Marie-Noelle's five years as a documentary director and news producer en route to becoming an interior designer proved to be an incredible source of inspiration. Now favouring timeless, classical design and natural materials, she nevertheless tries to create interiors that don't take themselves too seriously. "A little quirkiness and eclecticism are the essence of a design that you can fall in love with," says Marie-Noelle, who lists light as an important living room factor. "There needs to be natural lighting, but also good quality artificial lighting. There are also different areas for different purposes: reading, chatting, cuddling, and socialising. It needs to have personality, so I am all for accessories that speak: mementoes from travels, some pictures, books, curios..."
The Padi's southeast Asian, nature-inspired pieces suit Marie-Noelle's influences perfectly.
"I love art deco and fell in love with the East-meets-West style direction Kelly Hoppen introduced straight away," she says. Andree Putman's exacting design and free spirit has touched Marie-Noelle, as has Saladino's romantic yet contemporary lines. "Design should be beautiful but functional, so I am very big on everyday necessities made easy.
"Dubai's amazingly diverse; you can see the worst and the best, side by side. It's also very inspiring and seemingly limitless. After working in Europe, where space and mentalities can create constraints, it is rather empowering." Marie-Noelle recommends Caspaiou for rare furniture, lighting and accessories, Andrew Martin for marvels and style, and The Rug Company for rich eclecticism. "I am also a big fan of THE One, Marina, The Antiques Museum, and even Dragon Mart at times," she says.
Trend Predictions
Colour: Neutral shades and saturated colours, e.g fuschia and burnt orange
Texture: Rough and rustic versus sleek lacquer. The contrast makes for an unusual twist
Style: Cosmopolitan chic is the look to aim for here
Accessories: Antiques, odd items (a shoe, a fork), objets d'art. Lights feature structural lines, made from either porcelain, cardboard or even rice paper
Fabric: Velvet, glazed linen, and shantung silk all look good
Window treatments: Upholstered panels and boat-Roman blinds. Note: always use full-length curtains
Wall treatments: Venetian plaster, textured wallpaper and revisited classics work well together
Flooring: Limed woods go down a treat for cosmo chic
