In a crucial role at the famous catering extravaganza ‘Gourmet Abu Dhabi’, the highly anticipated SieMatic S2 kitchen will be unveiled for the first time in the Middle East, featuring as the exclusive kitchen for the event.

The SieMatic S2 is a minimalist high end kitchen, which also has the comforts and convenience of a fully furnished living space. As with its predecessor, the SieMatic S1, the key to the kitchen is its no frills, handless units, and sleek straight lines. As the chefs will demonstrate at Gourmet Abu Dhabi it is a highly functional kitchen with a bare essentials appeal.

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• The range will be carrying 10 designs – 5 from ECO and 5 from BoråsTapeter;
• Available in Danube BUILDMART, Dubai Festival Centre;
• Award-winning designs, including the Elle Decoration Design Award for “London”

ECO BoråsTapeter – the Swedish wallpaper and wall coverings company have launched their first Shop in Shop in the UAE at Danube, Dubai Festival Centre, where customers can virtually simulate wallpaper designs within the design centre, to help them create their perfect home or office interior.

ECO offers young, trend-conscious designs that appeal to those with an eye for detail – whether it be for the home or the office. The full range includes exclusive flock wallpaper and bold wall murals, with the Eco range including award-winning designs, such as the Elle Decoration Design Award for “London.” Being stocked in the UAE as part of the ECO range are Line, Velvet, Feeling, Design 2 and Design 3 – as well as the Metallic collection, which is used to match the other collections.

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This is a video that features the best interior designs we came across this year. The designs featured in this video include the works of some of the world’s top interior designers, furniture makers and 3d architectural visualizers.

World Interior Design Congress concludes in Dubai; APID elected as full member of international federation

Interior designers, architects and property developers from across the globe converged recently in Dubai for a six-day assembly, which concluded with a call to make contemporary design more accessible to people and integrate sustainability into development in Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The 24th General Assembly of the International Federation of Interior Designers/Architects (IFI ’09) and the World Interior Design Congress, held in Dubai from the 6th to the 11th of November 2009, was attended by over 600 delegates from 45 countries, including globally acclaimed trend-setters and thought leaders in design and architecture.

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IKEA UAE, a part of Al-Futtaim group, will deliver its signature annual publication – the IKEA Catalogue 2010 – to most households in the UAE following the simultaneous 38-country global launch by the world’s most popular home interiors brand.

Themed ‘Long Live Variety’, the 59th edition features 376 pages of the Swedish company’s globally renowned products, fittings, furnishings, accessories with new lower price points and myriad ideas to inspire any living situation.

IKEA UAE has appointed Blue Truck LLC to undertake the door-to-door delivery of nearly 700,000 copies of the catalogue which has attracted almost a cult-like following since it was first published in 1951.

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Index Living Mall Co, Thailand\’s largest furniture chain, will use its first franchise store in Dubai as a springboard to establish itself globally as an international chain.

The US$5 million, 5,000-square-metre store was officially opened at Dubai Mall last week by franchisee Retail Is Detail.Retail Is Detail, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Gill Capital, was set up six months ago to manage Index\’s expansion in Dubai and the Middle East. It operates eight retail, food and fashion brands in Dubai, said Sanveer Gill, director of operations and merchandising at the firm.

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If your ideal home is modern and sleek, here’s your guide to putting together a futuristic yet aesthetically stylish sanctuary that is classy, hip and definitely beautiful.

It is quite easy to visually identify a modern home with its highly conceptualized interiors. There has been a shift from the steely, chrome looks that have dominated the contemporary market whereby sharp, sleek cuts are now paired with delicate and sensual accents. Rooms are expansive and clutter-free, yet carefully chosen accessories soften the look that could easily appear clinical without them. Drapes that delicately match the interior without being overbearing or intrusive, feminine colors with masculine aesthetics – everything is seamlessly balanced and harmonious. Although there is a strong sense of geometry which leans on sharp angular lines that is the essence of any modern home, it is accompanied by softer fabrics and accessories. The subtle whispers of light seeping through the windows, diffused by the chiffon drapes lend an extra artistic flavor to the room.

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1. DO go shopping during the week. Avoid the weekend crowds and chaos in the shopping malls if you can. The madness in store will only add to the confusion to trying to figure out which coffee table has the best finish, or decide if the dark blue sofa will look better in your house than the light blue sofa! It’s better to go during quieter times when you won’t get carried away in the weekend buying frenzy nor feel rushed into your decision.

2. DO measure everything! Before you leave the house know how much space you’ve got to play with, and also the size of your door frames – trust me, one of the main reason people bring sofa back for a refund is because they don’t fit through the door! Always measure the potential furniture before you purchase. Most of the big furniture stores, such as IKEA or The Home Center, provide measuring tapes for free.

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Second Dubai outlet of lifestyle store located at the Boardwalk of the mall

Irony Home, Dubai’s defining lifestyle store that offers a spectacular collection of home furniture and interior décor accessories, has opened its second outlet in the city at the Boardwalk in The Dubai Mall.

This follows Irony Home’s success with its first outlet at Village Mall, Jumeirah. The Dubai Mall outlet offers customers the convenience of enhancing the ambience of their homes by selecting from an array of creative and aesthetic home décor choices. The store particularly appeals to residents of Downtown Burj Dubai and surrounding communities, given the close proximity to their homes.

Each item in the store, featuring artifacts from the Far East as well as contemporary masterpieces, is handpicked and unique, assuring customers an exclusive lifestyle choice. Customers can choose lighting fixtures to add to the ambient aesthetics of their homes. With gift packaging services also offered, Irony Home supports festive decoration for various occasions.

Ms. Rima Dardenne, founder and owner of Irony Home said: “Quality furniture and interior décor accessories are a reflection of the individuality and personality of home- and office-owners.

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The world’s largest hanging basket has today been unveiled in Paddington, London.  The six by three metre (20 foot by 10 foot) structure – weighing over a quarter of a ton – took a team of designers, engineers and gardeners three weeks to construct and includes over 100 different varieties of seasonal plants and flowers.

The giant basket was created to mark the opening of Hotel Indigo London Paddington and hangs 7.5 metres (25 feet) from the ground off the side of the building.  Hotel Indigo London Paddington is a new boutique hotel, which makes changes to its décor in line with the changing seasons to keep the hotel feeling brand new and interesting for guests.

Karin Nielsen, spokesperson for Hotel Indigo, comments: “Our hotel is all about unique design, bold colours and seasonal changes so what better way to mark its arrival in the UK than by creating the world’s largest hanging basket.  We’ve taken our inspiration from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the world, and hope that our hanging garden will become a wonder of London.”

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