5 minute read
Inspired Living
Roaring success
Dubai-based interior designer Pallavi Dean talks design philosophy and fashion fads
Advertisement
An architecture graduate of the American University of Sharjah with a masters degree in Interior Design Theory from Savannah College of Art and Design, Pallavi Dean has emerged as one of the most influential figures in the UAE design community.
A winner of the Middle East Young Interior Designer of the Year award in 2010 and having previously worked as an associate in the interior design department of Godwin Austen Johnson, one of the Middle East’s leading architecture practices, Dean went on to open her own business in 2013.
Originally named Pallavi Dean Interiors, the company rebranded as Roar in September 2018 and has now completed close to 120 projects in eight countries and won 21 awards. LuxLife met with Dean to discover more about her passion for design and where she finds inspiration.
When did your passion for interior design begin?
“Born in India, but raised in Dubai, I grew up in the city in the 1980s and 1990s, just as it was embracing design and was about to make a splash on the world stage. Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Burj Al Arab Jumeirah used architecture as a marketing tool and this got Dubai on the front cover of magazines. But there was something so fascinating about it. The fast pace of Dubai’s development throughout my youth drew me in and propelled me to study architecture at the American University of Sharjah.
“After practising in the UAE for two years, I decided to go back to school. After a summer semester studying set design at Central Saint Martins in London, I developed an interest in smaller-scale structures, particularly spatial installations. Interiors for me was a happy middle ground between the two: architecture on a macro scale and installations on a micro scale.”
Can you describe your first design project?
“A mouse trap-style marble obstacle course I created in my first year at architecture school.”
What was the inspiration behind your company name changing from Pallavi Dean Interiors to Roar?
“We work in such a collaborative way that having one name above the door just didn’t feel right and we wanted something with emotion and identity. We worked with a bunch of coaches who were very useful in helping us understand the DNA of the firm: things like personality, agility and unrelenting energy kept cropping up. Roar captures them perfectly. The name Roar sends a powerful message about the DNA of the firm: our energy, our strength, our personality. We considered so many options, but kept coming back to Roar. It just felt right, felt authentic, felt like us.”
What would you say is the key to success in the world of interior design?
“Collaboration with like-minded people and having a very clear business goal. Yes, the senior team – that’s myself, Kathryn Athreya, Managing Director, and Agata Kurzela, Design Director, we all have our own unique design styles and preferences, but as a firm, we share a common design philosophy. For us, it’s not about trends, fashions or fads. We all believe that at the core of design it’s all about the human experience.
“Our work aims to give people an amazing experience in the spaces we design. The staff in an office, the family at home, the children in school, the guests in a restaurant; we wake up and go to work for them. Secondly, we have a very clear business goal: to attract world-class opportunities. Hands down, the areas where you make the biggest difference in a design firm are people and culture. It’s about how you foster that. We like to think we’re changing what it means to be an interior design firm. A better culture, a better philosophy, a better way of working.
“For example, we’ve scrapped fixed hours for designers and found that the benefits to us – and our clients – are huge. It’s a big factor in attracting and retaining talent. But, most importantly, creative people do their best work when you set them free.”
Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
“Is it predictable as a designer to say that inspiration comes from everywhere? Perhaps then, travel. I am naturally a curious mind and love exploring. As a designer, I think it’s essential to keep on that journey of discovery, to invest time in learning, experiencing new ways of living, working and playing – to keep things fresh and continue to innovate.”
What is the most frustrating part of your job as a designer? And what is the most rewarding?
“Kengo Kuma said an architect is never satisfied – that’s what drives us forward to create a body of work. But it can equally be a source of great frustration. At our studio, we are constantly seeking opportunities to do our best work and the most rewarding day is when, I hope, I can look back and be content not with the volume, but the quality of design we’ve produced.”
What is your ultimate design project?
“That’s a tricky question to answer since there’s so much out there I’d like to get my hands on. I guess, one prospect that excites me is taking Roar overseas. Partly that means getting on a plane as India and Africa are definitely calling. In fact, there’s a collaboration with an international lighting manufacturer on the horizon. But it also means getting in a car. We’re already strong
in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and we’ve done a bit of work in Ras Al Khaimah, but Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah are still largely uncharted territory.
“What is really taking shape is our ‘ultimate design research project’. We are collaborating with psychologist Briar Jacques, who works at the Lighthouse Centre for Wellbeing in Dubai, on a piece of detailed research into workplace usage and design in the Middle East. It’s all under wraps at the moment, but we’ll hopefully be sharing findings soon. So keep your eyes peeled as exciting surprises lie ahead.”
