How To Bring An Old World Arabian Charm To Your Modern Home

A nomadic urbanity

Posted on

30 April 2017

How To Bring An Old World Charm To Your Modern Home

image courtesy Marina Home

For many on the path to discovery of their individual modern-day design aesthetic, there’s a common misconception that to be current you have to disengage from your heritage. Marina Home believes differently. To bring this juxtaposition to life, they have curated their latest contemporary pieces inspired by raw elements, colours and textures indigenous to their nomadic roots, and headed to the Heart of Sharjah – a historic preservation site – to create a visual collage that combines modish interiors with mysterious storytelling.

The Heart of Sharjah aims to be the heartbeat of the history-rich emirate and defines the pulse of the city, echoing its culture, and mirroring its spirit. Set to be completed by 2025, the old-meets-new space seeks to give the heritage district a boost, transforming the area into a vibrant cultural destination through the unravelling of its secluded past balancing with original concepts of the future. With most of its buildings being traced back to the early 20th century, this historical space embodies Sharjah’s development throughout the ages. The restoration of its stunning older structures and the construction of new buildings following traditional architectural styles are being undertaken to inspire current and future generations to immerse themselves in this emirate’s rich culture and society.

What an honour it was for Marina Home’s team to be welcomed to the Heart of Sharjah to fully absorb themselves in the historical district and bring their contemporary pieces to life through the almost-living qualities encapsulated in the beautiful area. Walking the countless narrow alleyways, a tactile journey of discovery unravelled before them. Impassioned to begin, they paired textures and hues, shapes and angles, shadow and light, creating canvases like never before; amidst the rich narrative seeping through the walls of some of the oldest buildings in the Emirates - including the Sharjah Fort and even the Sharjah Al Hisn Museum, built in 1823.

Watch the behind-the-scenes video of Marina Home’s Nomadic Urbanity for inspiration on bringing timeless textures into your present-day home below.

To learn more about Heart of Sharjah, visit http://www.heartofsharjah.ae/

DRAWING INSPIRATION

For your own interiors, fusing the traditional and the modern is not as difficult as it may seem. The trick is in the textures and colours. When styling their pieces at the Heart of Sharjah, Marina Home paid particular attention to the incredible angles the space offered.

Sharp corners were offset with traditional Arabesque curves, sleek lines with rough-hewn stone, shadows with bright light. When styling your own home, opposites and seemingly contradictory styles work incredibly well, so don’t be afraid to play. Long, sleek modern tables and high-backed chairs offer much-needed length in low-ceilinged, squat spaces found in older buildings, for example. In the same vein, polished surfaces often provide interesting contrasts to coral-built stone or porous tiles.

In terms of hue, keep your base palette neutral and then introduce pops of colour over the top. Very importantly: observe the light in your home. A room that’s dark in the morning might offer the most beautiful honey shades in the late afternoon, while a sunny-in-the-morning space might be wonderfully moody in the evening.

Check out pictures of their pieces at the Heart of Sharjah to get inspired.