Cover Levantine designer Nada Debs (Photo: Tarek Moukaddem)
Levantine designer Nada Debs (Photo: Tarek Moukaddem)
1 / 1
Levantine designer Nada Debs discusses telling stories and breaking down barriers in furniture and home designs
When you have a world’s worth of cultures—be it in craftsmanship or design—at the palm of your hand, how do you even begin to streamline them into your home designs, making sure each has its moment to shine, while not coming off as overbearing?
For Levantine designer Nada Debs, who grew up in Japan before moving to Lebanon more than 20 years ago, it’s the trusted predictability of geometry that grounds her, stemming from Japanese minimalism she was exposed to growing up.
Read more: From mycelium floors to fruit peel lamps: The sustainable materials shaping eco-friendly design
Above Levantine designer Nada Debs (Photo: Fady Younis)
Above Debs at The Vitrine in Beirut, Lebanon (Photo: Marco Piranelli)
Levantine designer Nada Debs (Photo: Fady Younis)
1 / 2
Together with her team of designers at The Vitrine, their design studio in Beirut, Lebanon, they translated Debs’ comprehensive designs into furniture pieces and home accessories.
Also, through collaborations with notable brands like Ikea, Louis Vuitton, Cosentino, Jotun, as well as more in the year’s agenda, they not only tell stories from corners of the world, but evoke a sense of belonging for all that breaks down geographical, language and cultural barriers.
See also: 6 prominent female furniture designers through the ages
Above The Land of the Rising Sun cabinet from the Now and Zen Collection
Above Inspired by contemporary Japanese aesthetics, using Middle Eastern craftsmanship
The Land of the Rising Sun cabinet from the Now and Zen Collection
1 / 2
What is it about geometric forms, which your designs are deeply rooted in, that interests you?
I’ve always wondered why I am drawn to geometric patterns. Anything repetitive is very attractive to me. I find them very healing and comforting; when you have a repetition of something, you know what’s coming next. Inconsistent splashes in designs, it’s uneasy for me. I suppose, this stems from growing up in Japan, where I’m used to their minimalistic way of bringing things down to its essence. I like the simple lines, I don’t like complicated pieces.
Don’t miss: Cover story: Serina Hijjas and Hijjas Kasturi on their shared passion for sustainable design
Above Star Shelf from the Classic Collection
Above American walnut make in matte red
Star Shelf from the Classic Collection
1 / 2
How has the complex geometry of Islamic architecture influenced your own personal style?
Middle Eastern designs were a challenge for me, because they are so over the top. Not to mention, I went to an international school in a Japanese environment, and the only Islamic culture I was exposed to were my parents praying and fasting. I didn’t even know the language.
My relationship with the Middle East side of my heritage was more visual, and it is the soothing repetition of geometry in Islamic designs that I’m drawn to: it always starts with a circle, which is then divided into polygons placed next to each other to create these beautiful geometries.
While from a religious point of view, the geometric repetition—a representation of the abstraction of God in Middle Eastern culture, much like the Sufi whirling by the Turkish dervishes, takes you to a spiritual realm. I see it from an artistic point of view instead, and how I can find the neutral ground between the traditional and the modern; condensing the intricacies of the design so it appeals to a wider audience, while at the same time, not discounting the beauty of its tessellations.
Read more: 8 serene and beautiful mosques through the ages to welcome Eid
Above A display of Debs’ eccentric designs at The Vitrine
A display of Debs’ eccentric designs at The Vitrine
1 / 1
What you’re doing in your furniture designs and home accessories is, in a way, heritage preservation. Why do you think this is important in what you do?
For me, it’s important that we as human beings belong somewhere, and I think the sense of belonging I was deprived of since I was young motivated me to preserve and to keep our identity, which is in essence, indents of where we belong.
Every country has very specialised craft designs in the hands of master craftsmen that are dying out as time goes on. It’s one of the few things we can hold on to, and I like to explore and modernise them; keep the tradition going in a more relevant and contemporary style that appeals to the younger generations. I want people to feel at ease with and feel good about who they are and where they came from, wherever they are. This way, the heritage will continue on with them.
See also: 6 maximalist interior designers to follow on Instagram
The seven-leg Pebble low table with onyx and travertine tops and brass legs
1 / 5
What do you do when it gets too much when it comes to absorbing the many cultures you encountered, and streamlining the nuance into your designs?
Going to the beach and looking at the horizon helps me a lot. When I’m in front of the sea, the sound of the waves and just staring at the sea cleanses my mind so that I can go back renewed.
You’re right; I do get anxious a lot, especially now that I’m working with international high-end brands. It’s intimidating and scary, because we’re used to feeling like we’re secondary in a world where the Europeans come first.
I have to keep reminding myself that they came to us because we have a certain know-how of our culture that we would like to share with the world. It’s the whole mission of doing what we’re doing. It’s something precious that I’m so grateful for, and I just have to calm down and enjoy the process.
Don’t miss: 5 design and sustainably-led hotels around the world
Above The Summerland Sofa with a straw make backrest
Above The Arabesque armchair with intricate detailing
The Summerland Sofa with a straw make backrest
1 / 2
Besides working with the international brands on collaborations, what’s in the pipeline for you going into 2024?
I look forward to working on other materials like ceramics, glass and textile. I’ve been to Afghanistan to make carpets, Pakistan to work with marble inlay, and Uzbekistan for ikat weaving. Now, we’re travelling to Indonesia, where the master craftsmen there have their own version of ikat textile too, which we’d like to see how we can work with them for our designs.
NOW READ
8 inspiring Asian female architects to know
Aman launches Aman Interiors with limited edition furniture collections
11 designing women: Meet the first ladies of Malaysian design
Credits
Photography: Courtesy of Nada Debs
Celeste Goh is a senior writer covering architecture and design. Based in Malaysia, she reports on emerging architectural and home design trends, as well as insights by local and international architects and interior designers.
Previously, she covered men’s lifestyle, fashion, music and entertainment.
