A friend of mine confessed this week that if he had a choice he'd love to live in a completely white house, devoid of clutter, with minimal furnishings - only a bed and a chair. He was perfectly serious. While I can often relate to such simplicity, I know that it would inevitably get to me. You see, I spent time in hospital convalescing from a tropical disease about a decade ago and know that eventually the bare walls upset me more than the illness.
His world, however, is all about fashion and a white house is probably an antidote to the frills and fabulousness he encounters on a daily basis. I, on the other hand, require more visual stimulation, with the result that my house at times has turned into a revolving art exhibition. I "curate" my eclectic collection of prints, originals, photographs and vintage posters with the same care and attention as the National Portrait Gallery, while my poor walls bear the scars of nails inserted and removed to accommodate another change of plan.
Recently, I have been very tempted to forget the frames and buy into the latest vogue for wall stickers. While they were le dernier cri in Paris about two years ago (ie the avant-garde boutique Colette thrust them upon the world) it's only now that mainstream decorators and stores are catching up. Everyone from IKEA to S*uce stocks artsy vinyl stickers to add character to your walls.
As a budget decorating accessory, they're hard to beat (there aren't many art works you can buy for Dh500), and they can become the focal point in a studio apartment or a funky addition to the kids' playroom in a bigger villa. It depends on the location and also your creativity.
What has stopped me is the fear factor. I was never any good at "sticky-backed plastic" when I was at school - my books all had bubbles in their see-through wrapping - and I acknowledge that I lack the patience to properly test things out with a template first. This is also a good idea for buying furniture, by the way. Measuring, cutting out and then testing where your proposed new furniture should go, templates avoid a wrong buy and have saved many of my more patient friends from making expensive mistakes. However, I digress ?
November sees a fabulous exhibition of wall stickers at the Dubai-based Traffic gallery, which has been organised by the Khatt Foundation and Mosaiques, a collaboration to promote young Middle Eastern artists (www.khtt.net). Called Project Mulsaq, almost 200 artists were asked to design Arabic-inspired wall art. The result is a colourful array of stickers which play on Arabic iconography and calligraphy. While I can't read Arabic, I have been told that the visual puns and wordplay are really good. What I liked most were the ideas of how to incorporate them into your life - from jazzing up a study to wowing your friends in the dining room.
It all reminds me of the late1980s vogue for stencilling. You couldn't enter a home in that era without being reminded of how creative the residents were. Aztec designs, curling vines and geometric patterns were stencilled everywhere. Making our mark on the world has often meant that we literally carve, paint or write on walls (whether legal or otherwise), and since time immemorial it has been man's objective to leave visual impressions.
Decorating trends reflect this. Murals were all the rage in the early 2000s with wallpaper borders a similar idea to break up the monotony of a plain white wall. It lends weight to my theory that we are not genetically programmed to live in de-cluttered and de-coloured spaces, and wall stickers (and multiple picture changes) are just the latest stage in our evolution.
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The%20Specs
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
More on Quran memorisation:
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
ACC%20T20%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Championship
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INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
The%20Boy%20and%20the%20Heron
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The five pillars of Islam
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels