Khaleejia said: Khaleeji home interiors are considered to be ones of the most
luxurious, eclectic mix of classic, traditional and contemporary styles in
the Middle East and the World.
Superb examples are to be seen in the UAE, The Grand Sheikh
Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Burj Al Arab in Dubai and many fabulous hotels that
could easily each be palaces in their own right.
Amongst all this luxury it is rare to see the interiors of homes
of the Khaleeji community. They are extremely particular about their privacy
and in spite of being truly hospitable are unwilling to share the images of
their homes with the public.
Today we have an amazing opportunity to
discuss the tastes and preferences of the Khaleejis and what makes for a
genuine Emirati house through the eyes of Ratna Dutta, an Interior Designer who
has designed palaces for the Royal families of Dubai, Abu dhabi, Sharjah and many VIP Clients in the UAE and Middle east.
Ratna is the Director / owner of the Élan
Interior Design Studio and two factories
manufacturing Furniture and Curtains.
She and her team design create one of a kind Home Interiors, Furniture, Bed,
Bath and Table linen, custom made in the UAE under the brand name CASA - ELAN.
Ratna invited us to her studio, to share stories
of her projects and to provide tips and little secrets with Khaleejia's Life
readers and everyone who is interested in classic & modern khaleeji
Interior design.
We were deeply impressed by Ratna’s work and
happy to share with you her story.
The story of Casa -Elan
As a young girl, Ratna was very passionate
about art and crafts. A qualified Textile Designer she started her career as a
Carpet Designer for retailers in Paris, UK and Germany. She then moved to
Russia where she researched old weaving techniques and use of gold and silver
threads to create reproduction antique fabrics for cathedrals in Russia and
Rome.
Working on a hotel project, she became
involved with the building process and her interior design career began.
She
came to Dubai in 1994.
With no knowledge of the Emarati culture, her
talent was recognized by the director of the leading UAE group “Al Aqili'. who
offered her a break. A few months later seeing her passion, extensive knowledge
of textile & interior design advised her to work for herself !
She was fortunate enough to be part of the
team that worked on the Design of the Emirates Towers hotel, The Dusit Thani
Hotel both property of HH Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, now the Ruler
of Dubai.
Ratna has stories of times when HH would visit
the site and check everything himself!
She became a prominent member of the Private
Office of HH working on many of his personal projects, in the Middle East and
around the world.
Creating interiors for VVIPs where budget is
unlimited is an incredible experience. The library at her Design Studio is
filled with treasures from around the world of luxury fabrics, wall papers,
lighting, carpets and every other item that goes into making of a beautiful home.
“I have
worked with the most beautiful, expensive pieces from around the world in my projects. This country has
given me the opportunity to work on more palaces and yachts in one year than most Designers would do in a
lifetime and I am truly blessed for it! "
Despite such big projects, it is Ratna’s clients
that have been instrumental in her
success. Her popularity has grown by "word of mouth” as a Designer of Elegant Interiors who uses the best of
the international trends with an understanding of the Traditional needs of the
Emiratis.
The coming of the
Arab spring has brought about big changes in the thinking of the Emiratis. The younger generation of Emiratis need change
frequently and want trendy looks in fashion for their homes every FEW years!
The young Emarati
is well travelled and hence aware of the latest trends in decor and has a deep
appreciation of beautiful things. With numerous products to choose from this
gets confusing and often times people end up bringing home things that do not
look as good as they did in the shop!
With a lot of money
spent, the homes still do not impress!
This prompted Ratna
and her team to bring in the concept of 'House Doctoring' to the UAE. They take
normal homes and give them the 'WOW' factor!
Casa - Élan now
offers House Doctoring/ Home Styling/
Interior Design for people that want their homes to reflect their
personal tastes without breaking the
bank!
An Exclusive
service to Style your homes on a budget.
With
support from professional Design team and the use of special one of a kind
furniture and other items, Élan gives a normal home an expensive 5 star look.
Ratna sais: “I am a simple person with a big
dream and hope that I can help people with the gift of design that God has
given me.”
Some of the CASA -ELAN collections are
displayed at Le Paon Blanc, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, where Italian classic
is displayed along with Islamic and French antiques with Vintage style
furniture and furnishings.
Exclusive tips from the royal interior designer
Ratna Dutta "Casa Elan" on Emirati / khaleeji home interior.
Tip 1: What do Modern Emiratis want in their
homes?
1. Luxury - should look expensive
2. Should be comfortable - is not just for
show but for family to use and enjoy
3. Must have a majlis for sitting and eating
in the Traditional style (on the floor)
Tip 2:
What are the latest
colour trends used in khaleeji home interiors?
1. Men - beige , brown , grey -
2. Women - beige, white, cream
3. Light wood colours with silver and pale gold
However the older
generation of Emiratis still prefer bright colors like red, purple, blue with
gold and dark wood tones.
Photo: Men's majlis colors
Ladies' Majlis:
Tip 3:Massive decoration of the ceiling:
Tip 4: Beautiful designs on the floors:
To see the range of Luxury Furniture, Curtains, Bed and Bath Linen designed by the Royal Designer, Please visit :website elandubai.wordpress.com
For Interior Design, all consultancy or meeting has to be 'BY APPOINTMENT ONLY' through email info@casaelan.com or calling the office Tel: +971 4 3466419.
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