“I felt a lot of mummy guilt initially”, Sarah-Jane explains her mind-set when she joined as a part-time Business Developer at LXA in 2010. Back then, her daughter was still under two years old. With the toddler finally fitting into nursery shoes, Sarah wanted to get back into her suit. But maternal instincts kept her from going full throttle.
Given her predicament, the position at LXA (then, Luxe Interiors) was ideal for her. She elaborates, “My job was to support and coordinate with my now co-directors, Dave Rooney and Richard Parton, who were based in the UK. I was also responsible for scouting more opportunities.”
En Fuego Restaurant – Atlantis The Palm, Dubai; Lead Consultant: LXA
As time went on, Sarah-Jane was reminded of the sharp, business-minded professional she used to be. She steadily took on bigger responsibilities and became an integral part of LXA’s Dubai operations. The firm, which was founded by David Rees in the UK, had gained traction for their F&B designs in Dubai and Sarah-Jane, too, pulled on from her hospitality experience in past roles to contribute to the synergy.
Design: The Business of Problem Solving
Operations & Other Departments
“Turns out I’m quite creative!”, quips Sarah-Jane. Her role at LXA leaned to the commercial side of interior design, but there was no rule against immersing oneself in the nitty-gritty of projects and becoming a part of it. Did Sarah-Jane pickup a pencil and sketch a visual opposing a designer’s vision? No. Did she provide insights based on her vast experiences and suggest design solutions? Yes.
“Creativity finds itself in business, like it does in design. Think about it. To be a successful leader, you have to ‘design’ processes”, she comments. Sarah-Jane believes creativity and entrepreneurship intermingle. “If you think of an entrepreneur as having a sort of a go-getter personality, I see that in all designers at LXA every single day, too.”
Not Only Fish Restaurant, Dubai; Interior Designers: LXA
“Creativity finds itself in business, like it does in design. Think about it. To be a successful leader, you have to ‘design’ processes. If you think of an entrepreneur as having a sort of a go-getter personality, I see that in all designers at LXA every single day, too.”
– Sarah-Jane Grant, Managing Director, LXA
Sarah-Jane’s catch-phrase, ‘We are in the business of problem solving’ resonates in her view of the business. According to her, designing a space is either catering to changed needs or meeting new ones. She shrugs, “Designers and entrepreneurs, both, are trying to look at things from a different perspective. And they do that every single day. Both require the ability to identify what the market needs and how to effectively service it.”
Stepping in Sarah-Jane’s Shoes
A Leader & A People’s Person
A typical day at LXA for Sarah-Jane doesn’t exist. Because her day is almost never typical. She could be in a barrage of commercial meetings one day, and might spend a couple of hours sitting around a table discussing design ideas the other. Add administration and managing designers to the mix, and there is a fresh concoction for every single day.
“I’m lucky”, she concedes. “I’ve never had to look for opportunity or growth within LXA. It has always been honoured to me by the company.”
“My job is to speak to people, whether it’s winning clients, or touching base with existing clients or co-ordinating with my team”, Sarah-Jane over-simplifies. Alongside crystal communication, Sarah-Jane also puts on the hat of a master problem solver at LXA, burning fires quickly and effectively everyday.
Jones The Grocer Restaurant, DSO; Interior Designers: LXA
Sarah-Jane delves into payments and how she thinks financial processes have improved after the pandemic. “Earlier, it relied more on inter-personal guarantee and trust”, she testifies. “The pandemic streamlined processes, and at LXA, we find communicating constantly is the way to go. Educating clients about liabilities in-person than just sending over the contract could help alleviate hold ups.”
In extreme situations, Sarah-Jane finds involving a third-party consultant to accrue fees could be useful. It takes the personal quotient out of the equation and makes for a smoother experience, without straining the professional relationship.
“Earlier, [payments] relied more on inter-personal guarantee and trust. The pandemic streamlined processes, and at LXA, we find communicating constantly is the way to go. Educating clients about liabilities in-person than just sending over the contract could help alleviate hold ups”
– Sarah-Jane Grant, Managing Director, LXA
Hospitality in the GCC: Global v/s Local
Dubai, London & the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Upon being asked if Sarah-Jane feels the potential to harness UAE’s culture in F&B designs remains untapped, she divulges, “The meaning of culture could be two-fold. It could mean heritage and traditions, or it could be the values the country has and the lifestyle it promotes. As a region, we can be criticised for borrowing a bit too much from other countries, but there is merit in how Dubai has developed as one of the most hospitable cities in the world.”
The word ‘global’ is a stalwart in the GCC region’s design vocabulary. As a nation that capitalises on tourism, restaurants and hotels that build an international image are incumbent. So, when Sarah-Jane states that there isn’t much difference between clients’ preferences in London (where LXA’s Headquarters are based) and Dubai, it is not a shocking revelation.
“Clients in both these geographies [UK and GCC] want authentic experiences and integrity. It is a market that wants to be entertained through food and ambience. Customers want all that without compromise in health standards”, she explains.
Vida Churascaria & Bar, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah; Interior Designers: LXA
“The meaning of culture could be two-fold. It could mean heritage and traditions, or it could be the values the country has and the lifestyle it promotes. As a region, we can be criticised for borrowing a bit too much from other countries, but there is merit in how Dubai has developed as one of the most hospitable cities in the world.”
– Sarah-Jane Grant, Managing Director, LXA
Then on being questioned about how the Saudi Arabian F&B design differs from UAE, Sarah Jane boils it down to each having its own challenges given both peaked at different times. “Sustainability had been a part of Dubai’s aim a decade ago as well, but the right materials and talent were not as accessible back then. Technology wasn’t as developed either. On the other hand, legacy is a big part of Saudi Arabia’s message, which inherently brings in sustainability”, she opines.
In a nutshell, Sarah-Jane perceives similarity in aspirations but each region has/had its own set of playing cards. “There has been a cultural shift in the past few years. Now, we don’t need to even talk about whether materials are sustainable or not. There is a general social consciousness where everything that you’re offered will have had some consideration towards sustainability, whereas that was more rare when the UAE was starting on its journey”, she says.
“There has been a cultural shift in the past few years. Now, we don’t need to even talk about whether materials are sustainable or not. There is a general social consciousness where everything that you’re offered will have had some consideration towards sustainability, whereas that was more rare when the UAE was starting on its journey.”
– Sarah-Jane Grant, Managing Director, LXA
Winning Projects at LXA
The Secret Sauce
Pride laces her tone as Sarah-Jane announces that over 70% of their clientele is a roster of professionals who have worked with them in the past. She attributes the clients’ positive experience to LXA’s ability to keep up with the times. “A decade ago, a client would be reluctant to reveal the budget, thinking it would hinder creativity,” Sarah-Jane shares. Since then, the concept of ‘design-to-budget’ has gained traction and terms like value-engineering and ROIs (Return-On-Investments) have made their way through the design process. In either case, LXA has remained at the forefront of tailoring their approach.
But, a high-rate of repetitive clientele leaves little room for improvement, making expanding into other avenues the only portal to grow. “We’re now doing more Cost Consultancy, Project Management and Lead Design Consultancy work. And that means businesses that once upon a time were our competitors are now our collaborators. We remain fixated on budgets, so the project is built-to-purpose and the need to value-engineer is eliminated”, she avers.
Duo Gastrobar, Dubai; Project Manager: LXA
“We’re now doing more Cost Consultancy, Project Management and Lead Design Consultancy work. And that means businesses that once upon a time were our competitors are now our collaborators. We remain fixated on budgets, so the project is built-to-purpose and the need to value-engineer is eliminated.”
– Sarah-Jane Grant, Managing Director, LXA
According to her, a project is no more a singular commodity. It does not belong to one firm. The undercurrent is more about realising how collaborative efforts can yield best results. “With talents being shared between Saudi Arabia and UAE, there is enough and more business for everyone,” she states.
Procurement is yet another department housed under LXA. While the firm can easily be called a one-stop shop, Sarah-Jane has a more nuanced take. She mentions, “We don’t have to be involved in every aspect of a project. But, just having all those teams under one-roof, makes each department more sensitised to the decisions that might be taken and how it could affect a design. It provides insight into intra-department stresses and strains, allowing LXA a holistic vision and ability to make decisions from an informed stance.”
Duo Gastrobar, Dubai; Project Manager: LXA
“We don’t have to be involved in every aspect of a project. But, just having all those teams under one-roof, makes each department more sensitised to the decisions that might be taken and how it could affect a design. It provides insight into intra-department stresses and strains, allowing LXA a holistic vision and ability to make decisions from an informed stance.”
– Sarah-Jane Grant, Managing Director, LXA
In a recent F&B project, Duo GastroBar in Dubai Hills, LXA were appointed for project management, but proposed another designer for the scope of interior design because they perceived it would be a better fit for the client. And it was! The completed project has even garnered attention and praise. LXA’s step proves that an experienced entity in the business is not one that greedily takes up projects, but one that makes for good design and ethics.
Professionals like Sarah-Jane have been in the industry for decades, and understand there lies more merit in letting go of reigns over holding too tight. Afterall, creativity is a breeze best left untamed.
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Date added:
21 February, 2024
