< PreviousCover feature commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 20 PB: "With anywhere in Europe or the US, you inherit existing structures as well. So I think that will add to the fl avour of our sort of design. And what we create because when you're designing in Dubai is very static, very sterile, because we just know inheriting basic shell and core, whereas there, you know, you can you can put into practice everything you learned through university, stripping back palimpsest, you know, bringing in these other elements. What you inherit from the base structure that actually could enhance the design, so it's a completely different approach. "It's going to be great to have that experience and we've also got yet another element of you know, coming in and repurposing existing buildings as well. So now I think it's very exciting and I think that's why we're colourful and excited to wear colour. I'm superstitious as well. "I wore colour and we won. You know, I had long hair at the beginning of the year, but now we've won these awards and so I've got to keep it short. I'm the Miami man, so now I'm going to wear those silver suits from Miami Vice." CID thinks he's joking. MA: "There were the rebellious years of black and now it's the new colourful years. Everyone says our interiors are so colourful, right?" Remote working PB: "We're actually going to be more productive, because I'm going to have more time to develop, design, and not be disturbed as much as I am now in the offi ce. And we're actually going to have more time with the team to develop them and let them grow. And I think that's a this is a catalyst also, for them to step up and become designers in a true sense. So I think they're fi nding themselves at the beginning of the year, last year, when we won the awards, we had that experience in January and December after that the staff party we were all hanging a little bit. You know, we're always talking about Cover feature 21 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com we are, it's we just got to look at it as remote working, you know, we're going to be in constant contact and communication with each other, whether it's in Saudi, Miami, in Dubai, or wherever it is. "You know, COVID helped me with that and how to change into that that mindset and that perception of the way that people can work and we discovered yes, we can work remotely." CID: Exciting times for Bishop Design! What else is in the pipeline? PB "We're doing some very interesting, different takes on things you know, different approaches to design a lot more products and furniture or developing readymade items. The portfolio is also changing with the current works that we have on. I don't know if we can divulge any of that but yeah, it's a really interesting time. We've been approached by some very interesting people. "Karim Rashid, watch this space," Paul adds, in reference to the pluralist superstar designer who handed over at least some of Bishop Design's trophies at the CID Awards. "We've got renovations, a lot of F&B, hotel and hospitality sector and entertainment spaces. We have some great, great projects ongoing in Dubai at the moment. "SLS is an example of what happened in that, like a lot of other hospitality companies, they could have put this project on hold and said, you know what, we're not going to do this but they fully committed, they went through it, and we stuck with them and they opened through Covid and good for them. And that was, I think, a great move." "Fortune favours the bold," calls out Selini, prompting Paul to take a minute to show us his latest tattoos, traditionally one being added for every CID Award. "Number six, that was in Miami," he explains. "So that was sort of pre-empting the awards. Well, hopefully, they keep coming, right?" Carna at SLS Dubai Bishop Design by Paul Bishop is behind the distinctive look inside the SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences in Business Bay, Dubai, which earned the studio all but one of its project trophies at the recent awards. The Commercial Interior Design Awards 2021 Winners Interior Design of the Year: Food & Beverage is Carna, a Bishop Design project that's a contemporary steakhouse Fortune favours the bold... the team becoming this little entity. And I think, you know, now, nine months later, and as the awards we've shown that and I think that was a beautiful sort of platform now for us to do something a little bit more, more dynamic as well and say, we're spearheading different areas. We're looking at Selini, Michelle, Mehmet; we're looking at Miami, obviously here is the main base that will always be the head offi ce. I think it's just an exciting time. And I think they say the team have now become this sort of entity where we can start to tackle everything that gets thrown our way." Michelle Larkworthy: "No matter where Cover feature commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 22 and immersive meat experience in the Bishop Design mega project, SLS Dubai. Noisy and exuberant but also dramatic and classy, Carna is a colourful and exciting project even by the high standards of the Bishop Design portfolio PB: "It's got refi nement to it, you know? I walk in there and it's just unique for the space. And it's a little bit of a chameleon in that sense that you come in there and it depends on the vibe in that it could feel like a New York bar, for example. Or you could come in and it reminds me of the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid that has those beautiful Spanish European elements, depending on the crowd. It creates a different vibe and soul to it. But yeah, it's one of my favourites and the chef's amazing. We were having an amazing conversation, but he didn't speak a word of English. And I didn't speak any Italian, so..." One of Bishop Design's earliest hotel project was the quirky Studio One in Dubai Studio City, which looks to cinema and fi lm for its design narrative and inspiration. Paul remembers: "That was the fi rst one where the client gave us that sort of freedom. This is the irony of design, we're creative people with designs, we can we can do anything. But there's a there's a preconceptions of clients that's 'oh, we can't give you a hotel, because you've never done one before'. Well, give me the opportunity to do it and I'll show you. It's the belief that we had from our client, who said 'I want you to design the hotel' and we did that. It's a great boutique hotel and it's won multiple awards. It was a lovely Clients trust us to create something dynamic...Cover feature 23 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com coming together for likeminded people. It really got the attention of other hotel operators and investors, and they wanted again, the same approach. I want you to do that for my hotel. And then why 15, 16, 17, 18 hotels later it was the SLS." On criticism Knockbacks, tall poppy syndrome, haters; call it what you will, but winning awards also earn critics. Times that by eight and how do Paul and Bishop Team deal with barbed comments? PB: "I actually deal with criticism better than I did when I fi rst started. And I sort of tried to translate that through the team as well, because some of the team were quite sort of strong minded. So yeah, I mean, at the beginning, I remember I didn't take criticism very well at all, even though it was constructive. MA: "From clients, we take it, and at the end of the day, we're designing for the client, but we have to enforce our beliefs as well, but in a very diplomatic and constructive way. That's what we've learned through the market here is, you work for your client. Without clients, we wouldn't be where we are today. And we wouldn't have the projects that we have. They're fundamental to where we are and what we become as a company." PB: "We're confi dent in what we do as designers and I think if we can in enforce that in a constructive way, on visualisation, through our ability through the packages that we deliver. We've got to a stage now where clients actually come to us and they want us to design for them and it's a great honour that they have that, that trust and belief in our ability. So the criticism is very minimal, because they say they're entrusting us to create something unique, original dynamic for them. That's one of the things that I liked about what David [Lessard, CID judge] said on Pinterest plagiarism, as that is something that we don't do and that's what creates our original take on design. You look at stuff, you borrow but you embrace, you enhance and you develop. It's not just sticking and pasting. You make it yours and give it your signature." MA: "You've got to bite your lips. It's very important for us to just stay true to ourselves, and not pay too much attention as to what people are saying about us." We're sure Miami will soon be talking, a lot, about Bishop Design by Paul Bishop. Mnuara Zubaidildayeva, studio manager WINNER OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD 2021 Bishop Design is so successful and every year something new comes up – new projects, exciting projects. Paul has been an inspiration to me. He came to Dubai with nothing and he now has a well-known company that wins awards every year. He's a role model for me." Sengul Hassan, interior designer HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR YOUNG DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2021 "I felt appreciated by the nomination and the highly commended award. It was really proud moment for me. All those late nights and stressful times... It was even more worth it. Being at Bishop Design has meant I can grow so much, because we get to touch on every aspect of the build, from the beginning basics to the end. Working for Paul is an honour and it has taught me so much." Ranillo Elnar, technical team leader PREVIOUS CID FINALIST “I love to work with Paul Bishop. Every day I'm learning as every project is different. I love the man." Selini Bishop, outgoing PR and marketing executive Selini is also about to head off on her travels, something she's dreamt of since being at school. "I'm going travelling for around three months," she says. "Funnily enough, I'm actually going to go down to Miami for a couple of days, then make our way down to South America. It was probably the most diffi cult conversation I've ever had to have [telling Paul she was leaving]. It wasn't as if anything bad happened. It was just a bittersweet moment. Those conversations never go as bad as you think in your head and bless him, he was shocked, but he couldn't have been more supportive, which shows what an amazing group of people they all are here. "Six awards and two highly commended is defi nitely my biggest achievement in the past 4.5 years. To play a small part in bringing those trophies back for the team is phenomenal." ALSO IN THE INTERVIEW HOT SEAT Mehmet Aktash General manager Michelle Larkworthy Operations managerCID Awards 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 24 mmercialinte iordesigr 2021.com October 20 GOLD STANDARD 17 categories of 24 carat – here are the wor thy winners of the Commercial Interior Design Awards 2021CID Awards 2021 25 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Interior Design of the Year: Food & Beverage: Carna Steakhouse by Bishop Design by Paul Bishop Interior Design of the Year: Hotels: Vida Beach Resort, Umm Al Quwain, by H2R Design Interior Design of the Year: Bars & Clubs: Privilege at SLS Dubai by Bishop DesignCID Awards 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 26 Interior Design of the Year: Retail: Closet Case by L.S. Design Interior Design of the Year : Public Sector: 42 Abu Dhabi by BDP Interior Design of the Year: Offi ce: Early Childhood Authority by Roar Interior Design of the Year: Residential: Private Residential Villa – Area E, Emirates Hills by XBD CollectiveCID Awards 2021 27 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Best Use of Lighting in Interior Design: Sensasia by Roar Best Outdoor Design of the Year: Deseo at the ME by Melia Hotel, Bishop Design by Paul Bishop Interior Design Concept of the Year: Rihla: Travel To Tomorrow by JPA Design Interior Fit-out Firm of the Year: ALEC FitoutCID Awards 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com October 2021 28 Boutique Interior Design Firm of the Year: Winner: Roar Interior Fit-out Project of the Year: The Arts Club Dubai by BW Interiors and Turner & Townsend Behind the Scenes Awards: Mnuara Zubaidildayeva at Bishop Design by Paul BishopCID Awards 2021 29 October 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Young Interior Designer of the Year: Jacqueline Tan Co at LW Interior Design Firm of the Year: Bishop Design by Paul Bishop Interior Designer of the Year: Paul BishopNext >