Homegrown Homeware: Three Home Decor Brands That Need To Be On Your Radar
Quirky vanityware, hand-crafted Moroccan gems and intricate pottery are the results of three local brands born out of lockdown living
Eccentré
With the help of a sharp eye, Instagram can be a digital souk for homeware treasures. Something that this talented (but anonymous) Emirati designer had in mind when she debuted her first-of-its-kind vanityware brand, Eccentré on the platform. “Instagram is my go-to whenever I’m looking for something specific,” she explains. “Buying from a seller directly from Instagram makes the experience more one-on-one and, I think, memorable.”
Emerging from the pandemic as a passion project, the designer, who comes from an architecture background, crafted ridged trays (hence the clever name, Eccentré) for those items we never get around to putting back in their place – think keys, jewellery, perfume and make-up. Initially, she made them only for her “designenthusiast friends”, but after applauding the creative brilliance of the quirky piece, her friends encouraged her to create a brand. “I believe a great idea must be shared with the world as an impulse and should not wait for perfect timing,” she says. “We live in a fast-paced world and we are all exposed to the same resources, so ideas might naturally look the same,” adds the 27-year-old.
“Eccentré is for the bold, the klutz, the lazy, the eccentric, and all those in between,” she says. “My design process starts by seeking inspiration from my own personal unconscious behaviour to address my need for simple living. I wanted to craft objects that marry functionality and design that will enable chic – yet effortless – living.”
Cole & Cinder
Like many of us, Nicole Farrelly used her extra time indoors during lockdown to tackle a personal hobby. “My mother-in-law owns a ceramics studio here in Dubai and, to get out of the house, I would go there with her.”
Nicole began working on eggs cups made using what she calls a “coiling technique” that evolved into vases that eventually became the basis of her debut ceramics brand, Cole & Cinder. “They are addictive to make and I love the process of creating each one-of-a kind piece,” says the 27-year-old ceramicist. “The only guide I go off is height and I let my mood and energy take over when it comes to forming their final shape. It’s an interesting process as I can almost see the mindset I was in when I look at each piece. There’s such a beauty in how they form themselves and how the act of repetition can be so therapeutic and so hypnotic to build.”
The brand name is born from business ideas that never came to fruition in the past. “Cinder is the coal dust that’s left at the end of a fire that still has the ability to reignite flames even after it appears to be completely dormant,” explains Nicole. “When I came up with the brand name Cole & Cinder, it was a reflection of my ability to keep on relighting this fire inside of me. The Cole aspect is what my family and friends like to call me.”
With candles next on the agenda, Nicole hopes to keep that fire burning. Available at Oka Ceramics Studio, Al Quoz, Dubai.
Symbiose
Moroccan-born Siham Ghaibi vividly remembers growing up around gorgeous hammams with zellij mosaics, and gardens filled with poufs and pottery. It was here in Morocco where she worked closely with her father who taught her all she needed to know about the textile business.
After a move to Dubai in 2005, Siham paused her career to become a mum-of-two. Then, last year, the 53-year-old found herself tapping back into her creative passions. “During lockdown I took myself on a virtual journey of all the distinctively beautiful Moroccan homes, and was so drawn by the unique pieces,” she says. “I decided now would be a perfect time to launch a homeware brand as most of us are spending more time at home.”
The name for her business – Symbiose – came from the inspiration she feels when watching artisans at work. “Symbiose is when two different elements come together to give the best of themselves, and we felt like this really presents the energy between the artisan and their craft,” explains Siham, who sourced products for her new store from the many talented craftspeople she met on a trip to Morocco.
The Instagram brand, set to launch an e-comm site shortly, is a treasure trove of hand-painted pottery, woven Berber baskets and leather poufs in rainbow hues. “I’m very much inspired by beautiful craftsmanship, while my daughter who assists me when picking the pieces, is more modern,” she explains. “It results in the perfect mix of traditional craftsmanship with a modern approach.”
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s June 2021 Issue
