KSA SR 25 KUWAIT KD 2.50 BAHRAIN BD 2.75 QATAR QR 30 UK £ 6.5 JORDAN JD 7.5 LEBANON LL 20,000 MOROCCO DH 75
NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2014
THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR YOUR DESIGN INSPIRATION
NORTHERN ROSE
Wallpaper of the Year 2015 Exclusive Interview
CEO of Gloria Ceramics
EGP 20
Hany Saad & Eric Kuster High on Hot New Houses
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19172 www.allamsons.com
“WE DELIVER
WHAT WE PROMISE” Delivered phase 1 Delivering phase 2
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Hassan Allam Properties – HAP
hassanallamproperties
SOLD OUT
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visit our booth at
Le MarchĂŠ 2014 18-21 December
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Rattan & Cane Manufacturers
195 Ramsis St., Cairo, Egypt T (02) 2590 0738 - 2590 2049 F (02) 2591 0093 E bambooanto@gmail.com
www.bambooanto.com
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FABRICS AND CURTAINS
WAIT FOR OUR NEW COLLECTION CHECK OUR NEW CURTAIN DESIGNS & TRIMMINGS
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Heliopolis T +202 22568132 I 22568205 I 22568215 32 Nehro Street, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt.
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M 0122 232 9220
Mohandesine T +202 33058922 I M 0120 442 6667 30 Geziret El Arab Street, Mohandesine, Cairo, Egypt. Downtown Mall New Cairo M 0122 297 7537 info@sedacollection.com
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The Latest in Home Appliances
7 REASONS TO BUY FROM US:
• Serving the Maadi – Heliopolis – Mohandessin & Zamalik Communities since 1979 • Competitive Price • Major supplier for Embassies, Hotels ,etc • Open 7 days a week • We carry latest models in: Fridge’s, Stoves, Washers, Dryers, TV’s Sound System, Digital Systems, etc • We accept Major Credit Cards • English Speaking Staff
BRANCH 1 23 Al Nahda st., cross of street 6, Maadi, Cairo T 2380 8444 | 2380 8555 | 0122 353 8666 BRANCH 2 15 Street 153, Maadi, Cairo T 2359 4257 | 2359 5745 | 0100 000 3310 BRANCH 3 10 Nawal St., Doki, Mohandessin T 3761 8168 BRANCH 4 Al Ain Swan front of KFC, Al Ein El Sokhna T 0122 442 4424 sales@e-futurehome.com www.e-futurehome.com
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Director’s Note Dear Readers, The end of the year has come, but certainly not the end of our optimism! Designers both here and abroad have kept their minds and eyes on the bull’s eye for the most stylish, the most fragrant with fashion, and the most sensational. And with the closing of 2014, we have chosen to end with the beginning rather than beginning with the end. With this issue, we bring you the beginning of civilization, the long-time silent narrator of countless ancient stories which have perfumed the houses of princes and presidents alike! We bring ceramics with us this issue.
Ceramics have always been the litmus test that anyone would need to ensure to richness of any civilization, and here in Egypt, ceramic companies have continued the great artistic traditions up to this very day. With the market taking a turnaround and business owners pushing the envelope to offer even better products, we’re sure you will get a kick out of our new theme. Wishing everyone the best that 2015 has to offer!
Managing Director
Jessica Yaramian
Chairman Enass Mohamed Sleem Alkhair Managing Director Jessica Yeramian Editor in Chief Wael Mongy Editorial Department Nader Ramadan International Content Researcher Maha El Masry Art Director Maged Boutros Sales & Marketing Manager Maged Othman Sales Executive Mohamed Hassan Design Contributor Arch. Karim El Hayawan Assistant Managing Director Raghda Moustafa Assistant Dist. Manager Ahmed Abdel Salam Distributors Ahmed Gamal Sherif Hussien Financial Department Hatem Ghandour Ahmed Galal IT Manager Osman Afifi Printing Sahara Printing Company Distribution ASK for Supplies and Services Now sold at all Al Ahram and Al Gomhuria news stands. ............................................................................................ HEAD OFFICE 65, 263 St., New Maadi, Cairo T & F 25192627 M 0106 2716271
ASK Magazine is Alsharie Alarabi publications Limited Registered in England & Wales Ltd. Registration 4265325
Copyright All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Image courtesy of Graham & Brown Item: Northern Rose Copyright ©Graham & Brown For more info: http://www.grahambrown.com/uk
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Distribution Points Zamalek Diwan Book Store – La Taverna – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Tabasco Café – Arabica Café – Mix Café – Rigoletto – Einestine Café – Euro Deli – The Crave – Gezirah Sporting Club – Romancia Book Store – Zamalek Book Store – Orange Café – Café Goal – Segafredo – Orangette – No Big Deal – Cilantro – Dar el Shorouk (Inside Beano’s Café) – Mori Sushi – Ciccio – Quick – Mobil Shop - Mohamed Al Sagheer Beauty Salon - Abou El Sid - Bakery Marriott Hotel - pottery Café - Alef Bookstore - Black Stone - Coffee Shop Company - Gloria Jeans (inside Gezirah Sporting Club) - Coffee Shop Company - Trombieta - Limes. Downtown Casper & Gambini (Nile City) - Dar el Shorouk (Talaat Harb Square) – Bon Appetite – AUC Book Store – Café Riche – Cilantro – Dar el Sherouk (Inside Beano’s Café) - Mohamed Al Sahgeer Beauty Salon (Semiramis InterContinental Hotel) - Mohamed Al Sagheer Beauty Salon (Grand Hyatt - Galleria) - Mohamed Al Sagheer Beauty Salon (Four Seasons Nile Plaza) - Bakery Marriott (USA Embassy) - Baraka Optics.
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Mohandessin & Dokki Trianon – Solidaire – The Coffee shop Co. – Ahmed Rehan Beauty Salon – Pasqua Café – Makani – Cocolina – Café Mo – Pottery Café – Volume 1 Book Store – Momento Café – Samia Allouba – Tabasco Café – La Pietra – Spectra – Al Cantina – Cilantro – Second Cup – Tirol – Retro Café – Fratelli – Beau Jardin – Andrea – Kenzy – Maison Thomas – Ciccio – Prestige – Bert’s – Mori Sushi – Cedars – Ryta Clinic – Tarek Nail Center – Tabasco Café – Roastery – Cilantro (Dokki) – Dar el Shorouk (inside Beano’s Café) – La Cassetta – Lipstick – Orange Café – Quick – M&S Beauty Salon - Ahmed Hazem Beauty Salon - Ahmed & Abdo Beauty Salon - Mohamed Al Sagheer Beauty Salon - Kriss - Sidi Mansour - Costa Coffee (Mesadak) - Bent El Sultan Café - Pro Center Gym - Bakery Marriott (1) - Costa Coffee (Gamaat El Dewal) - Bakery Marriott (2) - Segafredo - Eros Café - Ahwa Balady Café - Beano’s Café - Beano’s Café Coffee Shop Company - Adory - Tche Tche. Maadi Trianon (Nile Crystal) - Café Greco – Samia Allouba – Rigoletto – Zeera – Tarek Nail Center – Le Café – Yasser Zein Beauty Salon – Euro Deli – Creperie Des Art – Lucille’s – Cuba Cabana – Fudruckers – Spectra – Beau Jardin – Dunes – Cilantro – Volume 1 Book Store – Dar el Shorouk (Inside Beano’s Café) – Bungalow – Curves – Bakier Stationery – Second Cup – Layaly Lebanon – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Nile Mall) - Trianon (Nile Mall) - Abou El Sid. Pomodorino - Bakery Marriott (Degla) - Bakery Marriott (Nasr Street) - Bakery Marriott (US AID) - Bakery Marriott (Al Zahraa) - Bakery Marriott (9 Street) - Bakery Marriott (Mokatam) - Salimos - Fuego - Peace a Luce - Il Pannello Ceramica Café - Baraka Optics - Alef Bookstore - Kotob Khan Bookstore - Diwan Bookstore - pottery Café - Club 55 Beano’s Café - PascuccI Café - Condetti Café - Cortigano restaurant - Cocoon Café - Coffe Shop Co.. Giza Trianon (Trianon boat) – Le Chalet – le Chateau – Dar el Shorouk (inside Beano’s Café) – Cilantro – Dar el Shorouk (First Mall) - Mohamed Al Sahgeer Beauty Salon (First Mall) - Carnivore (Trianon boat) - Beano’s - Ruby Tuesday. Nasr City Casper & Gambini (City Stars) - Trianon (City Center) - Trianon (City Stars) - Rigoletto – Pro Gym – Costa Café – Kiro’s Lounge – Cilantro – Dar el Shorouk (Inside Beanos café) – La Cassetta – Farah Café – Lilly Garden – Chez edy – Aroma Lounge (City Stars) – Alfredo (City Stars) – Marche Restaurant (City Stars) – Coffe Shop Co. (City Stars) – Dar el Shorouk (City Stars) – Virgin Mega Stores (City Stars) – Second Cup (City Stars) – Venczia (City Stars) – crepaway (City Stars) - Mohamed France Beauty Salon - Beauty Salon - Ahmed & Abdo Beauty Salon (City Stars) - Mohamed Al Sagheer Beauty Salon (Intercontinental City Star Hotel) - Fudruckers (City Stars) - Abou El Sid - CinnaBon (City Stars) - Ruby Tuesday (City Stars) - Macaroni Grill (City Stars) - Harris Cafe (City Stars) - The coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (City Stars) - Bakery Marriott - Baraka Optics. Heliopolis Trianon – Costa Café – Viking Restaurant – Africano – Kan Zaman – Lipstick – Schatz – Einstein – Mercado – Café Berry – Wabi Sabi Sushi – Roastery – Tarek Nail Center – Everyman’s Book Store – Harris Café – Tres Bon – Musicana – Pietro Café – Samia Allouba – Level Café – Rumors Café – Diwan Book Store – Il Pannello Ceramica Café – World Gym – Compu Me – Petite Palmera – Up 2 Date – Grand Royal – Pottery Café – Square Café – Café Mo – Armando Café – Cilantro – Dar el Shorouk (Inside Beano’s Café) – La Cassetta – Tres Bon – Cake House – Abd el Maqsoud Pharmacy – El Halaby Pharmacy – Farah Café (All Branches) – Le Caire – Maha Ridamis Center – Pascucci – Good Time – Carino’s – Chez edy – Hot pink – The World Dentist’s Center (Dr.Osama Hashish) Ahmed & Abdo Beauty salon - Ahmed & Abdo Beauty Salon (Concord El Salam) - Mohamed Al Saghier (Fairmont Towers) - Mohamed Al Sagheer (Le Meridien) - ADAMS - Pascucci - Kriss - Bakery Marriott (Sheraton) - Bakery Marriott (El Hegaz) - Baraka Optics - Alef Bookstore - Pascucci (Sun City) - Costa (Sun City) - Einstein (Sun City) - Coffe Shop Co. (Sun City) CinnaBon (Sun City) - Pink berry (Sun City) - Makani (Sun City) - Abo El-Sid (Sun City) - Diwan (Sun City) - Posqini (Sun City) - Salom's (Sun City) - Orgeno ( Behind Central Almaza ) - Tahity - Coffe shop Co. (sheraton) - Tchata Lounge - Tekia - El Tanora - Cairo 1940 - K>S - Coffe Shop Co. ( Korba ) - Alain le Notre - Carinos. 6 October Trianon (Dandy Mall) – Golds Gym (Inside MUST University) – Cilantro – Second Cup (Dandy Mall) – Mori Sushi (Dandy Mall) – PascuccI (Dandy Mall) - Abou El Sid (Dandy Mall ) - Casino Cafe (Dandy Mall) - Broché Cafe (Dandy Mall) - Dar El Shourok (Dandy Mall) - Beano’s Café (Mall of Arabia) - Coffee Shop Company (Mall of Arabia) - Second Cup (Mall of Arabia) - La Wein (Mall of Arabia) - Costa Café (Palm Hills) - Casper & Gambini (Mall of Arabia) - Pasqua Café (Mall of Arabia) - Noodles House (Mall of Arabia) - Pestle &Mortar (Mall of Arabia) - Gloria Jeans (Mall of Arabia) - Ruby Tuesday (Mall of Arabia) - Pasqua Café (Mall of Arabia) - Palm Hills Club - Al Nada Club House - Mo Café - Gardenia Club House - El Karma Club House - Laila (Mall of Arabia) - Mocca & more - Fayruz. El Rehab Trianon (Rehab Mall) – Le Reve – Mercato Italiano – Jounieh – Gauchos – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Mall 2) – Cilantro – Cinnabon – Quick - Costa Coffee - Baraka Optics - Alef Bookstore. Alexandria Transit Café (Master) - Café (Master) - Pasqua Café (Master) - Seif Pahrmacy (Master) - Costa (City center) - Le Mode (City Center) - Fudruckers (City Center) - Baskin Robens (City Center) - Xtreme (City Center) - Cilantro (City Center) - Dino (City Center) - Cinnabon (City Center) - Sultana (City Center) - Sinos (City Center) - Glitter (City Center) - Pizza Inncon (City Center) - Espresso (City Center) - Delice (City Center) - In & Out (City Center) - Café Noir (San Stefano) - Harris Café (San Stefano) - Glateria Roma (San Stefano) - Beano’s Café (San Stefano) - Valentino (San Stefano) Costa Coffee (San Stefano) - Cilantro (San Stefano) - Cilantro – Dar el Shorouk (Inside San Stefano Mall). New Cairo Mohamed Al Sagheer Beauty Salon (JW Marriott Mirage City) - Baraka Optics - GUC Library - Coffee Shop Company (Downtown Mall) - Paul (Downtown Mall) - Cilantro (Downtown Mall) - Melodies (Downtown Mall) - Carpaccio (Downtown Mall) - Mori Sushi (Downtown Mall) - Makani (Downtown Mall) - Bakery (Downtown Mall) - Picasso (Downtown Mall) - IL Café Di Rome (Downtown Mall) - Grand Patjo (Downtown Mall) - Olives (Downtown Mall) Mama's (Downtown Mall) - Coffe Bean & Tea Leaf - Harris - Magost - Costa - Trianon. Hotels Semiramis Hotel (Down Town) – Le Riad Hotel De Charm (El Hussien) - Sheraton Cairo Hotel (Dokki) - Renaissance Hotel. El Obour City Le Café (Golf City Club) - Bakery Marriott (Shell Station) - Baraka Optics. Egypt Air Pick up your copy from Business and Economy lounges in Dubai and Paris Lines (Egypt Air)
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REDEFINING LIFESTYLE
I TA L I A N L E AT H E R S O FA S
OPENING SOON Matching Interiors | Furniture Complex At The District, Heliopolis, Cairo. CAIRO:
6TH OF OCTOBER:
ALEXANDRIA:
Baron Center - Katameya - Ring Road, (In front of Carrefour Maadi) M 010 122 777 77
Mall of Arabia - Home Concept First Floor, Shop F9 T 02 3826 0095 M 010 122 888 88
9 Bahaa El Din Ghatwary St., Smouha, off Fawzy Moaz St. T 03 428 4260 M 010 122 666 66
www.zahranfurniture.com info@zahranfurniture.com www.facebook.com/zahranfurniture
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CONTENTS
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014
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14 Living on the Edge Dutch interior designer Eric Kuster, is more than just your average mountain cottage, fit with the most modern amenities and a unique of classical and modern motifs fit to suit the most refined taste in the residential home solutions.
20 Bisazza…The World of Ceramics Bisazza releases the ceramic works of world class designers including Jaime Hayon, Paola Navone and Carlo Dal Bianco in a massive introduction of style and sensation to the design market. 24 The Mansion of Marassi Hany Saad designs a world class villa in the one of the North Coast’s most prestigious resorts, Marassi. 28 ADVERTORIAL: Köşeler Mobilya Celebrates Launch in Al Maza Köşeler Mobilya a new Turkish brand opened its doors to Egyptians this November in a festive opening which took place in Heliopolis, right past Tivoli’s Dome on Omar Ibn Al Khattab Street. 30 Tiles of a Million Tales…Your Ultimate Destination to a Marvelous Home ASK Magazine sits with TILES, one of the best in ceramics, tiles, and porcelain, to seek their professional advice about ceramics and sanity ware.
33 IDEAL STANDARD: DEA-New Collection Ideal Standard talks about its newest collection offering Egyptians and all its customers the best in bathroom products. 16
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30 36 Reny Brings World Class Architectural Practices to Egyptian Clients Arch. Ahmed Osman and his team of professionally experience architects and designers at Reny bring new hope in fundamentally changing the way business is done in Egypt, using the diverse strengths of his team finishing each and every project with prompt efficiency.
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40 INTERVIEW: ‘You are the Designer’ The New Business Motto of Gloria Ceramics ASK Magazine interviews Mr. Gaby Michel, CEO of Gloria Ceramics, about his new business philosophy in providing customers with the creative tools so that they become their own designers in ceramics! 48 SnapShot Diaries: Back in Time….Snapshots of Islamic Cairo Armed with a camera, creative mind, and knack for take inspiration shots, Arch. Karim El Hayawan photo shoots Islamic Cairo. 50 The Art of Imprecision Imperfetto Lab is an artistic research and experimentation firm which creates beauty out of all that which is ‘imprecise’
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THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR YOUR DESIGN INSPIRATION
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Cover image courtesy of Graham & Brown Item: Northern Rose Copyright ©Graham & Brown For more info: http://www.grahambrown.com/uk
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54 The Northern Rose Graham & Brown wins the Wallpaper of the Year Award 2015 for Northern Rose, only one of its many stunning wallpaper collections.
HIGH QUALITY & DURABLE
KITCHENS DOORS WINDOWS
56 Can Cooking and Living Spaces Work Together? Snaidero cooperates with three different design giants to show that kitchens can now become a new all-inclusive zone into living space, thereby fusing all functional sectors of residence together. 60 Outdoing the Great Outdoors The outdoors can be elegant with no questions asked. How? Tribù produces some of the best high end furniture items for a many working in the hospitality, residential, and commercial sector? 64 Lights…Cooking…Action Opion Ciatti…the Marioni Home Collection…They are all names that sound good, look good, and perfume the environment with its elegant taste. 68 Bellona Opens Its Doors at City Stars Bellona, a world class furniture brand, opens its stellar showroom near one of the main City Star entrances, welcoming style-conscious shoppers.
www.truematrix-t.net MAIN SHOWROOM Badr Towers, Building No. 10 beside Carrefour, Maadi, Cairo. M 0102 7078 800 T 2310 30 57 info@truematrix-t.net sales@truematrix-t.net
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ARCHITECTURE | RESIDENTIAL
LIVING ON THE EDGE By Nader Ramadan Design by Eric Kuster Photography by Ewoud Rooks and Gerard de Boer Images courtesy of Eric Kuster
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Interior designer Eric Kuster took this residence to the edge…quite literally. A trip to the lush Altea hills in California, reveals the ingenuity behind one residence widely regarded for not only its excellence and inspirational design, but its spectacular view, elevated over the tropical palm trees and scenic marine front.
Eric Kuster
With its Spanish inspirations, the Cliff house Atlea Hills, designed by Dutch interior designer Eric Kuster, is more than just your average mountain cottage, fit with the most modern amenities and a unique of classical and modern motifs fit to suit the most refined taste in the residential home solutions.
A habitat perched on the coastal front, dazzled in the artful sensation within its interiors.
Designed with an artful feel to it, the residence plays on its impeccable view of the area around it, in addition to the panoramic view of the sea environment. Kuster creates the ultimate formula for residential pleasure with this idyllic combination, guaranteeing a harmonious interaction with all the natural elements contained within the environment around the house. “It’s the light and the view – 180 ° of sea - that make this house truly extraordinary. Consequently its interior design saw Eric Kuster and his team focusing on paying homage to its position, adding natural seaside elements, including coral, shell and driftwood, and keeping the colour palette airy, allowing the villa and its inhabitants space to breathe,” said a statement from Altea Hills Estate. In essence, the secret behind this project’s success in this particular residence is its ability to balance a traditional hill residential theme at least from the outside with a modern, elegant theme on the inside. The structure itself is a modern interpretation of the landscape around it, weaving itself into the cliff so that it comes part of its natural habitat. “This house is rooted, in its Spanish identity: in the master bathroom for instance, craftsman have created a dry stone wall of the sort you’ll find in the local hills. With its glorious location combining with spacious interiors and exquisite detailing, this inspirational villa offers all the comforts that a hotel would bring - but the individuality that only a home can boast,” the statement added.
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Owning an office in Holland, Eric Kuster has earned his prestige through his unique ability to combine the modern with the classic, only to create an ideal collage of different motifs and styles made to suit the individual tastes of each client. He’s the mixologist willing to whip up a stylicious cocktail which is worth putting the smile on any homeowner’s face. His studio offers a wide variety of different services to a prestigious portfolio of clientele, all of whom have seen the best that this firm has
Expanding his horizons in managing both residential and commercial projects,
to offer.
Kuster has done business and received wide recognition for his efforts in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Most notably, Kuster has also made his debut with signature collections including Astor, Thomson, Regency, Mondrian, Martin, and Raffles as well as countless others. Throughout the recent years, the Dutch architect has enjoyed marked
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success particularly in his unique art of balance approach. It’s the art of giving people the right mix of everything which really earns an architect a name in this new demanding global market. Kuster is the author of a two volume series called Metropolitan Luxury and founder of the Eric Kuster Children Development Fund (established two years ago) which works in close cooperation with the International Child Development organization as well as SOS Children’s Village.
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Beginning his career in the textile sector in 1989, Kuster discovered his talent, rising up through the ranks and becoming the creative director for Dutch textile producer Chivasso, where he had also successful launched a new line of textiles called Carlucci. In 2005, he launched his first furniture collection most notable for its accomplishments in quality, being the finest that handmade luxury had to offer. Kuster has done several villas and residences in Marbella, Dubai, Moscow, and Bali, in addition to being the man behind the concept of the Barcelona Football Stadium and ‘Nou Camp’.
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PRODUCT | CERAMIC
CUBIC CORTECCIA
SPELL MARINO
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Bisazza…. The World of Ceramics
By Nader Ramadan Photography by Lorenzo Ceretta Images courtesy of Bisazza
Tiles add a more tantalizing taste to any interior space, whether it’s for your home or your friends’! Bisazza, renowned by all as the undefeated global expert in ceramic and tile art, presented a number of interesting collections which are made to add a rich taste to any home in collaboration with some of the finest names in design including Jaime Hayon, Paola Navone as well as Carlo Dal Bianco. This is a story of several of the company’s mightiest collections and one leading manufacturer!
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MOULD CASTAGNO
TEMPLE BETON - INSIDE CARNICO - MACADAM (Q)
They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but we wouldn’t encourage you to make that your mantra! Tiles can take your home miles, as long as you’re using collections from Bisazza, one of the finest names in tile fashion. The first thing on the menu is a little pep from Paola Navone, who designed an excellently eclectic, contemporary product line in Bisazza’s Contemporary Cement Tiles, the Navone Collection. It’s revolutionary for one simple reason: these cement tiles were used as decorative elements in composing an overall contemporary look with the painting of hexagonal and square geometric patterns. “These playfully decorative motifs are available in a wide range of colors; ‘meeting’ freely, they create unique patterns, similar to rugs,
GUSTAV MARQUINIA
bringing a novel look to almost any surface,” said a press statement from the company. “The graceful irregularity of the figures lends an element of surprise to the collection, marking a significant turning point in interior decor. The cement tile collections are the product of a convergence between the creative minds at Bisazza and my colorful, eclectic and spontaneous way of thinking,” as Paola Navone herself emphasized.
HONEY BISMARCK
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PAPER BLU
AURA RONDINE
Carl Dal Bianco (Dal Bianco Collection) also played his role in the same product line by recreating the same intricate that patterns that we see in fabrics right onto Contemporary Cement Tiles. It’s simply psychedelic! It’s a healthy concoction of traditional design readymade to go with an Oriental rug of your choice! “The trend here is to recreate the luxurious patterns found in fabrics and revisit the designs found on tiles of days gone by. Traditional ornamental motifs are interpreted in new “high fashion” colors,” said a press statement from Bisazza. On top of that, the HAYON Collection also exemplifies tile excellence with its enchanting sense of the Mediterranean breeze. Step in and enjoy a somewhat more fragranc sense of visual experimentation with the “The lush hills of Galicia, the avenues of Valencia with their scent of citrus, the sparkle of stars against the deepest Mediterranean blue. The new tile collection takes its cue
COMPAS GALICIA D
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COMPAS PIRINEOS B
from the lively color palette of the Spanish countryside. A simple turn of the tiles and an entirely new panorama delights the eye. Elegant, vibrant, relaxing or extravagant – now it is possible to create one’s own enchanted landscape,” said Hayon. Bisazza Design Studio being the exclusive hub for sharing design ideas at the company has its own works of creating funky patterns and designs, doing motifs that soon become the highlight of tomorrow’s market. When the tile tide is up, surfs up!
CIOCCOLATO (Q) - INSIDE TORTORA - TAPIS ONICE
FABRICS AND CURTAINS
FIND US AT
Le MarchĂŠ 2014
Facebook.com/seda.egy
Heliopolis T +202 22568132 I 22568205 I 22568215 32 Nehro Street, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt.
I
M 0122 232 9220
Mohandesine T +202 33058922 I M 0120 442 6667 30 Geziret El Arab Street, Mohandesine, Cairo, Egypt. Downtown Mall New Cairo M 0122 297 7537 info@sedacollection.com
www.sedacollection.com
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LOCAL | RESIDENTIAL
THE MANSION OF MARASSI
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By Nader Ramadan Photography by Nour El Refai
It’s too unique to witness that an architect can let his emotions go to such an extent that an entire house becomes a kaleidoscope of different colors, encompassing a refreshingly tasteful summer feel. That combined with the tranquility of the waves calmly washing ashore echoing gentle sounds of splendor would not fall short of being a match made in heaven. Arch. Hany Saad whips up one Marassi summer villa as a habitat in heaven, unforgettable to those who want to let their emotions go and live life’s pleasures at its simplest.
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You can never underestimate the value of a summer house when the daily routine that your mind has to deal with is either the noise pollution of Cairo traffic, the endless verbal profanities that angry drivers fire at each other at a crowded intersection, or the battles that you have to fight just to park right outside your company. Being the luxury guru of his time, Arch. Hany Saad could be considered an architectural prodigy in the field of leisure when he revealed the ingenious designs of his psychedelic new summer house, nested in the prestigious summer location Marassi.
A look at this villa’s exterior reveals that it looks like any other summer residence, yet it is when you really dive deeper inside that you can really discover the ingenuity behind this summer house. Everything is about letting loose that colorful drive, with colored window shutters, colorful paintings, and above all colorful furniture. Arch. Saad in design this house revives a tasteful
the world of color along with the attractive seaside views,
sense of elegance with
forming an idyllic combination for a true luxury residential dream come true. From the outside, the villa incorporates rich water features including pools to reinforce the deely rich marine visual elements, thereby weaving the villa further into its environment. It's this love relationship that is the catalyst behind all the chemistry which goes on in this particular project. Connecting the visual features of any residence will thereby result in a more harmonious relationship within the villa itself. Such is the main formula which Arch. Saad follows in this particular venture.
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Hany’s villa is the best way you can encompass human interaction with the natural elements being the sounds of the sea along with the coastal breeze. It’s a space where people can reconnect with their primordial relationship with the world around them. Above all, this house demonstrates loyalty to the very slogan of Arch Saad’s firm, being ‘Creativity without Limits’. An objective study of this particular project would reveal a passion for limitless opulence and a psychedelic sense of leisure within the North Coast’s most prestigious and exclusive hotspots. Hany Saad Innovations (HSI) is a world class architectural and interior design firm which works with some of the country’s top clients including SODIC (Allegria), KUWADICO, SE Zone, Glitter, Coffeeshop Company, Yasso Lounge, hp, Caploonba, Accessories, Seasons Compound, Mirage City, Talaat Mostafa Group (Rehab Hills), Cairo Festival City (Commercial Outlets), and El-Gouna.
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Adding to its already stellar record of design accomplishments in the fields of luxury, commerce, and residences, the company is also making giant leaps in the world of furniture, particularly for kids where the Hany Saad Innovations is introducing a new youthful and trendy definition to the way we can decorate kids’ rooms. Hany Saad Innovations being the local agent of the Turkish furniture brand Caploonba has branches one of which is in Heliopolis and the other is in Cairo Festival City.
YOU MAY PAY IN CASH, THROUGH YOUR VISA CARD,
OR IN
INSTALLMENTS.
55, 263 Street, New Maadi, Cairo, Egypt F 02 2519 2482 M 0127 210 0251 E wayd_elsheikh@yahoo.com
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ADVERTORIAL
Köşeler Mobilya Celebrates Launch in Al Maza
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By Nader Ramadan Photography by Nader Ramadan Some images provided by Köşeler Mobilya-Egypt Interior Design by S E G M E N T S Facebook page: S E G M E N T S, Architects & Planners Setup & Renovation by Arch. Yasmine Hamdy Facebook page: yasmin hamdy for home setup and renovation
Köşeler Mobilya a new Turkish brand opened its doors to Egyptians this November in a festive opening which took place in Heliopolis, right past Tivoli’s Dome on Omar Ibn Al Khattab Street. The new store showcased the company’s latest products and furniture collections, put together in a setup which appeals to local tastes and serves to amplify the corporate message that the company wants to give its consumer audience.
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In celebration of its establishment here in Egypt, Köşeler Mobilya kicked off with a big foundational celebration to announce that its world class furnishing solutions have been made available to Egyptians. The store run by Chairman Mr. Hussein Ali and Manager Partner Mr. Hassan Ali, offers a wide variety of furniture appealing to the young generation, yet also attracts a crossgenerational niche of Egyptian consumers, who demand for only the best and most fashionable the company can give. “Though this company has stores in Istanbul and in cities all over Europe, this is first time for it open in Egypt and because of this we’re working with more unique furnishing solutions, particularly attractive to youth,” said Köşeler Egypt’s Chairman. “We have chosen with mostly modern sets which are
characteristically fashionable and affordable to the average shopper. We also have an ambitious expansion plan which will allow us to open stores of the same caliber and the same system we have at this store.” It’s not about what’s Turkish as much as it’s about what makes the right mix. Köşeler Mobilya brings the best of other design cultures to add to its collections, including furniture from some of the most prestigious names in Europe, such as Minotti. Picking and choosing may be a freedom that every shopper enjoys, but it’s also a service which Köşeler Mobilya provides for all its customers. Köşeler Mobilya also has professional interior designers who are well-trained and have a tasteful eye to show their clients how the furniture at Köşeler can best be used in their own homes.
Arch. Mohamed Ismail and Arch. Yasmine Hamdy, being chief designers at Köşeler Egypt, asserted the company’s flexible service policy, in addition to commenting about the showroom’s stellar setup as a unique first impression to shoppers: “We wanted to create a mood for every single setup to show people that with the furniture you have you can create a variety of different moods. For example, some setups are not completely modern; we managed to weave in a classical touch. Colors are also an important factor which can decide the mood of your interior,” said Arch. Hamdy. “We work with customers to create a feasible interior design plan that would best suite their individual needs and cater to local tastes.” Adding to the convenience of its high quality products and customerfriendly services, the store is easy to find and within walking distance from Tivoli’s Dome on Omar Ibn At Khattab Street, close to a number of other furniture outlets. Soon enough, Köşeler Mobilya will be opening a host of showrooms in other prestigious locations around Cairo, including one in New Cairo in front of AUC’s Kattameya Campus, one in Hyde Park, and one in Porto New Cairo. 102 Omar Ebn Elkhatab Street, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt. Tel +2 (02) 2419 4192 Cell +2(011) 43 1111 74 Koseler Egypt www.koselermobilya.com
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LOCAL | CERAMIC
TILES OF A MILLION TALES…
YOUR ULTIMATE DESTINATION TO A MARVELOUS HOME
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By Nader Ramadan Images provided by TILES Information and professional advice from TILES compiled by Yasmin Nagi
Introducing some of the finest finishing material collections, TILES has some of the most fashionable up to date products in the market. These tile sensations are made to indulge any desirable household in Egypt with a taste of luxury.
TILES has everything there is to offer with regards to walls and floors including marble, porcelain, mosaics, slate, quartzite, vanity and counter tops, bathroom and home accessories, swimming pools, as well other supplies for landscaping and facades made to accentuate any exterior space. Introducing only the best of materials whether locally produced or from abroad, the owners-Mr
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Yasser Samy & Mr Wessam- with their team of professionals have travelled extensively, sourcing for specific product qualities that Egyptian homeowners crave. TILES showrooms are equipped with versatile displays presenting many different materials, finishes and design ideas as well as a trained sales team of coordinators and engineers there provide you with all the technicalities you may require to make your shopping experience a whole lot easier. “TILES as an entity strikes to be unique with its services and products. Our mission is to provide our clients with a one stop shop for both interior and exterior spaces and providing full technical support for right selection, installation and maintenance of each product ” said Mr Yasser. “TILES tends to pave the way for up scaling Egyptian homes with groundbreaking ideas, an impeccable taste as well as natural comforting feeling”. As experts in finishing materials, Tiles offers you the following set of tips:
(1) What color scheme do I require? Based on your own taste and on the availability of materials especially when it comes to natural materials. Natural stones may vary according to available quarry colors all around the world.
(2) Where will the tiles be installed? Indoor, outdoor, small space, large space…etc. For example if you require homogenous look to your landscape and around pools, TILES offers you the 2 cm porcelain with its own accessories from pool grills, stairs treads and risers and skirting with dimensions reaching up to 60x120 cm
(3) Does the material fit the purpose it is used for? Decorative, heavy duty, high traffic, flooring, wall cladding..etc. This depends solely on the tile characteristics. Looking at porcelain, TILES has different lines with a variety of dimensions and a list of advantages starting from durability in a natural looking textured tile, ease of maintenance, anti-slip, anti- bacterial, environmentally friendly and water resistance making them fit for many purposes. (4) What type of finish do I require? Especially when it comes to picking up from the various lines of Natural stones TILES possesses. Marble is one of Mr. Yasser’s favorites for its ability to receive any finish fitting different design schemes. (5) How will the material be installed? Mechanically, adhered or using any other method of installation. This depends on the area to be installed. Let’s assume you’re preparing a façade of multi-story buildings, due to tension creating factors such as thermal expansion or contraction variances of different materials, settling of the building and the earthquake load, tiles installed with an adhesive carry a higher risk of falling down. TILES impressively has the installation hassle all under control with its new tiles manual comprising all the technical specs of materials and methods of installation and also with an army of highly qualified and experienced workers that would install your chosen material in the most professional way providing you with a final product with a pleasing look
And (6)What are the budget boundaries? Setting a price range not only having one price in mind is very crucial in this phase in order to pick your desired materials based on all the above aspects not just on budget restrictions. Since TILES has covered the basics of picking the right finishing materials let us move on to experience some of their best sellers
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The Marble Collection
For unparalleled luxury, marble is what you’re looking for, ideal for interiors: receptions, hallways, kitchens, and bathrooms and exteriors: landscape and facades. With its uniquely varied patterns and colors giving it a timeless appeal, marble has proven to be the relish of sophistication.
The Porcelain Collection
“Our porcelain lines are created by international professional design team and have been signed by many worldwide known designers, for example; our 2cm porcelain line is created by Viewgres- Netherlands which tends to be an innovator and trend-setter in the field of outdoor porcelain for the European market and our natural looking porcelain provided by Kalebodur our Turkish supplier
and collaborator with products living up to their punch line ‘Fuel Your Creativity’ ” Mr Wessam said. “TILES has also been involved in many large scale commercial and private projects and worked with many brilliant local design houses: Hani Saad innovations, Dar Noama, Style Design, Alchemy and Eklego.” He added.
Cement Tiles collection
If you’re more of a bold colors hip style lover, then TILES presents you its cement tiles with vivid colors and a medley of designs that may just be your missing decorative ingredient to a perfectly balanced design.
The Mosaic collection
Convert any ordinary wall into an eye catching architectural feature with TILES mosaic art. Whether you require mosaics for decorative uses, façade cladding, column cladding or pools, TILES will amaze you with its rather innovative, creative designs of mosaics collection. With twenty years of experience and roots of knowledge in the flooring and wall claddings field and with an expanding chain of shops in Cairo most upbeat districts, TILES has made itself available to homeowners to build their dream houses. It’s time to live the dream!
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Ideal Standard DEA - NEW COLLECTION
SHAPES TO INSPIRE Dea’s wide selection of beautifully proportioned, distinctively curved, slimrimmed ceramics gives you plenty of scope for creating an individual yet harmonious look in your bathroom.
Vessels, vanities and totems, toilets and bidets: the high-end pieces come in different sizes and gloss white finish, so you are sure to find a solution that suits your taste and space.
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DESIGN WITH FEELING Recent design trends have accustomed us to a cool, angular aesthetic in the home – but the future is warmer and softer. It’s time to put the emotion back into our surroundings. Curved yet controlled, inviting yet elegantly poised, Dea’s beautiful lines offer a perfect balance of chic, high-end design and pure pleasure. Choosing and using your Dea bathroom is a holistic experience, as every element works with you and for you to create an atmosphere of complete serenity.
When you fall for Dea’s sophisticated, soft styling, you can trust that every aspect of every piece has been carefully considered to make your life more comfortable and enjoyable. The Dea range reflects how you like to function.
Body-friendly rounded corners and slim rims; integrated ambient lighting; a Bluetooth sound system built in to mirrors; ingenious, spacious storage options to organise your basin area: it all adds up to an easy, uncluttered space with an air of calm indulgence.
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LOCAL | INTERIOR
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RENY BRINGS WORLD CLASS ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICES TO EGYPTIAN CLIENTS By Nader Ramadan Images courtesy of Reny
Arch. Ahmed Osman and his team of professionally experienced architects and designers bring new hope in fundamentally changing the way business is done in Egypt, using the diverse strengths of his team finishing each and every project with prompt efficiency. With the introduction of high standard project management practices, Reny raises the bar for the Egyptian architectural and interior design industry. Opening its door wide open many to Egyptian homeowners, Reny, a French architectural firm based in both Paris and Cairo, has aimed to change the way people and their lifestyles by changing their social outlook in design. In recognition of the significant role which architecture and interior spaces play within societies, Reny seeks to cater to the needs of a newly emerging style-conscious niche of the Egyptian market, requiring more sophistication and elegance to its approach in each and every project. With its world class standards of business being adapted both here and in France, Reny’s prestigious portfolio including everything from residential to commercial projects, enabling them to reach out to a diverse array of some the world’s finest names in business. Keeping up to date with inspirational tastes and trends all over Europe, Reny is keen on creating a tidal wave in the local market with its stellar ideas therefore making
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fundamental cultural changes in the way society interacts with design. This has become an integral component of what Reny seeks to do and offer its clients in Egypt. Celebrating the company’s French cultural heritage, Reny respects the diversity of each project it does, taking a fresh approach to each design it executes and guaranteeing the client the individual attention to his/her needs within an interior space. With that in mind, clients will never find similarities between one project and another. Besides being the market’s mover and shaker, Reny is also keen on cultivating long term relationships with its clients, sewing the seeds of trust with every deal they make. Trust and transparency are the two most vital components made to guarantee success in any business interaction. And that’s the way Reny puts its signature on the contract!
Reforming the fundamentals of Egyptian business culture, Reny is a national leader in project management, delivering its services on time, from planning and execution within a timeframe that its clients find convenient. Overall, the success that Reny has enjoyed up to this day could not have been possible without the efficient teamwork and cooperation demonstrated by Reny’s staff of professional architects and designers, of whom some have no less than ten years of experience in the field. Combining their skills together, they complement each other’s strengths in turning out with the best outcome in each and every project. In the end, it’s the clients’ best interests that are an integral component of Reny’s company policy.
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LOCAL | CERAMIC
‘You are the Designer’… THE NEW BUSINESS MOTTO OF GLORIA CERAMICS
ASK Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Gaby Michel, CEO of Gloria Ceramics to discover the new youthful touch that his business is adding to the Egyptian ceramics market. In accordance to its stellar TV commercial campaign ‘You are the designer’, Mr. Michel creates new innovative ways to help Egyptian shoppers find what they need with the creative tools and facilities that his business offers.
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By Nader Ramadan Photography by Nour El Refai Images courtesy of Gloria Ceramics
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014
Tell me about your company.
The launch was at the beginning of 2011, within the same time as the January revolution. Up till now, in only four years, we already enjoy a significant market share of the Egyptian ceramics industry as well as a very high ranking in terms of quality and taste. The company has opened up a unique product line which is what has enabled us to gain such a strong position in terms of market share in such a short period of time.
Facebook and Pinterest. Through various applications, people use multiple sources to determine their individual needs, rather than just one source as a reference for everyone. In accordance with our TV commercial campaign Enta El Designer (meaning ‘You are the Designer’), Gloria also
gives shoppers the tools that they can use to determine what they want, rather than us telling them what they should buy. We don’t profess to be the reference for what they should buy for themselves. Instead, we simply give them the tools that they need to choose what’s best for them.
We come from a commercial background. Mr. Adel Michel, our Chairman, owns a prestigious distribution business for other companies which works all over Egypt. From experience, we found that the ceramics industry was quite strong, so we began to think that starting Gloria would be a potentially profitable business idea. Because of our extensive experience in the commercial industry, we were aware of what the market needs and of its problems, and it’s because of this that Gloria Ceramics enjoys such a large market share. What does Gloria Ceramics offer in comparison to its competitors? What is unique about Gloria as a brand and as a product? Gloria Ceramics aims to be more youthful, trendy, and colorful. You will find that our collections tend to be more modern, while other brands stick to a more stylistically classical trend and target older age groups. Gloria appeals to a more styleconscious young generation who are aware of the products abroad because of their extensive use of social media outlets including
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Do you design ceramic tiles yourselves or do you outsource or import your products from abroad or from other companies? Our products come from a number of different sources. First, Gloria has its own studio which produces 30% of the designs that we use in our products. 70% of our products are outsourced from studios abroad. One of them is the Italian studio Gamma Due, to whom our company is enjoying prosperous business cooperation with and they are also highly involved with our activities in the Egyptian market. We give them the brief of the designs our company requires and they provide us with products we need. Our marketing team works all year doing research about design trends abroad, attending international fairs so that they can give customers the latest in colors, fabrics, and patterns. Based on that, we give a brief to the studios that we work with.
Did you attend any international exhibitions? Gloria had the honor of attending and exhibiting at Cersaie which is the biggest international ceramic fair and we received very good feedback from our international visitors. The fair was very well put together, well-organized, and it’s an amazing hub for companies who work in ceramics and sanitary ware to showcase their work. For this reason, it was extremely beneficial for us.
We have been into a number of other places to attend international fairs including Spain, Turkey the United States, and Russia. Some of us travel to attend the interior design fairs as visitors such as Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Italy and Maison et Objet in France.
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What type of brief do you give to the studios you work with and how does it fit with the consumer? One part of the brief contains technical information including as lines and sizes. The other part contains information about types of ceramics we need (floors, walls, etc.), materials and patterns based on the studies we have done on what consumers demand, such as if we need materials involving more wood or parquet. We try to give the studios a direction through which they work on a feasible design which would sell well in the market. From a cultural perspective, there are some colors that cannot stand on its own. Grey and black colors have to be mixed with other colors. There are some cultural aspects that we have to take into consideration for the design in order for it to be attractive to the local market. What age group is your company targeting? 25 to 40 years old
What types of colors and ceramics are most in demand in the local Egyptian market? The beige and brown color range is very attractive and high in demand in the Egyptian market. In kitchen and bathrooms, there’s a lot more flexibility for the use of colors such as purple and baby blue. The marble look is also popular here in Egypt. As far as types of ceramics are concerned, the idea that ceramic tiles can be used in anything other than bathrooms and kitchens is something new. Hence, we are starting to introduce the idea that that they can be used in other spaces [other than in the kitchen and bathroom environment] since now technology can help us produce a wider variety of tiles [compatible for different environments]. So now tiles can be produced to be installed in living rooms, office environments, lobbies, elevators, and this is new not just here in Egypt but worldwide. For now, this idea is totally new but one by one you will be able to find it at fairs, such as this coming International Ceramic & Sanitary Ware (ICS). It takes time for people to get used to this idea.
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How do you do business on an international level? Gloria exports its products to almost the whole Middle East after finalizing a number of deals. We also export to Romania and Greece, but we already have many of the neighboring countries covered in terms of exporting. Beyond the Middle East, we have even made deals in Italy, in Turkey, in the United States, and in Australia.
From the perspective of a ceramics exporter, how would you say the Middle Eastern market compares to that of Europe, the US, Australia‌etc in terms of demand? In the Middle East, the use of ceramics is actually much higher in places such as Europe who consider it more of a luxury and tend to favor simpler more functional designs. In the Middle East, the market tends to demand in larger amounts, larger sizes, more designs and patterns. Plus, in the Middle East, consumers favor glossy tiles whereas in Europe and the West they prefer matt tiles.
What do you plan to show at this coming International Ceramic & Sanitary Ware (ICS)? This will be our fifth time at ICS and we will be showcasing our newest collection. This will be a great opportunity for us to connect directly with the consumer which is something we as a company really value. This is why we reserve a large exhibiting space very close to the entrance. In doing so, we also add a lot of interactive elements to our exhibition so that visitors can get acquainted with our products including touch screens which aid any visitor in visualizing our tiles in his/her own setup. As for our new collection, we will mainly be focusing on scratch wood; pentagon shaped tiles, as well as a number of experimental colors. We understand that Gloria Ceramics is ISO Certified. What does it require to get these types of certifications? ISO mainly focuses on industrial processes for production to ensure it is compatible with international standards and all procedures are followed by the book. This is why people are very happy to work with a company which has an ISO certification. We are also working on getting the prestigious CE Marking (CE) so that our products can be certified in Europe.
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LOCAL | PHOTOGRAPHY
SNAPSHOT DIARIES: BACK IN TIME…. SNAPSHOTS OF ISLAMIC CAIRO By Nader Ramadan Photography by Karim El Hayawan
Edward Said, the famous Palestinian-American, once said in an interview published in Diacritics in 1976: “I feel myself to be writing from an interesting position. I am an Oriental writing back at the Orientalists, who for so long thrived upon our silence. I am also writing to them, as it were, by dismantling the structure of their discipline, showing its meta-historical, institutional, antiempirical, and ideological biases.” In doing so, so does Arch. Karim El Hayawan as he travels back in time through the relics of the city’s Islamic past armed with nothing more than a camera and a creative mind. Beyond the modern urban havoc and chronic chaos, lies a rich past of scientific discoveries, architectural achievements accompanied with religiosity, spirituality, philosophy and the appraisal moral as well as ethical values. Islamic Cairo stands all these years as a response to modern polemics who point to today’s picture of the Middle East as being a boiling pot of extremism to sway public opinion one way or another.
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PRESS RELEASE
Nay, I say! Arch. Karim is a step close than others, accounting for any nook and cranny that makes up the historical sector of Egypt’s crowded capital. Being an Oriental photographer Arch. Karim visually documents the patterns, curves, mere sizes, and geometric proportions of these relics; the subject that he puts into his photography comes back to life. When we look at the builds and put our ears to them, the photographs show that they have a voice. We hear Surat Al Fatiha being recited at the Mohamed Ali Mosque at the break of Fajr, we hear the wood craftsmen dexterously working in the patterns of his mashrabeya, and we hear the stone masons shaping the building bricks that make up the huge structures that stand till this very day. It’s all about making use of the senses and calibrating the photo to recreate a reality that was once lived in the past. This is Cairo, and more importantly our Cairo. Cairo was built for the whole world to see and none to replicate. It is not the land of malls, markets, and advertised manipulation. Rather it is the land where roots run deep, where values are held high, where spirituality is venerated, and a smile is considered charity. Arch. Karim is an Oriental responding to the Orientalists.
JOTUN EGYPT CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF
ITS HEADQUARTER IN NEW CAIRO "We are growing very fast in the local market, where we have already positioned ourselves as leading painting company in all paint segments”
“We are committed to our employees, in terms of providing them with excellent working conditions”
C
airo, on 30.September 2014 - Aligning with its ambitious expansion plan in the local market, Jotun Egypt, the leading painting company in Egypt and affiliate of Jotun Global, the worldwide leading paint group, announced today the opening of its new Headquarter in New Cairo. The new building embodies the image of Egypt's No.1 painting company, which has been operating in the Egyptian market for more than 25 years now. The building hosts the company's central operations and employees in a creative and welcoming environment, which should facilitate better working conditions, faster communications, and better cooperation among co-workers.
"This a major milestone for our operation and presence in Egypt" said Mr. Tor Hatlo, Jotun Egypt's General Manager "We are growing very fast in the local market, where we have already positioned ourselves as leading painting company in all paint segments. We took our decision to have a state of the art new building in New Cairo, bearing in mind that we are committed to our employees, in terms of providing them with excellent working conditions. The new office will act as a new base for launching our expansion plans and introducing excellent products and services to our customers in this crucial regional market, Hatlo added. The new Jotun building was designed by AlAmar, and represents the newest trends in architecture and elegance, which Jotun stands for. The idea of the new head office dated back to January 2011, when Jotun Egypt discovered that the future plans and ambitious growth would gradually push them out from the present office location they have resided in for the last 11 years. And with steady growth in the Egyptian market in Marine and Protective sectors, and eventually Decorative sector, which became a key sector for the company in the local market.
The design of the new head office features an elegant appearance, showcasing the Penguin in an artistic way, open spaces with lots of glass partitions and practical solutions that will make our working conditions much better than what we had ever before. The creative design makes use of the surrounding environment, by letting daylight in, which in return reduces the consumption of energy in a substantial rates. "We were able to prove our excellence in painting, through countless services and products we were able to launch during more than 25 years. Egypt is starting a new chapter in its development, I am quite confident that Jotun Egypt will be a key contributor to the development and historical era. That's why the inauguration of this building sheds more light on our role in this magnificent country" added Hatlo.
Worth to mention that Jotun today is the market leader in Marine, Protective and segments and one of the main paint suppliers in the decorative segment. The company has reached a market share of 16% in Decorative and became the 3rd or 4th largest player in the market. In addition, they have invested in 3 new warehouses during the last 2 years that will enable us to become much closer to the market and our customers.
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PRODUCT | MODERN
THE ART OF IMPRECISION By Nader Ramadan Photography by: Domenico Resmini Foto Morosetti Cristina Baganara Images courtesy of il laboratorio dell’imperfetto
Vaso fibreglass vase design imperfettolab
Incline fibreglass vase design imperfettolab
Imperfetto Lab is a firm established on the concept that we can create beauty out of all that which is ‘imprecise’ as the name comfortably asserts. Natural forms and stylish norms have become the same old record spoon fed into the hearts and minds of the design conscious, who themselves are in need of a new transformational formula to quench their aesthetic thirst. This year Imperfetto released a number of products (or should we say imperfections) that demonstrate the aesthetic appeal that one could attract when designing things that are …..not so perfect.
They say that perfectionists are destined for success in their careers with their somewhat haughty sense of being anal, and no matter what type counter argument is thrown at this claim, it is utterly futile to say anything else. Yet, sometimes it’s really the art of realizing perfection in the imperfect that proves to be even more lucrative than the latter! Such was the secret behind Imperfetto Lab’s success in designing a series of aggressively abstract yet surprisingly functional products which they are now and ready for purchase in the market. “The objects that Il Laboratorio dell’Imperfetto designs and creates in its workshop in Italy are both unique and exclusive, characters which are implied by the brand name’s allusion to the imperfect. Fibreglass is the
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Nido fibreglass varnished armchair, metal base design imperfettolab
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Bi fibreglass coffee table design verter turroni
Dina suspension lamp design imperfettolab
Mirroe sculptural mirror design verter turroni
Falesia
Imperfetto Lab beautifies the idea of artfully constructing our visual world. main material they have chosen for the creation of these works because it is light and resistant to any weather conditions, so suitable for both indoor and outdoor use,” as the company’s catalogue asserts. Imperfect indeed. Touche! A simple visit to the company’s workshop in Gambettola (FC) reveals a world infused with the imperfections of raw materials, bound for a complex production process, destined for the market, once of course they have been patented for the picking! When delving into this collection of delights, one would soon discover that they are more than just good pieces of art. The vases Incline and
Vaso (made out of fiberglass) though may look abstract to the uninformed eye, yet serve to bring plant life to into any interior. Mercurio, for example, being a seat with a mirror-like finish takes an fluid shape, made to mimic the common mercury we’ve all seen in chemistry class, being a silver liquid which can sometimes be used even in our everyday thermometers. Apart from its other products, the company also had its fill of unconventional items, such as that of Mirroe meaning ‘mirror’. The light elephant as well would also make an interesting wall-hanging for any animal-lover.
Epoche fibreglass armchair, upholstered cushion in leather or leatherette design verter turroni
Trip sculptural handmade bench in fibreglass; stainless steel base, seat upholstered in sky leather design verter turroni Uluru round seat in fiberglass design roberto semprini, Pillola round coffee table in fiberglass design imperfettolab and Pillola poufs in varnished design imperfettolab
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Bella suspension lamp design verter turroni
Dina suspension lamp design imperfettolab
Light Elephant wall lamp design imperfettolab
“Each piece is made from a common mould, which is then sanded, painted and hand-polished. The working process differs for each type of object, thus becoming unique in its genre. Thanks to such a personalized approach to items, they acquire identity and uniqueness, as well as showing exceptional attention to details that derives from an expert and skillful craftsmanship,” it said on the company’s website. “The names given to each item recall the world of nature, such as Bulbi (bulbs), Gusci (shells), Ciottoli (pebbles); shapes and
ciottoli gold
dimension reveal the talents employed at il laboratorio dell’imperfetto, where resin gives a shape to every idea and is ‘a modern gift from King Midas by Verter Turroni’ who after many years of experimenting, has learned to make the most of this material in all its possible metamorphosis”. Being the exclusive trademark of Verter Turroni and Emanuela Ravelli, the company’s gallery is only one component of the whole il laboratorio dell’imperfetto project, which since 2001 has assisted in artistic research and experimentation. It is this creative spirit which cultivates success in the design industry. Laws and rules have to learned, applied and eventually forgotten in order for there to be room for innovation! For those who say that this collection is exemplary of its ingenuity, I say ‘bravo you got the message.’ For all those who say otherwise, I would say put your money where your mouth is.
Light elephant.
Favo modular wall elements; containers positioned in a seemingly casual pattern that allow things to find their ideal place design verter turroni.
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PRODUCT | WALLPAPER
NORTHERN ROSE THE
By Nader Ramadan Images courtesy of Graham & Brown
Winning the Wallpaper of the Year award for 2015, the Northern Rose collection by Graham & Brown breathes color back into the season with a refreshingly inspirational look for the coming year. As Mark Radford, the company’s Design & Marketing Director, most eloquently put it: “Our superb in-house
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Northern Rose brings life and rich colors to an otherwise cold season with its rich designs and intricate motifs.
Northern Rose Blue & Pink
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design team are driven by the ambition to inspire people to think differently about design in their homes. As such our Wallpaper of the Year for 2015 required a lot of careful consideration to arrive at a design which had the right blend of innovation and quintessential British style. Northern Rose has a vintage charm with a contemporary feel and celebrates Great British design and manufacture for the year ahead.” Coming to the other collections that the company has in store for everyone, there’s even more than meets the eye! Youthful in every sense of the word, Barbara Hulanicki’s collection is like putting your eyes to the kaleidoscope with even more refreshing elegance. This wallpaper fits with classical and Art Deco as it does with modern minimalism. The artistic flair in this particular collection brings new light and more inspiration into any household.
World Heritage Gold
Leopard White Beige Zebra Black White
“Barbara Hulanicki wallpaper can be fun, quirky, or sophisticated (or all three at once!) but you will always be able to see the experienced hand of the designer in her collections,” as the company statement on the website said. “She has worked with Graham and Brown for over ten years, producing some of the most striking collections in the range. They might be quirky and fun, but Hulanicki wallpapers are always beautifully illustrated and finished with an
Heart and tulip
unmistakable artistic flair. The darker wallpapers are bound to appeal to teenagers.” Drawing up from a number of natural themes, Skin takes natural textures using the same patterns and motifs that we see on animal skin and mimicks the same patterns on wallpapper, almost as if you have natural animal skin as your wallpaper with an elegant touch. Instead of the fur coat, it brings the skinny side of things to your house in a stylish way! As they say, everything isn’t as it seems. Such was the well-informed opinion of Marcel Wanders with his Illusions collection, presented this year’s London Design Festival, only to make a big hit. Wallpaper isn’t image anymore rather it is about hidden messages within the same image, an optical illusion.
Dreams Come True Blue Cameo Shot
The Hypnotist, Mono
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INTERIORS | KITCHENS
CAN COOKING AND LIVING SPACES WORK TOGETHER? By Nader Ramadan
Often times, designers have had a very compartmentalized formula of what makes up an actual living space. Each zone is separate and classified based on its own functional characteristics. A bedroom is known for what it is and the kids’ playroom also serves a specific purpose. Yet, with real estate prices going through the roof, it has become more essential than ever for designers to come up with ways to integrate spaces together. Now using their inventiveness, designers from an exclusive selection of kitchen companies, designed kitchens which have fused themselves almost completely into the living space as a whole.
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Corian
ARRITAL
Images courtesy of ARRITAL
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Designed by Franco Driusso (Driusso Associati Architects), ARRITAL’s Ak-02 kitchen set was under review this year, with designer adding a new 30 degree edge door, in comparison to its original presentation at Eurocucina 2012. The most important product values that were kept in mind was its lightness, neatness, and simplicity, making it compatible to a variety
of different residential spaces and meeting a wider scale of consumer demands. “Attention to details and to style solutions, consolidated values for the company, has lead to this innovative model by Arrital. A detail such as the 30° edge required by the mid-high market applied to a context dedicated to a target which is aware of both design and price-quality ratio products,” said a press statement from the company.
ORANGE-EVOLUTION Images courtesy of Snaidero
The Orange Evolution set being a collaborative effort between Snaidero and Michele Marcon Design is made for maximizing aesthetic flexibility, having fluid and free design. Though this kitchen features a relatively limited color palette, its pure elegance lies in its calm, chromatic essence and atmosphere, the result of which is a kitchen space that plays on
the geometry of volumes to create visual dialogue with the viewer. Most importantly as the company says the defining elements of this set are “the large monochromatic units adjacent to coloured elements, and represented with details that considerably soften the visual impact: the withdrawn plinth, the large open bookshelf, the contaminations of a living space, all contribute to creating a fluid, light and informal atmosphere.�
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OLA 25
Images courtesy of Snaidero
OLA 25 is another collaborative project between Snaidero and Pininfarina featuring a kitchen which is not only audacious, but encompasses sleek and sensual lines. It is an interpretation of one of Ferrari’s latest concept cars, visualizing the same beast at least in personality with the framework of a fully functional kitchen design. “Ola 25 has an Extra Black matt micalised lacquer finish, with undertop profiles in Cherry red metallised lacquer finish. The worktop is glass, with a gloss finish, while the sculpture-like support of the peninsula worktop, in carbon fibre, has clear brush strokes of colour (Cherry red metallised lacquer finish),” said a statement from Snaidero and Pininfarina.
ELLE
Images courtesy of Snaidero
The third of Snaidero’s ventures was with Monica Armani Design to produce the ELLE collection, a product line of clean, sleek and seductive kitchen sets that will become the heart and soul of any particular home. The deal lies in the detail, with all the fine elements and that’s what the whole concept design is about with Monica’s vision of ‘equation of detail’. “Elle is an evolution of the kitchen space, a concept that derives from an in-depth
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architectonic study that considers various layout solutions characterised by a series of dedicated and innovative components. An unmistakeable attention to detail underlies this project, which works with proportions and sequences of surfaces to redesign the kitchen object with originality,” concluded the statement about this project. Now, kitchens will forever being a pivotal component of this new innovative conglomeration of fused living spaces, a matrimony made in heaven and till death do they part!
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FURNITURE | OUTDOOR
OUTDOING THE GREAT OUTDOORS By Nader Ramadan Images courtesy of Tribù
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2014 was a productive year for Tribù, and what makes it more evident is its impressive release of outdoor furniture that adds an extra luxurious element to the outdoor experience. Whether you’re about to whip up a barbecue or a pool party, the furniture that you’re about to see is arguably the most festive-friendly you’ll find available for purchase in the market.
Tribu visavis
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INK4558
Being the most prestigious name in the market when it comes to high end outdoor furniture, Tribù lived up to its name once again with the productive excellence it took to release the renowned Vis à vis collection, a musthave for any outdoor party animal of the modern times. Now if the weather is good outside, then it might a good idea to take a nap in the sun. The sofa of this collection, designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga, is an even more imperative to this collection. “Slender, teak platforms support comfortable outdoor cushions without any visible back or arm structure,” said a press statement.
Tosca clubchair
Tosca daybeds
“Moreover, you can attach a graphic border or practical side tables to the platform, composed of square slats. The outdoor cushions can be left outside, even when it’s raining, thanks to the ventilating stuffing in a waterproof cover.” To finish this off, the chairs from the Vis à vis collection, also designed by Cazzaniga, are even more exemplary for its combination of ergonomic seating with an all-natural look, made out of a teak wood frame and the Canax® weave. “The weather-proof Canax® straps are made with natural hemp and give these chairs a very natural, harmonious look,” said a press statement from Tribu. “The lounger on the other hand, has an integrated tabletop, made of square slats and is designed in a way that two sunbeds fit into each other. Thanks to the flexible bed base, you can lie either next to each other or opposite each other.”
Tosca_detail
Tosca
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Vis a vis dining set
In a totally separate collection, Monica Armani, being one of the company’s finest partners, released the Tosca collection is an elegantly simple idea, creating small comfortable chairs out of a braiding material. “The braiding material is genuinely innovative: foam mousse is encased in a seamless sheath of knitted textilene and polyolefine which makes the material weather-resistant, but also surprisingly soft to touch. The seating
comfort is especially pleasant, also thanks to the comfortable outdoor cushions,” as the company emphasizes. The company built its reputation in the early 90’s not longer after its foundation, by producing some of the industry’s most elegant outdoor furniture piece. Being a ‘happy camper’ no longer has to be rough and tough, rather the company’s high end philosophy improvises on this by giving the consumer a chic and Vis a vis rocking chair
TRIBU Vis a vis chair
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elegant furnish solution, compatible in a variety of different medium including commercial, residential, and/or hospitality. The secret behind the company’s success is also its pioneering designers including Monica Armani, Piergiorgio Cazzaniga, and Spanish design studio Lievore Altherr Molina.
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PRODUCT | LIGHTING
ILRe designed by Lapo Ciatti.
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Ptolomeo Luce bookshelf designed by Bruno Rainaldi
LIGHTS…. COOKING… ACTION! By Nader Ramadan
Marioni Edison 02190GB Taupe, Edison 02190MA NeroOro and Edison - 02190GC NeroOro.
Lights, camera, action…..are the first three words
uttered before the filming of any movie. In the same way in order for us to tell the story of lifestyle heritage, it comes down to a trio of the three different words, that being lighting design, cuisine and ‘action’ being the code word for the narrative to begin. The two may sound unrelated, yet once studied thoroughly, you will find that within the coming lines lie a secret relationship between the two…
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Tondo
Marioni - Lampada Legend 02212BL _53_00 and Marioni - Lampada Sirius 02210BL_53_00
Everything in life in one way or another is a narrative in and of itself. Since ancient times they have told stories using something as simple puppets making storms of various political statements, with apologetics using their softened language sugar coated in pro-regime rhetoric against the pit bull-like attacks of their mutineer adversaries. Language and rhetoric has an interesting way of exploring all historical roots of every civilization, particular when we talk about that of design. Opinion Ciatti has already experimented with such designing an admirable youthful collection combining the stage of modern design with the world of kings, knights, and their squires. #FollowYourRoots is part of an initiative which uses to design to explore the historical heritage of Italy, and this time around it was Florence which was the location of interest. An example of this is the company’s masterpiece the LaLampada, an elegantly designed spherical aluminium lighting fixture. Available in four different sizes, this product is both versatile and suitable for any modern interior with its ingenious simplicity. Yet, the Marioni Home Collection has gone deeper into the story, putting actual physical characteristics into the pieces that they make. Had the SIRIUS lamp for example not been covered with a hood, instinct would tell any viewer that is any normal sculpture with all the intricacy and details in the fine textures embedded within the product itself. Consisting five ceramic elements, the table lamp has a matt white base with black accent, in addition to some of versions have matt
black with shades of various precious materials includ gold, platinum, and gold finish. As part of the Marioni srl and Poke Design Studio collaboration, the Edison lamp explores a part of scientific heritage where electric bulbs were back in their basic form. Named after the scientific pioneer Thomas Edison, the product was the culmination of archetypcal shapes of old bulbs which now be purchased as lamps available in several different finishes including cream, grey, celadon, rust, white chrome wire and black gold wire.
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Alternatively, Manooi had its own way of exploring heritage which was most vocally expressed in several of its product including Tondo being one of the company’s most ingenious pieces in terms versatile lighting work, as well as Geo, being made of totally natural material, revitalizing that essential natural connection needed to bring energy into every household. Sensations are about smell as they are of sight, and what could be more expressive of smell than that which sizzles perfuming the air with its sensational cuisine? Going even deeper into the kitchen theme, Minacciolo’s Pot lamp, is a modern spectacle of everyday simple kitchen items turned to into a somewhat complex aggregation of lighting fixtures. The Pot lamp consists of lamp shades made out of the real cooking, available in a black matt or aluminum. Being available in small, medium, or large, installation
Mammut
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procedures for this product are fairly flexible, giving your kitchen an extra touch without a fuss! Yet, this is wasn’t the only ingenious creation of Minacciolo! Taking a step outside light lullaby land, let’s a look at the narrative success enjoyed by a state of the art piece of equipment that can be place in the kitchen of any willing homeowner. Designed in cooperation with Arch. Silvio Stefani and the R&D Department at Minacciolo, the Mammut extractor hood (over the stove hood) is equipped with fully functional industrial exhaust fans to suck out the smoke. It’s covered in black graphite metal and a mobile, flexible arm able to do a complete 360. Now you won’t have to worry about too much smoke when you burn those brownies!
Pots designed by R & D Minacciolo
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COVERAGE
BELLONA OPENS ITS DOORS AT CITY STARS
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By Nader Ramadan Photography by Nader Ramadan
Pulling off a landslide opening last October, world class furniture brand Bellona has opened for the first time in Egypt, offering modern collections, practical designs, and professional interior solutions for all those who need it.
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The store located right next to one of the mall’s main entrances attracted the attention of scores of Friday night shoppers in need for quality furnishing. Showcasing the brand’s most lucrative collections, the store was an impressive spectacle of furniture production at its highest standards, guaranteed to embellish the aesthetic appeal of any interior designed residence. One thing that is for sure is the emphasis placed on color when it comes to the company’s furniture
items, appealing to Egyptians tastes with a more youthful interpretation of interior space. Feel like a settling down for a night in front of the TV? The store offered man’s best friend: the most comfortable TV couches shoppers will ever find in a furniture store! Each furniture item is presented in an interactive display, made to look like that of an interior environment, such as with the company’s elegant bed collection.
The entire atrium of the City Stars interior was decorated with the Bellona’s advertisements, making it the most widely promoted furniture shop within the premises of the mall. Bellona went to an even greater extent to open up a direct connection with flocks of style-hungry shoppers. The campaign was personally supervised at the mall by Mr. Ayman Nazeem, the company’s Marketing Director. One of the main attractions at the opening was the company’s photo booth, where City Stars shoppers got to have the photograph taken and printed to take home as a memory. It’s all a part of the new company’s stellar marketing plan to create positive memories for shoppers in relation to the brand, seeking to build a personal relationship with every potential buyer.
Though the opening at City Stars is a significant move for the firm’s introduction into the Egyptian market, the company has an ambitious new expansion plan to makes its products and services more widely available to Egyptian consumers. On top of its world class furniture store at City Stars, Bellona also has branches at Concord Mall Plaza in Cairo and a branch in Alexandria as well. Along with offering products of world class quality, Bellona has also raised the bar when it comes to giving its customers the delivery and installment services with the same professional standards it demonstrates in its branches all over the world. Say ‘Home Sweet Home’ with Bellona.
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PRESS RELEASE
A CHILD’S OWN SPACE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE LATEST IPAD
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ew research from Philips, the global leader in lighting, reveals that children today crave independence as much as they crave iPads: more than 1 in 5 (21%) parents say their kids want their own room more than anything else - the same as those who crave the latest game or gadget (20%). The research of 6,000 moms and dads across six European countries shows that parents recognize the importance of giving children a space of their own – unsurprising given 1 in 4 (25%) say kids with their own bedroom spend more time reading, and 1 in 5 (19%) say it’s where children can be most imaginative. Giving children space is so important that most parents redecorate their child’s room more than any other room in the home (58%). Interestingly, one fifth (20%) of parents believe that lighting can have a positive impact on the quality of a child’s room. Chireal Shallow, child psychologist and sleep expert, says: “A physical space that children can call their own gives them the mind space that they need to develop, and the freedom to stretch their imagination through play. Children get more from creating their own personal worlds than being restricted to something constructed by a digital game and parents who provide a stimulating environment in their child’s bedroom can be confident that they are encouraging this.”
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What makes a great room?
Philips commissioned the research to understand the importance of what makes a child’s environment imaginative. Given how much parents invest in redecorating their child’s room, over a quarter (26%) say they do so every two years and a fifth (20%) believe this is important. The Philips Disney Imaginative Lighting range has been designed to transform a child’s bedroom into a more imaginative place to read, play and sleep, and to help them feel safe at night. Timothy Meaker, an independent lighting expert, adds, “There are many ways to transform your kid’s bedroom, and light is one of the easiest and most fun. Light with color can instantly create a different world, whether it’s a soothing one before bedtime or bright and vibrant for play. Add light in places such as under the bed, corners or even in the closet with Philips Disney LivingColors. Make potentially scary places warm and inviting by adding softly diffused light from a Candle Light; or bring stories to life using StoryLight to make their bedroom feel more like a scene from their favorite Disney movie and create more spaces where kids can play and discover magical spaces.”
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PRESS RELEASE
CITROЁN AND EZZ ELARAB BRING THE NEW GRAND C4 PICASSO TO EGYPT
Winner of ‘Best Family Car of the Year’ award, Citroёn’s newly styled 7 seater available now in Egypt
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E
zz Elarab Automotive Group, www.ezz-elarab.com, the exclusive agent for Citroёn in Egypt has made the new Citroёn Grand C4 Picasso available now at all Ezz Elarab showrooms across Egypt. Winner of the ‘Best Family Car of the Year’ and ‘Multi-Passenger Vehicle Car of the Year’ awards, the newly styled Grand C4 Picasso builds on Citroёn’s 90 years of innovation and its Créative Technologie motto. Hani Lahzi Kallini, General Manager, Alpha Ezz Elarab noted, “The redesigned Grand C4 Picasso strikes a well thought out balance between interior spaciousness, flowing body styling and driving pleasure. It also highlights the tremendous results Citroën has achieved in terms of making the car safer and more efficient with its new EMP2 platform. We’re certain the new Grand C4 Picasso will be the car of choice for Egyptian families.”
Developed on the PSA Peugeot Citroёn Group’s efficient modular platform 2 (EMP2), the redesigned 7 seat Grand C4 Picasso ushers in a new era, incorporating features such high-tech headlamps and 3D-effect LED rear lights. The car carries a 5 star EuroNCAP rating, affirming Citroën’s strong safety record. By harnessing all the efficiency of the new EMP2 platform, it provides the best combination of design, space and access. The wheelbase has been stretched to 2.84 m (the longest in the category) to provide even more versatility, with a third row of removable seats allowing comfortable transport for 7. Its cabin room delivers segment-leading spaciousness and easy onboard access through optimized door openings.
The new Grand C4 Picasso is powered by a turbo high pressure engine. The result is a ground-breaking balance of performance and fuel consumption, with maximum power of 155 HP and average fuel consumption of 6.7 liters per 1,000 kilometers.
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Its loft inspired interior presents an airy uncluttered ambience underlined by the standard-fit panoramic windscreen and large glass roof that bathes the cabin in natural light. Inspiration can also be found in the quality of the cabin materials and the painstaking attention to detail.
First class travel is always assured thanks to Citroёn’s exclusive Lounge Pack, featuring front massaging seats and “relax” headrests for optimum neck support. Best in class comfort extends to second row passengers as well, who can watch their favorite movies in the two screens fitted into the front seat backs. The new Citroën brings you technologies for well-being such as a full touch driving interface, high-definition 12-inch panoramic screen as well as innovations for peace of mind at the wheel, such as park assist, cruise control, active safety seatbelts and optimized suspension. Tested over 3.5 million kilometers under the most extreme conditions, the new Citroën Grand C4 Picasso is now available in Egypt through Ezz Elarab Automotive Group, Citroën’s sole agent in Egypt.
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