• White Danfred shell vase at Jysk, Dh25
    White Danfred shell vase at Jysk, Dh25
  • Ceramic shell vase, HKLiving at Urban Nest, Dh150
    Ceramic shell vase, HKLiving at Urban Nest, Dh150
  • Ferm Living Meadow rug at The Bowery Company, Dh4,500
    Ferm Living Meadow rug at The Bowery Company, Dh4,500
  • Ikea Hampen high pile rug, Dh175
    Ikea Hampen high pile rug, Dh175
  • H&M pendant light, Dh399
    H&M pendant light, Dh399
  • La Petite Friture Vertigo ceiling light at The Bowery Company, Dh 5,718
    La Petite Friture Vertigo ceiling light at The Bowery Company, Dh 5,718
  • Hay design crates at Smallable, Dh131
    Hay design crates at Smallable, Dh131
  • Aykasa crates at The Kids Collection, Dh49
    Aykasa crates at The Kids Collection, Dh49
  • Wood statue at West Elm, Dh399
    Wood statue at West Elm, Dh399
  • Florent wood statues at Home Centre, Dh89
    Florent wood statues at Home Centre, Dh89
  • Nordal buffet mesh cabinet from Amara, Dh4,011
    Nordal buffet mesh cabinet from Amara, Dh4,011
  • Sofia Rattan cabinet from The Attic, Dh1,450
    Sofia Rattan cabinet from The Attic, Dh1,450

Shell vases and rattan: six trendy decor pieces for every budget


  • English
  • Arabic

Home beautifying is one of the more positive offshoots of spending so much extra time indoors during the pandemic. However, whether you have no budget or a tight one, it can become tricky to identify which interior accessories to splash your hard-earned dirhams on. Here are our top pieces that are so similar, you will be hard-pressed to tell them apart, except from the price you pay.

Shell vases

A shell vase has been an Instagram staple for some time now: filled with pampas grass or a dried arrangement, it has featured on many a social media account – and looks fantastic to boot. Savers and spenders alike can pick one up, either Jysk’s white version (Dh25) or HKliving’s gorgeous terracotta-toned one (Dh150).

Brown rug

The colours, textures and imagery from Ferm Living’s new collection are swoon-worthy, and one of the standout pieces is its brown shag Meadows rug, ideal for bringing that 1970s vibe back. If your budget cannot stretch to accommodate its Dh4,500 price tag, Ikea has its own style that is just as plush at a fraction of the cost, at Dh175. Ideal if you like to swap out your trends season on season or have rambunctious children.

Rattan cabinets

If there's one item you buy this year, opt for it in rattan, 2021's hero material. Photo: Sweetpea & Willow
If there's one item you buy this year, opt for it in rattan, 2021's hero material. Photo: Sweetpea & Willow

Sometimes referred to as cane or wicker, the rattan trend has been seen season after season and adds a touch of textural charm to your home. Having a statement cabinet as a sideboard in your dining space, or as storage in your hall or beside a cupboard can spruce up any space. When other elements are kept clean and simple, rattan can stand out and be modern. Not just reserved for boho looks anymore, rattan is being added to minimalist and mod-con spaces for finesse as well as functionality. Invest in the Nordal cabinet from Amara (Dh4,010) or shop local with the Sofia rattan cabinet from The Attic in Dubai (Dh1,450), to add oomph to an otherwise simple space.

Statement lights

A statement light fitting can dramatically change a room, adding focus and detail to a plain canvas. Over a dining table, it can add drama, while in a bedroom it offers clean lines to the soft furnishings. The two picked out here are great for the minimalists out there who like a structured, geometric light fitting. The eye-catching H&M pendants (Dh399) provide a wide light source for any space, and we recommend using these as multiples over a large dining table at different heights to add some artistic flair. The Vertigo light fitting from La Petite Friture (Dh5,720), meanwhile, is all about graphic lines, drama and style while it wraps around you in a style that will never go out of fashion.

Handy storage

Who doesn’t need a storage solution for all the little items that seem to pile up in the house, whether it is for keeping things tidy and in their place, or to add some fun colour to a space? Look to colour-coded crates, whether to sort out the Lego blocks and other myriad toys, or to organise the pantry. Crates are a great addition to keep your home clutter-free and super-organised. If you want to keep things categorised, add a label to the front of each so everyone can see what is stored inside. Both the options listed here are available in a range of shades, are attractive good to display and hide all the essentials. Invest in the classic Hay design from Smallable at Dh130, or keep the price well down with Aykasa crates, for Dh49.

Earthy accessories 

Wooden elements are great for adding interest to your home. Placed on a console or in a shelving unit, these statues look fantastic and serve to soften your interiors with their natural look-feel and anchor the room with their organic form. Whatever your style - whether you add an element of midcentury with a more polished approach or layer your shelves with books, vases and this statue to add depth – choose from the petrified wood piece from West Elm (Dh399) for a rugged look or the ones from Home Centre (Dh89) for clean lines and a 1950s appeal.

All international brands mentioned here deliver to the UAE, with shipping and tax costs added at checkout

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199

Green ambitions
  • Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
  • Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
  • Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
  • Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water 
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Director: Kushan Nandy

Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami

Three stars

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

PROFILE

Name: Enhance Fitness 

Year started: 2018 

Based: UAE 

Employees: 200 

Amount raised: $3m 

Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors 

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.1%22%20Super%20Retina%20XDR%20OLED%2C%202778%20x%201284%2C%20458ppi%2C%20HDR%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%2C%201200%20nits%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20A15%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%205-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iOS%2016%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%2012MP%20main%20(f%2F1.5)%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20(f%2F2.4)%3B%202x%20optical%2C%205x%20digital%3B%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%2C%20Portrait%20Lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F3060fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20HD%20%40%2030fps%3B%20HD%20slo-mo%20%40%20120%2F240fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20TrueDepth%20(f%2F1.9)%2C%20Photonic%20Engine%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%2C%20Smart%20HDR%204%3B%20Animoji%2C%20Memoji%3B%20Portrait%20Lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2024%2F25%2F3060fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2025%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20HD%20slo-mo%20%40%20120fps%3B%20night%2C%20time%20lapse%2C%20cinematic%2C%20action%20modes%3B%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%204K%20HDR%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204323%20mAh%2C%20up%20to%2026h%20video%2C%2020h%20streaming%20video%2C%20100h%20audio%3B%20fast%20charge%20to%2050%25%20in%2030m%3B%20MagSafe%2C%20Qi%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Face%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lightning%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20eSIM%20%2F%20eSIM%20%2B%20SIM%20(US%20models%20use%20eSIMs%20only)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Blue%2C%20midnight%2C%20purple%2C%20starlight%2C%20Product%20Red%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20iPhone%2014%2C%20USB-C-to-Lightning%20cable%2C%20one%20Apple%20sticker%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh3%2C799%20%2F%20Dh4%2C199%20%2F%20Dh5%2C049%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10

*November 15 to November 24

*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com

*TV: Ten Sports

*Streaming: Jio Live

*2017 winners: Kerala Kings

*2018 winners: Northern Warriors

23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees

Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.