Home beautifying is one of the more positive offshoots of spending so much extra time indoors during the pandemic. However, whether you have no budget or a tight one, it can become tricky to identify which interior accessories to splash your hard-earned dirhams on. Here are our top pieces that are so similar, you will be hard-pressed to tell them apart, except from the price you pay.
Shell vases
A shell vase has been an Instagram staple for some time now: filled with pampas grass or a dried arrangement, it has featured on many a social media account – and looks fantastic to boot. Savers and spenders alike can pick one up, either Jysk’s white version (Dh25) or HKliving’s gorgeous terracotta-toned one (Dh150).
Brown rug
The colours, textures and imagery from Ferm Living’s new collection are swoon-worthy, and one of the standout pieces is its brown shag Meadows rug, ideal for bringing that 1970s vibe back. If your budget cannot stretch to accommodate its Dh4,500 price tag, Ikea has its own style that is just as plush at a fraction of the cost, at Dh175. Ideal if you like to swap out your trends season on season or have rambunctious children.
Rattan cabinets
Sometimes referred to as cane or wicker, the rattan trend has been seen season after season and adds a touch of textural charm to your home. Having a statement cabinet as a sideboard in your dining space, or as storage in your hall or beside a cupboard can spruce up any space. When other elements are kept clean and simple, rattan can stand out and be modern. Not just reserved for boho looks anymore, rattan is being added to minimalist and mod-con spaces for finesse as well as functionality. Invest in the Nordal cabinet from Amara (Dh4,010) or shop local with the Sofia rattan cabinet from The Attic in Dubai (Dh1,450), to add oomph to an otherwise simple space.
Statement lights
A statement light fitting can dramatically change a room, adding focus and detail to a plain canvas. Over a dining table, it can add drama, while in a bedroom it offers clean lines to the soft furnishings. The two picked out here are great for the minimalists out there who like a structured, geometric light fitting. The eye-catching H&M pendants (Dh399) provide a wide light source for any space, and we recommend using these as multiples over a large dining table at different heights to add some artistic flair. The Vertigo light fitting from La Petite Friture (Dh5,720), meanwhile, is all about graphic lines, drama and style while it wraps around you in a style that will never go out of fashion.
Handy storage
Who doesn’t need a storage solution for all the little items that seem to pile up in the house, whether it is for keeping things tidy and in their place, or to add some fun colour to a space? Look to colour-coded crates, whether to sort out the Lego blocks and other myriad toys, or to organise the pantry. Crates are a great addition to keep your home clutter-free and super-organised. If you want to keep things categorised, add a label to the front of each so everyone can see what is stored inside. Both the options listed here are available in a range of shades, are attractive good to display and hide all the essentials. Invest in the classic Hay design from Smallable at Dh130, or keep the price well down with Aykasa crates, for Dh49.
Earthy accessories
Wooden elements are great for adding interest to your home. Placed on a console or in a shelving unit, these statues look fantastic and serve to soften your interiors with their natural look-feel and anchor the room with their organic form. Whatever your style - whether you add an element of midcentury with a more polished approach or layer your shelves with books, vases and this statue to add depth – choose from the petrified wood piece from West Elm (Dh399) for a rugged look or the ones from Home Centre (Dh89) for clean lines and a 1950s appeal.
All international brands mentioned here deliver to the UAE, with shipping and tax costs added at checkout
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Book%20Details
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Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
Company%20profile
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
