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Dona Paranayil
Saudi Gazette
Since the past few years, the country has seen a rise in the number of interior designers who cater to customized services. “Having your own style in designing is exciting yet challenging in our society,” said Rana Alsaggaf, a Saudi freelance interior designer, who currently works as a design program instructor at Al Khaleej Training and Education as well as a senior interior designer at AlShaika, Jeddah.
Rana is a passionate and inspiring interior designer who is particular about her clients’ preferences rather than her own individual tastes. Her love in calligraphy, art and graphic designing has helped her to blend her culture with the use of space.
SG: Can you talk about your interior designing career? From where did you draw your inspiration?
RA: I started early in life. My passion was in colors and art in general like drawing, painting, carving, etc. I participated in varied art events until I discovered my true passion. I decided to choose interior design as my major in my bachelor’s degree. This gave me the opportunity to apply art in everyday life.
SG: What is the concept of your designs that make them unique?
RA: Before I got into interior design, my interest was in Islamic art and especially in Arabic calligraphy. This interest continued and grew with every project I worked on. This journey has been very inspiring. For me, Arabic and Islamic art is not just about ornaments, it’s a science of how to use space, how to make it functional, and personal in an urban perspective with the Arabic/Islamic identity in a way that is suitable to our time.
SG: When you design the interior of a home, do you take into consideration, the exterior architecture? If so, how? Do you use a specific palette of colors, or is it strictly up to the homeowner on the color theme?
RA: It’s true that I work with the interior but focusing on designing, my goal is to find harmony in the place so it’s a must to consider the exterior.
I have my own palette but I don’t like to force my clients to my taste, in the end they are the ones who will live with it, my role is to help them with the right choices using my experience to save them from regretting in the future. I sit with my client and plan the design step by step. We also include everyone related to the project, like the contractor and the suppliers to achieve the desired result.
SG: What products are people usually interested in? When young Saudis are buying their first home, what do you notice about their tastes? Do they prefer traditional, modern, contemporary, traditional Arabic or does IKEA satisfy all their needs?
RA: The young Saudi community’s taste contains all types of styles and they are aware of what is new in the field. A lot have taken designing as an interest and a hobby. In addition, many have tried to educate themselves and are seen in design expeditions. They try to stay updated but still they rely on interior designers.
SG: What do you think is the scope of interior designing in Saudi? Have Saudis grasped the importance of interior designing or do you find yourself spending time educating them on the concept.
RA: Interior designing in Saudi Arabia grew very fast in the past years. More colleges opened, we now have a great number of designers, and the society started to have a better understanding of the field compared to the time I graduated few years ago.
But the challenge we are facing as interior designers is that there is still a gap in understanding the field properly. People feel that it’s a luxury, while it’s more related to the economy and the society as a whole. For example, when you hire an interior designer for a commercial project the design will be based on community needs, the function of the space, the project goal and vision. Marketing is also taken in consideration, how to attract customers, and planning to help the client save more money. This would increase the project’s income and at the same time, with a good design that will make a remarkable name in the customer’s mind.
SG: What are your future interests/plans in interior designing? Do you have any new interesting interior decoration ideas for Saudis in future?
RA: My dream is to see our designs as Muslim Arab designers, more related to our culture and what really meet the community needs. I hope to create our own identity in the local and global market as we always had in the past. The good news is that I can see that many young designers are sharing the same vision, and together we can save our legacy.
Instagram: @ranaalsaggaf
