< PreviousSuppliers commercialinteriordesign.com September 2021 40 Sedar Simple but elegant Getting comfy during COVID? Interiors supplier Sedar noticed a trend for comfort arising out of the pandemic. Sedar creative director Nahel Selo saw that suits are no longer a thing in many workplaces and this also has impacted how business owners redesign their offices, incorporating casual zones that inspire creativity. Sedar reports an uptick in its interiors folding doors solutions, used both as an affordable way for people to create an office space within the home and also within offices to create separation without the need for construction. Many requests have come in to divide larger meeting rooms by adding a folding door or a partition to reduce the number of people in one given space. Partitions and doors are not only practical, allowing for privacy during meetings and phone calls, but also come in a range of colourways and design options, with a contemporary wood-like appearance allowing them to blend in with office interiors. Waterproof finishing means they are easy to clean too. More customers are opting for these sectioned or private office spaces with laidback settings as well as earthy and homey designs, mimicking the home environment for those who spent nearly a year working from home. These include a project at offices in Damac Executive Heights, Barsha Heights, Dubai. Sedar installed 20 'Harmony' blinds (example shown right) as the customer wanted something simple, but elegant and cost efficient. Searching for Sedar? The 125 year old brand has more than 23 retail stores across eight countries in the GCC, MENA regions and Canada. PO Box 6879, Sharjah, UAE 971 6 533 2255 wecare@sedarglobal.com www.sedarglobal.comSuppliers 41 September 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com USM Functional design M odular furniture champion USM has seen the future of office supply. The Swiss brand behind the celebrated Haller system supplies multi–purpose furniture, workstations, room dividers and more to businesses and educational establishments. Eric Berchtold, USM director for the Middle East, Africa and India, says it's now "death to the office cubicle as we know it," as COVID-19 has expedited a shift in the way that we interact and leverage space in a professional capacity. In his expert opinion, this means now is the perfect time for businesses to move away from closed– off cubicle designs and adopt new creative solutions, which also presents the opportunity to discover new furniture not traditionally deemed as commercial. Investing in office furniture that accommodates the changing nature of work can help to more easily respond to employee demands. While the cubicle can live on, it needs to be part of a more multifunctional environment rather than siloed designs. Eric adds: "Flexible work arrangements are not only about allowing employees to work from various locations, but creating new ways of working within an office space. To accommodate this, it's time to reevaluate the cubicle setup and look at delivering functional design solutions that respond to new ways of working, while benefiting both employers and employees. As we continue to blur the line between home and work, purpose and space, there is more creative licence to use pieces and products that speak to a better space, rather than defining its use. Ultimately, no one has ever aspired to work in a cubicle." ONE 52 Furniture Trading, Al Wasl Road, Dubai, UAE 971 4 227 5752 info@one52.ae www.one52.aeLatest products commercialinteriordesign.com September 2021 42 Nikko, the cat of serenity, is designed to convey calmness The Iris chair, photographed by Beyza CoruhluThe Heirlooms collectionLatest products 43 September 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com UNDER THE SKIN UK ceramicist Tamsin van Essen probes our emotional response to objects & explores the stigma of diseases Beautiful but deadly Tamsin van Essen first discovered pottery at school, aged seven. Always a keen artist, when the London-based creative left school she had to decide between art college or an academic degree. She chose the latter, studying physics and philosophy at Oxford University in the UK. She went on to spend time in New Delhi, India, working with terracotta clay. Inspired by the scientific and medical world, she works conceptually, using slip casting, carving and some decorative techniques, exploring the fine line between beauty and imperfection, attraction and repulsion. Her Medical Heirlooms series, based on common diseases, probes our emotional response to objects. In an interview with craft platform the Homo Faber guide, the ceramicist says: "I find the process of decay fascinating. I was working with microscopic images of bacteria and viruses, and realised they are actually quite beautiful despite being deadly. That led me to think about our relationship with beauty, and how imperfection can be both interesting and beautiful."Latest products commercialinteriordesign.com September 2021 44 Psoriasis II White earthenware slip, applied to the surface of a low–temperature pink glaze, peels off a slip–cast earthenware ceramic apothecary jar. The peeling effect emulates the symptoms of common skin condition, psoriasis. The jar is part of van Essen's greater Medical Heirlooms series, which explores the stigma around diseases. SCARS Based on 17th–18th century apothecary jars, the forms have strong historical and medical links, as well as providing the metaphor of vessel as body: they become containers for disease, rather than holding the cure. As family heirlooms, the jars can be passed down through the generations in the same way as hereditary medical conditions.Latest products 45 September 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Osteoporosis The ceramic material is manipulated in a way that emulates physiological processes, deliberately encouraging 'faults,' 'defects' and 'blemishes.' The jars are intended to be ornaments and conversation pieces and fit well with the currently growing trend for 'curiosities,' although several could be put to functional use as unusual vases and containers. CANCER The theme was inspired by visits to the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and other medical museums. The artist was interested in the way medical specimens are displayed and also people's attitudes to disease and health and society's "general obsession with perfection and beauty," says van Essen.commercialinteriordesign.com September 2021 46 WORLD VIEW Aegis Living Kirkland Waterfront senior assisted living and memory care community BACK LOOKING47 September 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com The trend for senior living facilities has expanded rapidly in the US over the last fi ve years. According to the US census there are more than 46 million older adults age 65 and older living in the country, and these longer lifespans are increasing the demand for care. Research by SmartLinx Solutions, which specialises in workforce management for elder care, estimates that many of the 67 million people over age 60 need or will need care. In the next 20 year years, another 65 million more Americans will turn 65 while experts predict the number of seniors who need long-term care will increase to 15 million by 2050. Built environment Already seniors expect more from their experience beyond clinical care, with an International Council on Active Aging Forum in 2020 identifying the built environment as a key area for trend and improvement: Outdoor features, including sidewalks, gardens, paths and recreation, are as important as indoor spaces. Redesigning indoor spaces also would allow fl exibility and multiple uses. Large and small spaces with moveable walls, 'tiny house' features, virtual healthcare spaces designed for technology and privacy, and patios and balconies that provide accessible areas for both active and passive pursuits were among the ideas shared to improve environments. Kirkland Waterfront Aegis Living, a national leader in senior assisted living and memory care, opened P h o to : A eg is L iv in gWorld view commercialinteriordesign.com September 2021 48 The design has something for all of the senses Como Sky Lounge its second community in 2021, Aegis Living Kirkland Waterfront, which houses 106 senior living apartments over 9,104 sq m. The newly-built property is designed so residents can capture sweeping views of Lake Washington from throughout the community. Inside, inspiration for the in-house interior design team comes from the natural beauty of the Amalfi Coast in Italy, with classic Italian design features including sunbaked stucco walls, warm wood tones and traditional Italian architecture. On a designated memory care fl oor, experiential design helps ignite fond memories and foster connection among residents. The community's outdoor courtyard features a scene of the Grand Canal in Venice with an authentic Italian gondola and Roman 'ruins.' Inside, an interactive Italian 'road trip' lets residents rekindle holiday memories. Other facilities include a dining room with alfresco terrace, pub, arts room, salon, barber and fi tness centre. "This community offers something for all of the senses," said Jeanna Korbas, director of interior design at Aegis Living. "We've focused on every aspect of this community, every last detail, to make living here an unforgettable experience fi lled with joy and adventure." Founded in 1997 with a focus on upscale and purpose-built design, Aegis Living operates 33 senior assisted living communities in the US states of Washington, California and Nevada. There are further six communities in development in neighbourhoods of Seattle, among additional openings planned in California.World view 49 September 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com A café on the memory care fl oor Holiday memories are relivedA bar where residents can relax Outdoors on the terrace Wall feature in the barNext >