Among the many things the coronavirus pandemic changed in Gauri Khan's life was turning the celebrity interior designer into a "ravenous learner".
"It really opened up my curiosity," she tells The National. "While sitting at home, I went through countless digital courses, books and more, and loved every second of it."
Khan, a self-taught designer who's been doing up the homes of Bollywood stars for years, will hope to share some of that knowledge, as well as her own journey in the industry, when her online masterclass launches on Thursday, on the new digital educational platform The Designer's Class.
Fundamentals of Interior Design is meant for designers of all levels and will take students through the foundations of interiors, best practices in the industry and tips on how to elevate spaces using design, guided at every step by Khan.
"Going in, I never wanted the course to be made of abstract information and ideas. It prioritises topical, practical information that will help any designer truly understand the interior design landscape," she says. "Students can look forward to learning about powerful lighting techniques, designing for spaces both commercial and intimate, the interplay of colour, texture and material, and much more."
Khan, 51, the wife of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, says The Designer's Class' mission to make design learning accessible to all and aligned perfectly with her own philosophy.
"I’ve always been an advocate for continuous learning, being self-taught myself, and so when this opportunity presented itself, I had to take it on. The fact that they’ve got such a great pedigree of mentors on board already illustrates how important this cause is to others as well," she says.
Khan's masterclass is one of a growing list of courses by top names in the field, now available on The Designer's Class. The platform already offers workshops hosted by top Indian fashion designers Masaba Gupta, Rhea Kapoor and the duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, among others. More courses are set to be launched in June, including one on make-up by ace artist Mickey Contractor, a photography course by Rohan Shrestha and Joseph Radhik, wedding decor by Devika Narain and a jewellery design course.
Individual courses on the platform start at 2,499 rupees (D118), with bundle courses starting at 15,000 rupees (Dh710).
Samarth Bajaj, founder of The Designer's Class, says Khan didn't need any convincing to sign up as instructor.
"She is actually very passionate about learning herself. She’s constantly working on growing her own knowledge and believes that it’s the key to being successful," he tells The National. "She was very excited about the prospect of teaching and giving back to the design society.
"There is no name more aspirational than Gauri Khan in interior design amongst South Asians across the world. They’ve rarely ever got an opportunity to hear from her and she has a vast amount of experience that actually spans decades. We approached her with the idea of teaching on our platform and were ecstatic when she displayed the same amount of enthusiasm as us."
Bajaj refers to Khan as "our dream interior design faculty member".
"I think it’s an unprecedented opportunity for anyone interested in interior design to learn from her and hear from her," he says. "I also think that hearing from her and learning from her will give people the courage to take a leap of faith in themselves and their dreams."
Khan, who launched Gauri Khan Designs, a "one-stop destination for everything in interiors" in Mumbai in 2017, is also a film producer and distributor, having founded Red Chillies Entertainment with her superstar husband in 2002.
She says her approach to design is constantly evolving, but world events, such as the pandemic, has drastically shifted her perception.
"I’m slowly migrating away from opulent, uber lux designs into a more muted, sophisticated style... dropping sequins for neutrals and crafting spaces that not only appeal to people visually, but evoke a feeling of comfort and safety as well," she says.
Living through the pandemic has also emphasised how important it is for our homes to be seen as consistent spaces for comfort, function and safety, she says.
"Because the home has once again become a refuge, people have become so much more invested in building, beautifying and taking a personal interest in learning about interior design themselves," she says. "Moreover, commercially, I think it taught us how to design with constraints and limited resources in mind, which is a fantastic lesson for all designers to learn."
Sometimes, it's the small changes that make the big difference, Khan points out.
"I believe one of the most important things about designing a space is that it should be inviting, and with more and more people working from home, your home truly needs to act as an escape," she says. "This can be done by simply incorporating more plants, decluttering your space, and to go more minimal rather than maximal, and making conscious, sustainable purchases rather than impulsive ones."
Gauri Khan's top interior design philosophies
- Always keep your end-user in mind. At the end of the day, it’s great to have your signature stamp but your client needs to walk away happy, otherwise the project was a bust. Therefore, I always encourage designers to ask as many questions, actively listen, and truly get a grasp on their client's wants before they even put pen to paper.
- Lighting is an indispensable tool in any designer's arsenal and should be used creatively, always. Lighting and colour directly affects the way we feel when we walk into a space and so a good designer needs to also be a great guide too, who masterfully directs someone’s experience.
- Never stop learning. There’s no excuse not to any more. Everything you can possibly imagine is accessible in the palm of your hand now. The more you absorb, the more your work will evolve and become more sophisticated too. Swallow coffee table books, experience workshops of all varieties, because you never know what transferable advice lies there.
Fundamentals of Interior Design by Gauri Khan starts on May 26 on thedesignersclass.com
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
more from Janine di Giovanni
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
