UAE launch pad

Taking place in Abu Dhabi from March 29 to 31, Interiors UAE is promising to act as a regional launch pad for a number of companies looking to introduce new products to the market.

Portuguese company, Boca do Lobo, will use the exhibition to present two new furniture designs, Crochet and Monochrome, for the first time in the UAE. Crochet is a wooden chest of drawers featuring seven drawers and inspired by the traditional craft from which it gets its name.

The process of pulling loops of yarn through other loops was reinterpreted by a local jeweller who forged 60kg of classic brass pulls. The result is a mesh that covers the silhouette of the piece. The chest is darkened by gold leaf, which contrasts with vibrant, purple, jewelled handles.

Meanwhile, the Monochrome stool was designed to bridge the barrier between design and art. It is a fluid and unusual form moulded from fibreglass and filled with expandable polyurethane. The piece is a reference to the use of a single material, with a uniform and high-gloss tone of electric blue.

Italy’s Air Nova will also introduce two new products at the show. The company, which specialises in the production of leather chairs for both the contract and retail markets, will introduce the Swarovski-encrusted Elettra, as well as Patchwork, which features a mix of different leathers in the same colours.

The company will showcase a range of its armchairs, including the popular Aisha, along with consoles and chaise longues, on its stand. No stranger to the region, Air Nova supplied 650 of its Elisa chairs to Burj Khalifa.

UK-based soft furnishing and fabric designers, Soul Living, will also be unveiling a new product at the show, having decided to create a dedicated range for Interiors UAE. The range will be ‘overwhelmingly luxurious’ combining traditional and contemporary styles in an eclectic range of colours and fabrics.

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Another UK-based company attending Interiors UAE is Yarwood Leather, one of the largest suppliers of leather to the UK furniture industry. The company, which is a first-time exhibitor at the UAE exhibition, specialises in blending traditional skills and modern technology to create more comfortable, durable products.

A number of other European companies have also confirmed their attendance, including Germany’s Faustig Kurt, best-known for breaking the record for the world’s largest chandelier, created for the Abu Dhabi Mosque.

Traditional European crafts will be presented by Spanish company, Virtus 1945, which creates bronze accessories using the antique technique of sand-testing. Its extensive product offering includes table clocks, candelabras, mirrors, tables, vases, photo-frames and figurines.

The exhibition will also include seminar sessions on ‘Colour Trends for the Interior Design Sector for Spring/Summer 2011’, presented by the London-based colour consultancy studio, Global Color Research, which will also be conducting interactive workshops at its stand.

The seminars and workshops will educate interior designers, architects, retailers and product designers on colour trends for the coming few years. Global Color Research will also work with visitors to show them how to use colour trend information effectively and accurately.

“Creative minds need to keep ahead of the game,” said Justine Fox, colour specialist and materials editor of Global Color Research’s Mix magazine.

“Global Color Research would like to invite professionals to create the colours of the Middle East for 2012. Every visitor to our stand at Interiors UAE will help create a colour palette applicable to the Middle Eastern market and the interior design sector. Because of the special characteristics of this market, global trends cannot be applied without considering socio-economic factors.

“For this reason, we believe that a region-specific colour palette will be a great tool for professionals who work in this area.”