Dimensions Of Design: Marmar AlHilali, Kate Instone And Jennifer Black On Personal Expression

Their synergy unmatched yet individual styles evident, three designers come together for the very first time, proving why they have captured the hearts of the region – each in a very distinct way

Marmar AlHilali

The Realist

With a following of over one million on social media, Marmar AlHilali is a strong voice in the region. Her authenticity and skills shine through in everything she does and talks about – it’s hard not to leave inspired. The Creative Director and Founder of Skamli Interiors knows exactly what her vision is for each project, and holds onto her firm values. Because first and foremost, she is honest, passionate and a believer in individuality and innovation.

What are your top tips for inspiring positivity within a home?

Lighting is essential. It plays a big role in creating a positive space. Flowers is another – a lot of people prefer plants, but I think flowers just change your mood instantly. When you walk into a place and you smell fresh flowers, you can’t be in a bad mood, you just can’t. It’s impossible.

When it comes to renovating a space, what do you look at first?

I usually ask why you are renovating. A lot of people renovate because the foundation has worn out, and the structure of the house has become useless. Then, I dig into more of the things that they hate rather than the things they love. This helps me understand what to avoid.

What holds the most personal value in a home?

I would say rugs. For me as a Middle Eastern, Persian rugs are important. The more time passes, the more their value increases. You might find this surprising to hear, but culturally for us, you get rugs given by the family when you get married. They have been passed down through generations. These are the kind of things that have a lot of value – objects with stories and meaning.

“When you walk into a place and smell fresh flowers, you can’t be in a bad mood. It’s impossible.” Marmar AlHilali

Kate Instone

The Creatively Disobedient

Taking a bespoke approach to every single project, Kate Instone has worked on everything from private residences and hotels to palaces, super yachts and private jets. The Blush International founder has many wise words to share – and those who know her, will say she’s a force to be reckoned with. Armed with years and years of experience and with an impressive clientele, Kate is one of the most seasoned designers out there.

Is there a rulebook we should follow when selecting homeware?

It’s good to be creatively disobedient and forget the rules. It’s much more fun to be expressive – with antiques, colour, or whatever makes you happy. Those final touches are really personal. A piece of furniture is a piece of furniture, but it’s what you put on top of it that really brings it to life, and it reflects your personality – where you’ve been, and who you are. Remember, you are not accessorising for someone else but you’re accessorising for yourself. I think that’s really special and important.

What’s one thing that never goes out of style?

It’s amazing how very few things are timeless. They might come back into fashion, but they go out of fashion, too. I do think there’s certain things which don’t date. Number one is books. Books are forever. I think a book collection is a precious, beautiful thing to have that you will also pass down through generations.

What do you think is the biggest mistake people are making with lighting?

Maybe the biggest mistake is that people don’t put enough low-level lighting and I often walk into homes in this region with quite harsh LED downlights – which is great for productivity, but it gives a very one-dimensional lighting aesthetic, whereby if you can actually punctuate that with table lamps, standing lamps, and picture lights, you get all these different dimensions of lighting which elevates the space and makes it much warmer and cosier. My advice is to change those levels and colours, and bring in those different dimensions of lighting.

“Books are forever. I think a book collection is a precious, beautiful thing to have.” Kate Instone

Jennifer Black

The Maximalist

A mix of fashion, art and design, Jennifer Black’s brand Wear The House is all about unapologetically being yourself. What’s in style isn’t determined by trends, but by what represents your life, story and passions. There’s never a dull moment.

Is there such a thing as over-accessorising?

No. There is an art to how you place the accessories, though. I’m a true maximalist, more is more when it comes to my style. I do love to over-accessorise. I love mixing vintage pieces I have collected with books, and pops of colour. I love walking into a space and just being wowed. I love that feeling of just being overwhelmed a little bit and not knowing where to look. It’s very similar to how I dress myself. I love positivity, I love colour – it’s infectious and makes you happy.

How strong is the link between fashion and interior design?

My background is in fashion, and so when I launched Wear The House, it was all about mixing fashion elements into interiors. I think, actually, the interior market is in such an exciting time, because we’ve seen so much of fashion, and I feel like there’s still so many boundaries to push in the home in terms of mixing materials, trims, elements, colours and patterns. I think home is really becoming bigger than ever and I think it’s a great time for homeware designers to really get their name out there.

Why do clients choose you?

For me, it’s all about colour and art. Art has the power to totally transform a room. I just feel like you can’t not be happy when you have this big statement piece that radiates colour and detail and just elevates your home. I love incorporating art and colour into people’s home and I feel like that’s why my clients come to me, because I bring the positivity, I bring the happy vibes.

“I bring the positivity, I bring the happy vibes.” Jennifer Black

Photographer: Aasiya Jagadeesh. Styling: Nour Bou Ezz. Interviews: Ayesha Shehmir. Makeup: Sonia Abad. Transcriptions: Isabelle Hutfield. Location: Ethan Allen, Dubai Hills Mall

From Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Autumn 2024 issue.

Click here to watch the full panel discussion on The Art of Accessorising: Fashion to Furniture featuring Marmar AlHilali, Jennifer Black and Kate Instone, moderated by Ayesha Shehmir at Ethan Allen, Dubai Hills Mall.