There's lots to love about Boxed, the region's newest virtual homeware store. There's the fact that it is headquartered in Bahrain, a place, rightly or wrongly, that you might not normally associate with progressive design. There's the fact that its founder Sarah Saleh is committed to supporting small, independent designers as well as artisans in developing countries. But mainly it's because it's packed with great products.
The website may specialise in handmade home accessories, but Sarah is quick to point out that handmade doesn't necessarily mean craftsy or twee. Her mission is to create a collection of products that are handcrafted and customisable, but also contemporary and stylish.
"In this region, handmade normally means old-fashioned crafts. But we are looking for crafts that have a modern touch," she says. "We are looking for products that are up to date, stylish and useful."
Sarah has spent the last 18 months scouring the globe for products that meet these criteria, and when Boxed launched on May 30 it featured nearly 300 products by more than 20 different designers.
She hopes to add to this number on a regular basis, and already has her sights set on an additional 20 designers.
The site is a treasure trove of unusual furniture, wall hangings, rugs, lighting, cushion covers, decorative ceramics, bowls, vases and stationery. There is also a section dedicated to children's products which includes non-hazardous toys, such as the Keko Kiwi Pullalong made from locally grown timber and finished with lead-free, non-toxic paint.
There's a charming simplicity to all the products on offer, stemming from the fact that they are predominantly handmade rather than mass produced.
It's a design ethos best summed up by the Hogenbirk Knitwear stools - simple wooden frames topped with brightly coloured knitwear seats emblazoned with hearts, flowers and half moons. Hogenbirk also produces simple ottomans and vases covered in its signature knitwear.
"My style is colourful and always carries a repetitive print. I don't follow a trend but rely on my intuition," says Erika Hogenbirk.
There's a naivety to Erika's creations that is evident in many of the products available through Boxed. From the rugs by Yummi Worldwide, made up of felt balls in 60 different colours, to the ETCO vessels, made from recycled paper lined with gold leaf, there's an almost childlike artistry to Sarah's selections.
The Lotus lampshades, for example, are inspired by the art of origami and made from a single sheet of fabric that is folded and tucked together without using glue. Meanwhile, Artmind's collection of decorative ceramics takes the form of small babushkas, designed to convey a series of emotions. The pieces are left unglazed and come with names like Feeling Captured, Feeling Chaotic, Feeling Pretty and Feeling Torn.
"My style is minimalist combined with some humour. I love it when a work can speak for itself and I always hope it'll express what the buyer has in mind," says Mitsy Sleurs, the ceramic and pottery artist behind Artmind.
Rather than owning its own stock, Boxed acts as a facilitator, connecting design-savvy consumers in the region with independent designers around the world. Delivery takes an average of three weeks.
The concept evolved over time, says Sarah, who was born in the UK to a Palestinian father and Lebanese mother and spent her childhood moving around the Middle East. After completing a BA in Interior Design at Jordan's Yarmouk University, she moved to Dubai and got a job designing and planning weddings. She moved to Bahrain in 2009 and the resultant change of pace gave her time to develop the Boxed brand.
"I started off with the idea of an actual store. But an actual store is complicated and it's a big investment. You have to pay rent and you have to buy all your stock. That's when I started thinking about a virtual store. But it couldn't just be a straightforward store."
Sarah recognised that she needed a unique selling point, hence the focus on independent designers and handcrafted products. "Then we added NGOs to the concept," she says. "And I want to develop that further."
The aim is to partner with non-governmental organisations that support local artisans in developing countries. One such organisation is the Inghrem Association for the Development of Artisans and Tourism, which works with wood carvers in the Moroccan village of Agouti. Boxed sells wooden bowls produced by Agouti's craftsmen, which have the added bonus of being crafted out of naturally-fallen wood, ensuring they are completely sustainable.
"We liked their products because they were well made, unique, would fit into our daily lives, were fabulous as bowls when entertaining and can be considered modern. We also loved the sustainable cause they carry - using only fallen wood and not cutting down trees."
Sarah is keen to promote regional designers on the site, although most of those currently featured are international. Tracking down good regional talent is difficult, she says, and when she has come across local designers that she would like to work with, they have often been wary and unwilling to collaborate.
"There are a lot of people around with talent but they hide it. As a new business, we would like to see more forums and initiatives uncovering that local talent. In the UK you have this concept of a pop-up shop, where a couple of designers will join forces and create a market. It would be good to see that kind of thing here."
Boxed will celebrate its one-month anniversary this week and so far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, Sarah says.
"Our real aim is to compete with international standards. All along I was questioning, 'would this appeal to me? Is it special? Is it unique?'"
Visit www.boxedonline.com or for more information contact info@boxedonline.com
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
The specs
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
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