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tTHOMAS LUNDGREN
an artist’s
rendition of the
palazzo Versace
thomas
Lundgren
of the one
44|Harper’s BAZAAR interiors
He is the charismatic founder of THE One stores in
the Middle East who took it upon himself to save the
world from flatpack, one room at a time. Lundgren is
so dedicated to his vision that he would rather call his
stores “theatres” where he can stage a performance
through his carefully selected wares, for his customers
to enjoy and buy. To realise his dream of a big, cool
space that he could fill with everything that he’s
passionate about at reasonable prices, Lundgren
embarked on a journey that has seen THE One stores
open in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain.
In contrast to the flamboyance of THE One, he has
also brought chic and minimalist Scandinavian style to
Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the form of BoConcept.
Lundgren self-effacingly describes himself as a
“frustrated artist” who satisfies his creative urge by
designing much of THE One’s furniture himself, along
with two colleagues. The entrepreneur, with several
CSR awards under his belt, promises to keep
showcasing cool new furniture and accessories while
making a significant contribution to charity.
+971 (0)4 345 6687; www.theoneplanet.com
V
patrick robinson
with models
in Gap a/w09
u a
UNDER ONE ROOF
Timing its arrival perfectly to catch the wave of
newly-minted homeowners wanting to upgrade and
personalise their pride and joy, UNDER ONE ROOF
has changed the UAE home-improvement game.
Rather than being forced to cope with ‘carpenters’ and
‘plumbers’ of dubious skill, homeowners can walk
into the company’s Al Quoz showroom and find
endless inspiration for transforming their kitchens,
bathrooms and more. Among its brands are Metris
and Second Nature kitchens, Roman bathrooms and
Permaglaze – an ingenious way of restoring tiles and
enamel. The team at UOR has vast experience of
home renovation in the UK, enabling them to design
custom-made schemes – always working closely with
clients and seeking cost-effective solutions that will
add value to a property. Once a design is agreed, a
team of skilled British fitters flies in, to ensure that
work is done to international standards.
+971 (0)4 323 2722; www.underoneroof.ae
VERSACE
PALAZZO
curvilinear
kitchen from the
award-winning
Metris range
The competition among luxury labels to
cater to the rich and fabulous in Dubai is
intense. From Armani and Cavalli to
Christian Lacroix and Elie Saab, designers
are clamouring to provide all-encompassing
designer lifestyles. To the credit of Versace,
its project remains one of the most talkedabout
and original. Developed in partnership
with Emirates Sunland Group, helmed by
the jovial former architect Soheil Abedian,
Palazzo Versace at Dubai Creek is both hotel
and apartments. In a world first, the
developer announced plans to build a
temperature-controlled beach adjacent to the
hotel. With furniture and accessories from
Versace Home, the project will exude the
hedonistic style expected of the brand.
+971 (0)4 501 6800; www.palazzoversace.ae
wWANDERS, MARCEL
The Dutch design superstar needs to do
little to impress people wherever he goes.
A larger-than-life persona, zany sense of
design and penchant for narrating
anecdotes and composing romantic poetry
to describe his work, define Wanders, who
was chosen by one of the
xVA
most stylish men in the
world – Sheikh Majed Al
Sabah – to design the Villa
Moda store in Bahrain.
Slated to work on several
projects in the UAE that
have been stalled by the
downturn, the designer
remains highly sought after
throughout the world.
Recent successes for
Wanders, who co-founded
the avant-garde furniture
and accessories brand,
Moooi, include outdoor
furniture for Kettal, crystal
for Baccarat and silverware
for Christofle. Never seen
without his signature pearl
and bead necklaces,
Wanders is a die-hard
romantic who remains
unapologetic about his softnatured
approach to work.
+973 175 30330;www.
villa-moda.com;
www.marcelwanders.com
an accessories
display case in Villa
Moda, Bahrain
To think of XVA as
only a gallery is like
thinking of crême
brulée as only custard:
it’s no exaggeration to
call its founder,
American-born Mona
Hauser, the originator
of Dubai’s
contemporary art
scene and, while XVA
hosts a never-ending
stream of intriguing
exhibitions by regional
artists, it has also
become a spiritual
home for culture
lovers and a haven for
those who yearn for
peace and a sense of
old Dubai. Set in one
of the beautifully
the courtyard at
XVa Gallery in
Bastakiya
restored Persian merchants’ houses of Bastakiya, by Dubai
Creek, XVA has an award-winning vegetarian cafe (serving
the best lemon-and-mint ever), a mini-branch of fashion
store S*uce, a tiny boutique selling some of Hauser’s favourite
design items and, perhaps best of all, six exquisite hotel
rooms. It’s deeply reassuring, in this ever-changing city, to
have an evergreen escape like this. +971 (0)4 353 5383;
www.xvagallery.com ➤
design
the main salon in
Villa Moda, Bahrain
Harper’s BAZAAR interiors |45