Italian Design Excellence in One Dedicated Space at City Walk Dubai
Studio 971 first opened its doors on Sheikh Zayed Road in 2015, with a showroom dedicated to showcasing high end, luxury brands. Aptly named, the space is indeed a one stop haven for lovers of exquisite design, housing a select portfolio of brands that cover all aspects of luxurious living.
“At Studio 971, our commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and pushing the boundaries of conventional design sets us apart.” says Gaby Koudsi Founder and Managing Partner of Studio 971. “From award winning Italian designer kitchens to the highest quality designer furniture, we offer sophisticated enhancement to your living space and interior design, and our new showroom is a testament to reaching new heights of excellence.” (Scroll down for our full conversation with Gaby Koudsi)
Interior design professionals and aficionados will be thrilled to hear of their latest twin showroom launching this week in the fashionable and trendy City Walk Dubai. Stretching over an impressive 4,500 square feet, the chic new Studio 971 space further exemplifies the company’s appreciation of authenticity and excellence in Italian design, with two dedicated spaces for brands Arclinea and Lema. Both names are home to work by design greats, including Antonio Citterio (for Arclinea), and Piero Lissoni, Francesco Rota, Gabriele e Oscar Buratti and Roberto Palomba + Serafini Associati (for Lema). Arclinea was founded by Silvio Fortuna in 1925 as an artisanal laboratory specialising in wood work. Over the years, the brand has gained global recognition as a Ieader in high-end, Italian kitchens. In the late nineties, Arclinea appointed Antonio Citterio as head designer, confirming its desire to produce not just equipment and furnishings, but also innovative architectural concepts for modern living. Since 2016 Arclinea has been part of B&B Italia Group, and today is a prestigious international brand, the perfect ambassador of ‘Made in Italy’.
Lema is a name synonymous with luxury and sophistication in interior design for home, office, and contract projects. Founded in 1970 by the Meroni family, their designs draw on traditions that date back to the early post-war years. Lema was the first Italian company to develop a system with load-bearing side panels in multiple finishes, as well as launching the renowned, customisable Armadio al Centimetro wardrobe. Today, the brand’s catalogue ranges from modular systems for the home to freestanding furniture, including their latest collection of aesthetic padded furniture.
With doors opening this week to Studio 971’s new City Walk venue, visitors can look forward to a buzzing calendar of events in a vibrant yet sophisticated atmosphere, as well as experience the fine Italian kitchens during live cooking events. The carefully curated new twin showroom is kitted with the best, high-end products and detailing, including sleek doors by Glas Italia, and large-scale facades, flooring and countertops from Dekton by Cosentino. Dekton’s versatility is evident in the elegantly dressed outdoor and interior spaces of the showroom, and plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall storytelling of the design. Both brands are world leaders in their respective fields for decades.
IN CONVERSATION WITH GABY KOUDSI, FOUNDER & MANAGING PARTNER, STUDIO 971
As the Managing Partner of Studio971, would you say kitchens are the new living rooms?
Kitchens have transformed into the modern-day living room over the past decade. At nearly every dinner party we attend, the gathering inevitably gravitates towards the kitchen. Many manufacturers have observed this evolving trend over the last ten years, prompting the design of kitchen products that support this concept. For instance, one of our Italian kitchen brands introduced a new line called ‘Feeling at Home,’ which features products derived from their kitchen portfolio, with a focus on integrating them into the household’s living space.
The pandemic accelerated this transition. Many of our recent kitchen designs are not just functional spaces for food preparation and storage but also regarded as pieces of furniture, seamlessly blending into the living area.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant number of people embraced cooking as a hobby. This sudden shift in behaviour led to an increased appreciation for and use of kitchens.
What do you hope a visitor experiences when they enter the new Studio 971 showroom in City Walk?
Showrooms should serve as spaces where you encounter a sense of atmosphere, rather than being mere product displays. This has remained our guiding principle, applied to both our existing showroom on SZR and our second location in Citywalk.
As we embarked on designing this space, our objective was crystal clear: to create an environment that offers not only inspiration but also comfort and functionality. These are the fundamental elements that our clients actively seek. When people set out on the journey of designing a new home, their quest invariably involves finding inspiration. This inspiration can manifest in various forms, encompassing designs, finishes, concepts, and more, and it’s not limited to our own products.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received provides us with the confidence that we have successfully brought these aspirations to life.