Interiors show seeks new designs for life

Contemporary classics and future design talents will be part of an interiors showcase in Dubai this week as the Arabic majlis is brought up to date and the urban playground redesigned.

More than $50 million or Dh183.4m or worth of luxury-brand furniture, home, commercial, retail, décor, fixtures, art and textiles are now laid out on the floors of the Dubai World Trade Centre, host to the Index Design Show 2010.

The show is trade-only on Monday and Tuesday, but opens to the general public from 4pm on Wednesday and all day Thursday.

The event, in its 20th year this year, has evolved in to a world-class focal point for the design industry development to profit from sourcing and networking opportunities. This year, top international designers and over 1000 exhibitors from 23 countries, including a large range of famous luxury brands, descend on Dubai from Monday through to Thursday, November 11.

Index Design Show Vice President Lu Buchanan said the companies are here to capitalise on a rise in demand for interior design. “The Middle East design market is again booming with a focus on luxury and quality,” he said. “As construction projects slow down in the past two years and the recession forced people to re-evaluate budgets and project quality, developers and residents have turned in 2010 to demanding top-quality products to present a competitive edge and reflect long-term quality.

“Demand for interior design services (in the UAE) is expected to surge with an anticipated Dh53.8 billion ($14.6bn) in interior design contracts and fitouts to be spent in the Emirates within this year (2010). Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other GCC countries also remain important growth areas because of the steady increase in development activities within these markets.”

So what should you look for?

- 20th Anniversary Innovation Lineup: Index has hand-picked a wow-factor range of 20 showcase design pieces which are sure to excite the industry and range from breathtaking to thought-provoking furniture and fittings from a range of the world’s most cutting-edge designers.

- Design Talk series: The hottest topics in the world of design will come to light as an impressive line-up of top-name industry professionals as speakers for its Design Talks series and panel sessions. Speakers include Victoria Redshaw, founder and CEO of international trend forecasters Scarlet Opus, Lea Badro from Greenline Yacht Interiors, Daniel G During from Thomas Klein International, Alison Laws of Jawad Business Group (Lakeland), Richard Nicoll of Saatchi & Saatchi X and The American Hardwood Export Council's Roderick Wiles.
 
- Student Zone challenges: Creative young designers will be put to the test with two key challenges in a special Student Zone - the Al Habtoor & ISG Design Challenge and the Fekra Design Competition. They have been tasked with recreating the urban playground in the face of rising obesity rates across the UAE.

- Contemporary Majlis Competition: Four UAE-based designers compete to design their own contemporary take on a traditional feature of an Arabic home – the majlis.
 

 

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