in a natural warm earthy brown and a dyed bamboo charcoal black.

kraft paper elements are fire retardant. 

tapered kraft softwall

The tapered profile exposes patterns from the internal honeycomb geometry, giving the tapered softwalls a unique visual expression. The tapered softwall uses less material than the already resource efficient modular softwall and is lighter. Each softwall is flexible in length, opening to a maximum of 4.5 meters (15\’) long. tapered softwalls can be joined to other tapered softwalls by the magnetic end panels to create continuous lengths. A stainless steel wall hook is provided for simple compact storage.

Evolution is inevitable and having a space that is flexible and can be moulded as requirements change will be an imperative design tool for the future.

Until next time “ Stay flexible… stay Funky”