Pallavi Dean’s Roar blends bespoke
design elements with accessible Ikea furniture
for Origami restaurant in Dubai

Roar has completed the interior design of Origami, a new Sushi Fusion restaurant located in Dubai’s Festival City Mall.

“We were tasked with imagining a functional space imbued with a sense of Japanese zen within a very limited budget. We didn’t want to compromise on the design so we decided to unashamedly incorporate low-cost but considered furniture pieces from Ikea with some key bespoke features which elevate the scheme and give Origami its distinct yet pared-back look.”

Pallavi Dean, Founder and Creative Director of Roar, comments

The front face of the bar is a lightweight Polyurethane stone panel bar by Panel Piedra, which mimics the texture of rough stones, and adds depth and tactility to the environment. A finely lit black metal mesh runs underneath the bar as a visual echo to the bespoke lighting elements overhead.

A large mural created by local creative agency Art Painting Lab provides a subtle, playful background to furniture by Ikea and Urban Nest, which include a combination of bench seating, free-standing chairs and stools. An exposed ceiling fused with a neutral colour palette of sands and greys gives the space a raw, minimalist feel.

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About Pallavi Dean 
Dubai-based Pallavi Dean is the founder and creative director of interior design studio Roar.
Pallavi believes her designs reflect the influences of being born in India, raised in Dubai and working for several years in London. Having trained as an architect and a sustainability specialist, she launched Pallavi Dean Interiors in 2013. The studio was rebranded as Roar in 2018.