1. 6 MAY-JUNE 2015
INSPIRED LIVING
Shalaka Paradkar’s letter to the readers
WELCOME
10
CONTENTS INSPIREDLIVING
MAY-JUNE 2015 / ISSUE 19 / VOL 4
Colour harmony:
Samantha Deane’s
gorgeous home
34
TRUE COLOURS
Art consultant and interior designer Samantha
Deane creates a warm and lively family home.
HOME TOURS
34
LIVING IN THE PAST
Step lightly through this heritage home.42
GILT EDGED GLAM
Light up your home with sparkle and
shine this Ramadan.
22
EVERYDAY ELEGANCE
Family gatherings become special occasions with
these lovely picks. DEMOCRATIC DESIGN
Marcus Engman, design manager at IKEA, on
the future of the home.
28
24
DECOR
DECOR PEOPLE
IN CONVERSATION
Thomas Lundgren goes back to Basics.18

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INSPIRED LIVING
The calligraphy
painting by Ira-
nian artist Salar
Ahmadian echoes
the exuberant
decor

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INSPIRED LIVING
True ColoursStep inside Samantha Dean’s cosy and quietly sophisticated abode.
BY ANGELA BOSHOFF HUNDAL
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KISHORE KUMAR
HOMETOUR

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INSPIRED LIVING
ombining an array of saturated hues, rich textures and
furniture styles from around the world – without losing
out on sophistication and style – is no easy task. Yet that’s
exactly what homeowner Samantha Deane has managed
to pull off in her four-bedroom villa in Al Barsha, Dubai.
“The space is eclectic, homely and relaxed and it per-
fectly reflects who my family is and how we live,” Saman-
tha – who shares her home with her husband Frederik and
her three children, Georgia (9), Markus (7) and Laetitia
(5) – begins. “I wasn’t always as brave with colour, but
that changed when I moved to the Middle East nine years
ago. The sun always shines in Dubai so the light is warm
and bright – perfect for a vibrant home. I find that colour
makes me smile, and also makes a space more cozy and
interesting to look at.”
An interior designer and art consultant by trade, it’s no
surprise to hear that Samantha designed her home her-
self. What is surprising is the mother of three’s revelation
that she worked in finance for eight years before ventur-
ing into design.
“I was born and lived in Argentina until I left to study
lawandeconomicsatDurhamUniversityintheUK,where
I lived for 16 years,” she reveals. “In London I worked for
Merrill Lynch Bank as a broker for eight years before mak-
ing the decision to study at the KLC School of Design, af-
ter which I worked for renowned European interior design
companySibylColefaxandJohnFowler(Colefax&Fowler)
for five years.”
Samantha’s time spent at one of the world’s most pres-
tigious design firms is evident when strolling through her
home. Every room in the house – a rental that the family
has lived in for four years – has been painstakingly craft-
ed, with Samantha taking every little detail into account,
from the spacing between individual pieces of furniture
to the artwork hanging on the walls.
“I tried to decorate each area as ergonomically as
possible so that the whole family could fully enjoy each
space,” she explains. “I work in my bedroom, the family
eats together in the dining room, and the living room is
where we converge when guests arrive.”
As to what her favourite space is, Samantha says it’s a
tie between the living room and the outdoor dining and
entertaining areas.
“The living room features large windows that look out
onto the pool and garden and flood the space with natu-
ral light throughout the day,” she says. “There’s also this
wonderful feeling of space because the room opens on to
the dining area. With my Argentinian background, barbe-
cues with lots of meat are a must, so we often entertain
family friends outdoors, which is why our outdoor din-
ing and entertaining areas are favourites too. We couldn’t
convince the landlord to put up a wooden pergola, so we
decided to set up a couple of canvas tents under which we
can sit and eat. I’ve always liked sitting under some kind
of a roof when I’m outside; it’s much cosier and you can
C

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INSPIRED LIVING
HOMETOUR
Spaces are cosy yet function-
al to suit the family’s needs
and lifestyle.

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INSPIRED LIVING
hang beautiful lights from the ceiling, like I did in the
seating area using several pierced metal lanterns picked
up at Souk Madinat many years ago.”
Samantha says that she loves metal outdoor furniture
as it does not deteriorate as quickly as wooden furniture.
“I also love the feel of marble, which is why I chose a mar-
ble-topped outdoor dining table.”
Samantha’s work as an art consultant means she gets
to fill her personal space with gorgeous paintings. “I have
a rule that I only buy art that I fall in love with. One of
my favourite pieces is the brightly coloured calligraphy
painting above the living room sofa. It’s by Iranian artist
Salar Ahmadian, whom I represent in the UAE. I also have
pieces by Lili Derakhshani, Amir Ershadi, Paul Wads-
worth and Rianne Smit.” The Rianne Smit piece was given
to her as a gift, she reveals.
“Rianne Smit is a Dutch artist whose style I love,”
Samantha explains. “My Dutch friends got together to
contribute towards a painting – that features my eldest
daughter Georgia when she was five years old - done by
Smit for my 40th birthday. It was such a great present.”
Aside from her enviable artwork collection, Saman-
tha’s love of ethnic rugs, fabrics and cosy lighting is ap-
parent in almost every room.
“I have many lamps scattered throughout my home
as they offer a sort of warm, diffused glow that I adore,”
Her home perfectly reflects her family, says Samantha:
eclectic, relaxed and homely.
Calmer hues
prevail in the
guest bedroom.

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HOMETOUR
The outdoor
dining and en-
tertaining area
is Samantha’s
favourite part
of the house
Samantha loves
outdoor tents for
the lighting design
opportunities they
create

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INSPIRED LIVING
she says. “Almost all of my rugs are Iranian, bought on
my travels to Shiraz and Esfahan. The long rug with the
bright squares under the wooden table was purchased in
Esfahan a couple of years ago; I love its vivid colours. I also
have an Indian dhurrie rug that I bought from my friend
Osca Blom at Sofa Studio, which has now closed down,
sadly. I think it’s really fun and pulls the room together
nicely.” Unsurprisingly, finding a rug she can’t put on the
floor doesn’t stop Samantha from using it elsewhere. “The
stripey red chairs in the entrance are covered with an
Iranian kilim that was too damaged to use on the floor,”
she says. “I loved the texture though so I just had to use it
somewhere.”
Not every space in the house is bursting with colour,
however, with the master bedroom boasting paler green
hues. “I kept this space pale as I like to sleep and work in a
calm atmosphere,” Samantha says. “It’s all about balance
and finding what works best in each individual space.”
Kilim rugs, too
worn for the
floors, ended
up on the
chairs by the
entrance
The master
bedroom in pale
green tones was
designed to be a
sanctuary