A great starting point or finishing touch for a decor scheme, soft greys teamed with cool blues, whites and charcoal will create a sophisticated look. For something more fun, mix in bold, colourful accents. Here are our favourite current finds
Flight of fancy
Now offering international delivery, Tangletree Interiors stocks an excellent range of luxurious fabrics and wallpapers including Mulberry Home. Use this wonderful version of their iconic Flying Ducks design in silver/blue grey to create a feature wall to talk about. Flying Ducks wallpaper, £59 (Dh335) plus shipping, Mulberry Home at tangletree-interiors.co.uk
Get the picture
This stool by Nada Debs epitomises her modern take on Arabesque design, combining traditional Middle Eastern imagery with clean, contemporary lines to add a touch of old-school charm to a modern interior. Nada Debs grey vintage stool, Dh2,500, O'de Rose, Al Wasl Road, www.o-derose.com
Best of three
If you're using grey as your colour palette, it works much better if you're using more than one shade. This sleek, compact nest of side tables has a choice of three so it won't blend into the background. Mekong tables, Dh2,890, Indigo Living, Dubai
Ahoy there
You might think this fabric would only work in a cottage-style decor scheme, but its vintage-looking design also works to great effect in a simple, contemporary setting. Surprisingly, it's from Ikea, which means it's also very cheap. Benzy fabric, Dh39 per metre, Ikea stores nationwide
Big purchase
Oversized and inviting, this modular sofa, with its intricate detailing, embossed patterns, contrasting stitching and a play of materials and textures, is a luxury you want to sink in to. Confession sofa, Dh52,000, Roche Bobois, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, www.roche-bobois.com
Statement piece
Grey is no background colour, as the striking decorative motif on this cushion demonstrates. A trio of these will create a striking finishing touch to your sofa. Crest cushion cover, Dh269, Indigo Living, Dubai
For more tips on six elements to change up your home routine, check out Six of the Best.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
