Carmel Harrison Invites Us To Tour Her Spiritual Second Home
Carmel Harrison brings an elegant and nomadic spirit into the serene, story-filled interiors of her Palm Jumeirah home
There is an immediate, grounding warmth when you enter Carmel Harrison’s home. It’s in the way sunlight kisses polished concrete floors, how green marble glows against hand-hewn wood, and in the quiet, soulful presence of books and keepsakes from faraway places. As founder and creative force behind the resort wear label Second Summer, Carmel has mastered the art of storytelling – not just in fashion, but in the very spaces she inhabits.
Much like her brand, her home is an homage to the places that have shaped her. Chief among them is Ibiza, the Balearic island she calls her “spiritual second home”, and the muse behind Second Summer. “If I can’t live there yet,” she says, “I’ll bring the island to me.” That meant designing a space rooted in contrast and calm – bohemian yet refined, earthy yet elevated. The result is a home that doesn’t just reflect her aesthetic, but also embodies her worldview: soulful, sun-warmed and deeply personal.
Carmel launched Second Summer as a counter to the fast-paced, trend-chasing fashion industry. Her collections are imbued with a sense of ease and effortlessness, inspired by years of travels to Ibiza, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the Maldives. “Every capsule is built with intention,” she says. “They’re meant to layer, evolve and live with you – not be replaced.”
This philosophy of considered longevity carries over seamlessly into the design of her home. The house, which she shares with her husband and two daughters in Dubai, is not the product of an interior designer’s vision but a deeply personal, hands-on project. “From the statement mirror wall to the light switches, we chose everything ourselves,” she explains. Even the home’s focal point – lush slabs of green marble – was selected years before the property was purchased, after a single image saved to Pinterest lingered in her imagination. “I never let go of the vision.”
Texture and tactility reign. Heavy woods, solid travertine and smooth green stone give weight and presence to the space. Cream walls offer a neutral canvas for light and shadow to play, while vintage mirrors and copper accents add softness and reflection. “I grew up watching my dad work with raw materials – cutting stone, shaping timber – and that honesty in design stayed with me,” Carmel says. “For me, natural materials carry more than aesthetics – they carry soul.”
Furniture, too, follows the rhythm of the family’s life. Most of it is bespoke, designed by Carmel and her husband and crafted to echo their daily rituals. There’s a sense of quiet craftsmanship in every corner: built-in wardrobes, custom shelving and sculptural tables carved with simplicity and function in mind. Yet the home never feels curated – it feels lived in. Personal artefacts are everywhere: linen placemats from her great-grandmother, Beatrix Potter ornaments passed down by her grandmother and trinkets from beach markets and flea stalls collected across continents.
“I’ve always been drawn to things with history,” she reflects. “Pieces you can’t find in a store. They carry memory, which makes them feel alive.” Books on design, poetry and photography line the shelves and coffee tables, serving as both inspiration and atmosphere. “I collect them obsessively. They’re part of the way I think, and create. They bring texture to the space in a different way.”
Tableware from Dinosaur Designs and Rebecca Udall add artful elegance, while Montroi’s home fragrances infuse each room with an evocative, nomadic energy. Textural grounding comes via Jaipur Rugs, while ceramics by Nicola Gillis lend sculptural softness to the shelves and sideboards. Cushions from Maison Sarah Lavoine punctuate the home with subtle hits of colour and Parisian charm.
It’s no surprise, then, that the house doesn’t conform to one design dogma. Carmel’s style is fluid, much like her collections. “I wouldn’t call it minimalist or wabi-sabi,” she muses. “It’s more intuitive. I love the tension between glossy and rugged, bold and neutral. It’s not about rules – it’s about what feels right.” This instinctive layering creates a home that feels both curated and completely natural, where every surface invites touch and every object tells a story.
The synergy between her creative practice and her interior world is unmistakable. As Second Summer has evolved, so too has Carmel’s approach to space. “I’ve become more intentional,” she says. “I’ve learned how much design can shape how we feel – how energy, texture and atmosphere impact the everyday.” That sensitivity to space informs both her collections and her home. “They’ve grown together. My house is a reflection of where I’ve been and what I hope to carry forward.”
For Carmel, beauty is never just aesthetic – it’s emotional. Whether through a dress that remembers a summer romance or a mirror that has followed her across countries and decades, she surrounds herself with objects that mean something. “People often think a home has to be perfect to be beautiful,” she says. “But real beauty is in the story. In the layers. In the soul.”
And if there’s one thing both her brand and her home make clear, it’s this: Carmel Harrison doesn’t just design for a lifestyle – she lives it. With an editorial sensibility shaped by years in fashion and a traveller’s heart guided by instinct, she has created a home that is not merely designed, but deeply felt. It’s not Ibiza. But in its quiet textures and sunlit corners, it comes remarkably close.
Photography by Efraim Evidor, Styling by Imogene Legrand
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Interiors Summer 2025 Issue.