Home Integrator
SHAPING SPACES FOR THE WAY WE LIVE TODAY
Exclusive Interview with Carla Klumpenaar, General Manager of Marketing, Communications and Interior Design for IKEA across the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Oman
How does this next phase support the evolution of modern homes, especially in terms of integrated living?
In today’s homes, spaces are no longer confined to one function. They flow into each other and adapt to the needs of the moment. With the launch of ‘Here to be Part of your Story’, this next phase for IKEA builds on that reality, empowering customers to create environments where hosting, working, cooking, playing and relaxing happen seamlessly. Through our seasonal collections, modular solutions and the “Globally Local” initiative, integrated living is at the heart of our design. We want every corner of the home to feel connected to people’s lifestyle, culture and values. Modern living is dynamic and personal, and our role is to make that flexibility possible, beautiful and within reach for the many.
IKEA is showcasing new kitchen innovations this year. How is IKEA preparing kitchens for smarter, more connected living?
While the kitchen is seen as a cooking space, it is also a hub where design, efficiency and human connection meet. Our innovations this year focus on solutions that support sustainability, organisation and function while adapting to daily routines.

Our METOD kitchen system, paired with MAXIMERA drawers, offers a modular design that customers can customise and rearrange to suit their lifestyle. It features smooth‑close drawers, long‑lasting materials and flexible storage that can evolve over time. For a straightforward start, our KNOXHULT series provides a ready‑to‑assemble, pre‑configured kitchen that is ideal for first homes or smaller spaces where installation needs to be simple and fast.
Durable cookware and efficient taps and appliances deliver quality and performance across a variety of cooking styles. Planning tools such as Online Service Booking simplify the journey and give customers confidence by letting them explore solutions digitally and in store, preparing their kitchens to keep pace with the rhythms of modern life.
With the “Here to be part of your story” campaign, how does IKEA see technology contributing to more personal, story-driven homes?
Technology is most powerful when it enhances everyday life rather than overwhelming it. “Here to be part of your story” is about being present where life happens, in shared meals, cultural traditions and routines that define who we are. Technology becomes an enabler in this process, helping customers visualise their ideas, plan their spaces and personalise solutions to reflect their tastes and heritage. Integrated tools such as virtual consultations and interactive planning make the design journey intuitive and inspiring, bridging the gap between vision and reality so people can shape homes that truly feel their own.
IKEA’s new kitchen planning tools use online and in-store interactive experiences. How does this improve customer readiness for integrated solutions?
Planning a kitchen that blends cooking, dining and living is both exciting and complex. Our online booking service gives customers a clear step‑by‑step path, while in‑store workshops allow them to explore products, layouts and styles they can see and touch. This combination provides the confidence to make informed decisions, ensuring the finished kitchen works for their space and lifestyle. By pairing digital convenience with hands‑on experience, we prepare customers to embrace an integrated solution that feels natural from the very first step.
Home Integrator
CELEBRATE UAE NATIONAL DAY IN STYLE WITH NATUZZI ITALIA’S ICONIC ITALIAN DESIGNS
In celebration of the UAE’s 53rd National Day, Natuzzi Italia invites design enthusiasts and discerning shoppers to transform their homes with exceptional Italian craftsmanship. This special occasion offers the perfect opportunity to explore a curated selection of iconic pieces that combine timeless elegance with modern sophistication, adding a touch of luxury to any interior.
Oblo Sofa: A Welcoming Embrace, Useful Modularity
The Oblò sofa, designed by the esteemed Maurizio Manzoni, embodies the warm embrace of a welcoming home. Its sleek silhouette is accentuated by a metal structure that not only adds elegance but also provides an airy, streamlined look. Oblò’s modular system allows for various configurations, making it a versatile choice for any living space. Each unit can be used as a standalone piece, ensuring that your home remains as adaptable as it is beautiful.
The Urchin vase by Marcel Wanders

A stunning Italian handcrafted ceramic piece that encapsulates the serene beauty of the Mediterranean. Its matte white finish and unique three-dimensional patterning, reminiscent of a sea urchin, create a captivating visual and tactile experience. This vase transcends mere decoration, bringing a touch of refined, organic elegance to any interior.
Botanic armchair

Botanic is a beautifully crafted fabric armchair designed as a stylish, inviting retreat for any interior. Inspired by 1950s aesthetics, it blends retro charm with contemporary flair, featuring an open base and sleek metal legs that echo modern design trends. With its soft, enveloping silhouette, Botanic instantly creates a warm sense of comfort and hospitality.
FROST Central Coffee Table

The FROST Central Coffee Table captivates with its expansive oval glass top floating above sculpted marble forms. Its bold geometric base—crafted from a combination of a vertical slab and a cylindrical marble column—creates a harmonious balance between transparency and stone, making it a standout centrepiece for living spaces.
Completing the duo, the FROST Accent Table showcases the same refined design language on a more compact scale. Its round glass top rests on a minimalist structure pairing a vertical marble plane with a cylindrical side element. The result is an elegant side table that brings sculptural sophistication to any seating area, bedroom, or reading nook.
Trullini Blue

Trullini Aromatic Candle, a decoration item with both aesthetic and functional value. It is a handmade product that contain scented candle with extract of natural oils.

The Pumo, a cherished symbol of luck in Apulian tradition, derives its name from the Latin word pumum, meaning pinecone. Representing new life and growth, the Pumo offers a meaningful and artistic touch to your home.
the Natuzzi Olive Tree
Inspired by the sunlit landscapes of Southern Italy, the Natuzzi Olive Tree brings a sculptural, lifelike touch of Mediterranean serenity to any space. More than décor, it symbolizes resilience, harmony, and the brand’s deep connection to nature.
the Seti Rug
the Seti Rug—handmade with refined textures, warm tones, and modern patterns that echo the region’s earthy palette. the Seti Rug grounds any interior with softness and contemporary style.
Home Integrator
WHERE GIFTS LIVE ON: CHATTELS & MORE’S FESTIVE TWIST ON GIFTING
Chattels & More, the UAE’s popular furniture and home décor label, welcomes the festive season with its enchanting gift guide – Gifts That Live On. Known for its quirky charm and exquisite craftsmanship, Chattels & More brings together a selection of standout festive finds. Each piece blends imagination with elegance, offering décor accents and statement furnishings that add warmth, whimsy, and lasting delight longer after the holidays.
Created to complement the diverse personalities and living spaces, the guide elevates festive gifting into an art of intention and style. Whether choosing for a design devotee, a gracious host, or someone who loves a touch of the unexpected, Chattels & More ensures every piece feels meaningful, memorable, and enduring.



Home Integrator
SOBHA FURNITURE UNVEILS ‘THE GALLERY’ — ITS FIRST FLAGSHIP SHOWROOM AT THE S IN DUBAIA SPACE TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE, AND CO-CREATE.
Building on its debut at Dubai Design Week, where Sobha Furniture introduced a new benchmark for precision, design clarity, and manufacturing excellence, the brand today reveals its next chapter with the launch of The Gallery, its first flagship showroom located at The S, on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Conceived as an experience design environment, The Gallery redefines the concept of a showroom. It is not a retail destination nor a staged display of lifestyle settings; rather, it is a creator’s space built specifically for architects, interior designers, developers, and project partners. The Gallery invites them into an environment where ideas can be explored in depth, materials can be experienced firsthand, and concepts can be shaped collaboratively from the earliest stages of design.
A New Kind of Space for a New Kind of Industry Approach
The Gallery departs from traditional furniture showrooms in the UAE, which are largely consumer-oriented, and instead establishes a distinctly B2B-focused platform. The space reveals Sobha Furniture’s capabilities through environments that can shift, adapt, and respond to different project needs. Its unique layout, featuring illuminated box mock-ups, purpose-built configurations, and a range of modules representing various project typologies, demonstrates the brand’s ability to support vastly different design and functional requirements.
Each area within The Gallery serves a specific purpose. The mock-up zones replicate real project conditions; material and finish libraries enable in-depth exploration; and dedicated working areas provide a space for discussing concepts, technical details, and project development. This approach positions The Gallery as a place where dialogue naturally unfolds, where professionals feel at home, and where collaboration fuels creativity.

A Home for the Region’s Creators
“It feels like a return to where it all began,” said Mr. PNC Menon, Founder of Sobha Group, during the opening ceremony.
“My journey began with crafting complete interior environments, where furniture was always central to the story. With Sobha Furniture, that passion for detail finds new expression, one that merges artisanal roots with modern precision and scale. The Gallery represents this philosophy: a space where heritage and innovation coexist, and where our meticulous approach is shaped for the world.”
This vision is reflected in every part of The Gallery. Rather than presenting furniture as isolated pieces, Sobha Furniture showcases fully realized, functional spaces that express proportion, material richness, and intentional detailing. The environment welcomes visitors into the heart of the brand’s design language, where materials narrate the story, proportions guide performance, and hospitality elevates the overall experience.

A Platform for Collaboration from Concept to Completion
“The Gallery is where concepts come to life,” said Anuj Jain, CEO of Sobha Furniture. “It is a collaborative playground where architects, interior designers, developers, and project partners can sit with our teams, explore possibilities, experiment with materials, and transform concepts into executed realities. We are here to co-create with them. This is not a showroom; this is where projects begin.”
The Gallery demonstrates Sobha Furniture’s readiness for partnership, from early conceptual stages to technical development, prototypes, and final delivery. It signals to the market that the brand is not positioning itself as a catalogue or product vendor, but as a creative and technical collaborator capable of supporting complex, large-scale, design-led projects.
Built in the UAE, Engineered for the World
Sobha Furniture continues to expand its presence as one of the UAE’s most advanced furniture manufacturing ecosystems. Leveraging European engineering principles, Industry 4.0 automation, and fully integrated production capabilities, the brand has already delivered across 20 Sobha Realty developments and is currently executing 17 major projects across the region. Every product undergoes a rigorous seven-stage QA/QC process designed to guarantee precision, repeatability, and reliability.
The upcoming 53,000 sqm flagship factory at Dubai Industrial City will be one of the region’s largest and most advanced manufacturing hubs, and the only facility of its kind to house the full spectrum of furniture production processes under one roof. With its launch, Sobha Furniture’s total manufacturing footprint will reach 73,000 sqm, enabling exceptional scalability, faster project timelines, and seamless category expansion.
Shaping the Region’s Design Future
As interest continues to grow from real estate developers, hospitality operators, and government institutions, Sobha Furniture is preparing to broaden its portfolio and extend its regional footprint. The Gallery signifies the brand’s commitment to shaping the future of design and manufacturing in the UAE, elevating what the region can achieve with its own talent, technology, and production power.
“Our mission is clear,” Jain added. “To set the foundation of a new standard defined by precision, design, and reliability. Through The Gallery, we want to inspire our partners, support their creative ambitions, and collaborate on exceptional work that represents the finest of what the UAE is capable of.”
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