< PreviousIn Dubai, designer Amy Durnford has envisioned an ethereal haven with the help of the UAE’s fi nest artisans SPACE CRAFT Words Pratyush Sarup Photography Natelee Cocks 98 AD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 9804/10/2022 10:35:02 PMAt her Mexico- inspired home, Amy Durnford has layered furniture that she designed – such as the dining table and chairs – with an array of with unqiue objects including a braided sheepskin ar work by Lebanese creative Adrian Pepe and a pleated paper lamp from HK Living. AD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 9904/10/2022 10:35:11 PM100 A Durnford’s favourite space, the sunken conversation pit, is lled with natural light, cour esy of the large windows and bespoke bi-folding doors (on the right) that she installed. Left: The designer and entrepreneur at home. lot has changed for Amy Durnford in the three years since we fi rst met. Her brand, Custom No.9 has grown from a small studio working in metal and terrazzo into one of the UAE’s most coveted home-grown design busi- nesses with a diverse, but tightly edited collection. Along the way, she has built the most important creative capital right now: an engaged and liked-minded community of design lovers that spans the wider Middle East and eagerly awaits her next ‘drop’. And with a new home in Dubai’s plush Meadows district and a baby on the way, things are about to get even busier. “When we bought the house in July 2021, there were no plans for a baby,” she says as we chat in the sunken seating area overlooking the birdsong-fi lled garden. “We had spent over fi ve months looking for a property that we could transform into our dream home. When we saw this, both my husband, Fred, and I instinctively knew it would be good for us.” Looking past its tricky layout and a host of other technical problems that are common with old villas in Dubai, the couple fell in love with the 20-metre-tall trees hugging the site. Durnford grew up by the pictur- esque Loch Lomond in southern Scotland; nature has informed the use of materials in her work, guided her approach to conscious production, and now, at home, it became a key factor in the couple’s renovation plans. Over the course of eight months, they demolished almost all non-structural internal walls and ripped out the original 2007 bathrooms and kitchen. “It allowed us to see the space for what it really was,” she recalls. “It became a blank canvas that allowed us to imagine how we would like to live and what we wanted the space to look and feel like.” AD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 10004/10/2022 10:35:20 PMAD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 10104/10/2022 10:35:34 PM102 That vision required a slew of major modifi cations – including enclosing the fi rst-fl oor balcony to increase the footprint of the principal bedroom, adding split levels and adapting the porch to create a home offi ce. It was towards the end of the renovation that they found out they were expecting a baby. “It felt as though the house was blessing us,” recalls Durnford who named the house Casa Maya. “Fred and I were married in Mexico, so that’s where Casa came from and Maya is a Filipino word for ‘birdsong’, in honour of where we got engaged.” If nature provided the soundtrack to this home, the cou- ple’s time in Mexico inspired its ambiance. “Staying at beautiful places designed by world renowned architects who know how to play with nature crystallised our ideas for our home,” says Durnford. “I used SketchUp to design the whole house in 3D, including the garden, and was quite detailed with the renders.” Prior to designing her Dubai home, she had only devel- oped individual furniture pieces for her brand, so seeing an entire interior scheme spring to life from the mood boards was exciting. “For as long as I can remember, my father has had wood turning set-ups in his shed,” she recalls. “In his spare time, he would carve the most beauti- ful home objects – from bowls to beds – using wood from fallen trees. While I have inherited his passion for design, I haven’t yet mastered the skill of the hand, for which I rely on my team of craftspeople. Knowing that this house turned out exactly as I intended is very empowering.” The custom micro-cement plaster that gives the interior its natural look continues outside on to the pool deck. Opposite page: Having demolished the original kitchen Durnford designed a new, open-plan space with a central island overlooking the pool. The sense of community that is the backbone of Custom No.9’s success can be felt at Casa Maya. In total, there were twentyone suppliers and contractors involved, which gave Durnford full control over the quality and cost. She developed every design element that gives the house its distinct character, locally with fellow UAE businesses: from the T-bar door handles and the pivoting bifold panels that open the living space to the outdoors, to the micro-ce- ment fi nish that runs from the walls and fl oors onto the curved kitchen island, giving the home its earthy look. And while she often had to push suppliers to try something new, the results – be it the hand-bent metal rail of the jute fl oored stairwell or rounded edges that lend softness to the architecture inside – are testament to the high-quality workmanship that Dubai contractors can deliver. Naturally, Durnford has furnished her home with Custom No.9 pieces – a mix of old and new collections, as well as designs she will introduce soon – she has also accessorised with other regional brands she holds in high regard. Most of the rugs are from The Loom Collection, vases and candles from Cole and Cinder, and objet from Urban Nest. There are also works by regional artists that the couple know personally, such as an ocean-inspired work by Dubai based artist, Soufi ya Ennasri. “There is a little bit of me and my husband in every part of our home,” she says. “We wanted a space that would reminded us of one of the most sp ecial times in our lives and somewhere to make memories.” customno9.com AD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 10204/10/2022 10:35:43 PMAD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 10304/10/2022 10:35:56 PM104 ’’It became a blank canvas and we imagined how we would like to live’’ AD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 10404/10/2022 10:36:05 PMBy rendering all surfaces in the same nish and installing a geometric looring, Durn ord disguised the modest propor ions o the guest ensuite. Opposite page: Natural textures and materials lend a calming quality to the main bedroom. AD_047_98-105_Arena_Dubai No9_12632811.indd 10504/10/2022 10:36:18 PMGreg Natale’s eye for layering prints, colours, shapes and materials is evident in the dining room where interlinked stuccoed arches – akin to those found in historic Italian architecture – frame the space. Metallic de Gournay panels lend glamour. Opposite page: The Sydney-based designer pictured at the Brisbane home. 106 AD_047_106-115_Arena_Brisbane_12607298.indd 10604/10/2022 10:39:20 PMThis striking Brisbane home is a celebration of the owners’ love of Italy and designer Greg Natale’s bold and beautiful take on life La Dolce Vita Words Pratyush Sarup Photography Anson Smar AD_047_106-115_Arena_Brisbane_12607298.indd 10704/10/2022 10:39:28 PMNext >