The Bold & The Beautiful: Emily Baxter-Priest Introduces The Spring 2025 Issue Of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Interiors
From the 18th edition of Art Dubai, to the launch of Maison Revka, let Bazaar Arabia take you on a tour of this season’s latest interiors news, trends and industry-insider inspirations
The onset of Spring brings with it such a palpable feeling of hope, as new life springs eternal in the form of flowers in bloom, brighter colour palettes, and new season collections, each offering a fresh new take on what the ensuing year beckons in. A boldness and intrepidity stitched through fresh new visions of design’s infinite potential.
That sense of colour and confidence is felt in every inch of Maison Revka – a bold new restaurant and beach club in which Slavic style commingles with Parisian flair. It’s an exuberant example of maximalism with a refined eye, with interiors that, whilst astutely-crafted, don’t take themselves too seriously. Hints of playfulness make the space both eclectic and inviting, offering a different take on Dubai’s beach club scene. The call for spirited design with an eye for detail spills over into the home of Samantha Francis Baker, with its colourful and contagious optimism. But it’s the bespoke ceiling mural in her daughter’s bedroom that has proven the most engaging conversation starter.
The walls of Hershey Gargash’s Al Khawaneej home have also benefited from a well-trained eye, with artworks spanning from Omani coastlines and Vietnamese tribal women, to wildlife and fertility statues all curated from her love of storytelling and travel. With a house centred around Tibetan Feng Shui, each artwork and piece has its rightful place around the home, as if a storyboard connecting the dots of her life.
As we usher in the 18th edition of Art Dubai from 18-20 April, we look at how art not only plays a vital role in making one’s house a home, but beyond that, how it enables different facets of one’s personality to play out in visual form. A silent conversation that shifts perspective dependent on the space, the observer, the moment in time. Ensuring that one’s art collection is an extended representation of themselves, popular online art platform Drawdeck has launched its bespoke commissioning arm, Drawdeck+, which allows art enthusiasts to work closely with creative communities and local artists to commission one-of-one pieces for their homes, putting a fresh spin on custom-made yet affordable art.
Cultivating a look that is all your own through art, interior design or décor may be nothing new, but as with much in the creative world, there are trends that guide the way. It’s something architect Aparna Kaushik knows well, and in this issue she outlines the design trends her HNW Middle Eastern clients are tapping into, such as the shift towards acquiring parcels of land on which to create resort-style living environments and incorporating ultra-luxury wellbeing experiences into the home sphere.
Whatever your North Star may be when it comes to creating your home, I hope this issue – and the new season ahead – serves as a visual moodboard, rich in colour, creativity and opportunity
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Interiors’ Spring 2025 issue.