Kelly Hoppen is on a mission – to change people's perception of the Middle East. “I think many still get it wrong,” she tells me.
The South African-British interior designer is in Dubai for a few days to speak at the Women in Leadership talk as part of Downtown Design. She also has a gruelling schedule of meetings with various developers, yet is still full of energy.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Hoppen has a widely influential style, something that is not lost on her as we meet in a gleaming Downtown Dubai hotel decked out with chic objets d'art and the cool tones that she helped make popular. Her style has been copied many times; if your home or Pinterest board is filled with calming neutrals mixed with singular, exotic pieces, you probably have her to thank.
A project at Lanai Island villas at the soon-to-open Tilal Al Ghaf development in Dubai brought Hoppen back to the region two years ago. Having not visited for a few years, she was struck then by how much the city had evolved in her absence. “I didn't know what to expect, but I remember coming back to the studio [in London] and I was buzzing. I said: 'It's so different, it's got an energy that I hadn't expected.'”
The Tilal Al Ghaf project offered something different, too. Asked to create the interiors for the high-end villas being built on the man-made islands in the heart of the new community, Hoppen was impressed with the philosophy behind the project.
“It was more forward-thinking, about sustainability, about creating smaller, not always larger, about experiences. It was about all of those things that I'm so passionate about and have worked with all over the world. So I went back [to England] and was bouncing off the walls, telling everyone about it.”
For the project by Majid Al Futtaim, Hoppen was invited to infuse the villas with her signature aesthetic. The result is an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere, where chic meets comfort. Picture swirled marble in grey and gold on walls, countertops and grand dining tables, paired with textured furniture and rugs in soothing shades of oatmeal, buttermilk and cloud grey.
Natural wood accents feature in room screens and wall cladding, while pale oak flooring softens the abundant light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. Roomy sofas are given an edge with leopard-print cushions. Points of interest arrive as pops of colour, including cushions in terracotta, a chaise-longue in forest green velvet and low-slung chairs in sunny primrose yellow.
“The light plays a huge part,” explains Hoppen. “I used a bit more colour than normal, but it works very well – the light here is very intense.”
Every country has its own DNA, and I love to tap into that
Kelly Hoppen,
interior designer
Rather than working to a set brief, she explains how the interiors arose from a working relationship built on trust. “They really did give us a free hand to design what we wanted. I got it the minute I came here and I walked around. That was amazing for me to see that for the first time. It's a sort of oasis.”
Her studio is already working on other projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and beyond. “We are working on a couple of projects with Emaar in Abu Dhabi and, slowly but surely, are now working on quite a lot of projects here, and also in Riyadh.”
Things are going so well, she says she might consider opening an outpost of her design studio in the region. “We will still do all of the design out of the UK, but we want to have feet on the ground here because it's very fast. ”
The long-term aim would be to create a studio to train the next generation of regional talent. “I want to open a studio where we could gather designers in this country, to really teach them what I've known and learnt. To have great foundations and designers here, under the umbrella of Kelly Hoppen Interiors, rather than all of the great companies in Dubai who are constantly taking designers from other countries.
“I think the opportunities here for craftsmanship, using local people to create things – it's just interesting,” she adds.
Yet another ongoing regional collaboration is with Marina Home, the local distributor for Kelly Hoppen Interiors homeware. “I met the Marina Home team in Paris,” she says. “I was showing my furniture collection at [trade fair] Maison&Objet Paris, and they came and bought it and sold it in the Middle East.
“When I came up with this new collection a few years ago, they asked: 'Who do you want to partner with?', and I said Marina Home. They're fantastic. I'm a bit old-fashioned like that. I'm very loyal to the people I've worked with.”
It is not an exaggeration to credit Hoppen with helping kick-start the East-meets-West interior trend in the UK. Her sublime taste has inspired interiors all over the world, including creating a tea room in China and a fluted bathtub she calls the “cupcake”. Always curious to learn more, Hoppen has a deft way of mixing things together that feels light, spontaneous and beautifully simple, while remaining chic and sophisticated.
“Every country has its own DNA, and I love to tap into that and understand what it is that makes a country so special,” she says. “I think good design is about walking into a space and not quite understanding what it is that you love. But it is the combination of cultures. Dubai is such a diverse country with so many nationalities that I think people want to love the city for what it is, but they also want individuality in terms of design.”
After 45 years in the design world, Hoppen is still hungry for the next challenge. “I have a dream of what I want to do here. I would love to be involved in what I call a boutique hotel. I want to manifest it. And I'm not talking like 20 rooms. It could be 50, even 150 rooms, but bring that essence of a Paris, Milan, Barcelona, London, New York kind of vibe to a hotel here. That is what I'd really love to do.”
It's apparent that she is not only at the top of her game, but also still feeling inspired. “It's what challenges me and makes me still bounce out of bed and want to do this. So it's not just coming here and meeting people and doing a job, it's thinking how can we really push the boundaries to do something special?”
Hoppen understands the shift in how people want to live in a post-pandemic world. “Thirty years ago, if you said to me: 'Would you ever live in a place that had lots of villas?', I'd say: 'No, I don't want to talk to my neighbours.' But the world is changing. So I think what they're doing here with these wonderful places, with pools and beaches, is about family. It's about community. It's about your life for the next 20 years.”
This transition to community-style living within a city is years ahead of anything on offer in Europe, where people have to flee to the countryside for something similar, she believes.
“When I came here again, I was beautifully surprised how it had changed. It was evolving with the rest of the world, rather than being just high-rises and glitz. There is something special growing here.”
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGrowdash%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJuly%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESean%20Trevaskis%20and%20Enver%20Sorkun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERestaurant%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20Judah%20VC%2C%20TPN%20Investments%20and%20angel%20investors%2C%20including%20former%20Talabat%20chief%20executive%20Abdulhamid%20Alomar%2C%20and%20entrepreneur%20Zeid%20Husban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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Background: Chemical Weapons
T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
The five pillars of Islam
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
Roger Federer's record at Wimbledon
1999 - 1st round
2000 - 1st round
2001 - Quarter-finalist
2002 - 1st round
2003 - Winner
2004 - Winner
2005 - Winner
2006 - Winner
2007 - Winner
2008 - Finalist
2009 - Winner
2010 - Quarter-finalist
2011 - Quarter-finalist
2012 - Winner
2013 - 2nd round
2014 - Finalist
2015 - Finalist
2016 - Semi-finalist
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
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Read more about the coronavirus
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
The%20Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Movie
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If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Greenwood 77')
Everton 1 (Lindelof 36' og)
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
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RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
