Bazaar Interiors visits Shafar’s home and learns how he merges his avant-garde forms with function

Located on Beach Road in Jumeirah, a relaxed residential strip of Dubai where villas decorate sandy beaches along the Arabian coast, is the home of Emirati designer Khalid Shafar. Since the designer opened his studio in 2011 he’s been on a mission to introduce his experimental design objects to the UAE public. Pieces from his collection called The Palm – which include stools, benches, coffee tables and coat stands – all incorporating the distinctive elongated leaves of the tree the designer grew up with in the UAE. “I grew up surrounded by palm trees in my country,” he says. “I was always questioning the trunk that holds the palms. The whole collection was born around this multi-function trunk where you can hang different items.”

Shafar in his Jumeirah home in Dubai

The designer’s home mixes his avant-garde design objects with a modern and sleek aesthetic. “All my designs have a story,” says Shafar. “Sometimes they are from my background or childhood memories – they tell a story from the past, especially my country.” Design and function marry in Shafar’s home just as they do in his designs. “As a functional designer, function is always core for any design,” he says. “We usually design to function. Whenever there is a way to improve life and to improve the way we make things – design comes into life.” Yet the designer stresses the importance of aesthetics and how one must strike a balance between form and function.

A view of the exquisite interiors of Shafar’s dining room

At home, Shafar merges visually striking materials with LG SIGNATURE appliances. “As locals, as Emiratis, we have evolved with our lifestyle, style and home interiors and LG is striking that kind of balance by providing us with the latest technology – adding to our taste and style by becoming part of our designs,” he says. Technology, stresses Shafar, enhances design at all stages of the creative process. In his Jumeirah villa Shafar has artfully combined LG SIGNATURE products to suit his own lifestyle and preferred aesthetic. “They integrate well with my own style,” he says of the appliances, found in each room. “For Middle Eastern culture home is a place where family and friends gather; it’s a place with constant interaction from different people.” 

Shafar in his Jumeirah home

In Dubai, a metropolitan city with various tastes and styles, the emergence of different forms of art and design is key. “Here we need to cater to a variety of aesthetic styles,” says the designer. Like his avant-garde design, appreciated the world-over, Shafar’s home brings together in unison artful interiors with the forefront of technology. A beautiful synergy is born.

Shafar in his Jumeirah home

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