The House of Metric
The House of Metric have been shortlisted for The Bedroom Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2023. Read more about Owner, Haya Al-Mannai, below:
Name: Haya Al-Mannai
Company: The House of Metric
Position within company: Owner
Tell us a little about your background in design:
It came as a hobby and educating myself about the field which then turned into a passion.
How would you describe your personal design style?
It’s a mix between contemporary art and a touch of classic.
Where does your design inspiration come from?
Inspirations from my travels, experiences, the industry in my country was lacking something new and of course my passion drives my inspiration to try new things.
In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
Forward definitely, I believe that this specific design has a very high demand and also its very difficult to execute so they seek professionals like me to execute it.
Name five key themes to consider when approaching design in 2023 and beyond.
Minimalist, bohemian, farmhouse, classic contemporary, Moroccan, traditional style.
If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
The advice would be that upon designing your own living space it has to come down to what makes you as an individual comfortable and not what the trend is telling you to do.
How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?
Extremely important, credibility to a company like mine is important since people turn to more companies with credible awards to work with.
What projects are you currently working on?
Currently working on 3 projects, most of these projects are designing homes and palaces for VIP people.
What was your favourite project to work on and why?
My favourite project was the project that I could truly design on my own without the constrictions of the customers’ demands it gave me a space to put and create whatever seemed beautiful to me and was a reflection of myself.
What was your most challenging project to work on and why?
The most challenging project would be figuring out the styles that people wanted, it’s hard to agree on something together because most of these customers look for something I don’t usually do, but in the end they do end up liking my style as a change.
Which products/services could you not live without when designing?
I can’t complete a space without using materials like; gypsum, moldling they make the space unique. For services I cannot live without a 3D model as it gives me an opportunity to plan out the space freely, also this comes down to the services I use to make my furniture. Sometimes it would require custom making and sometimes I would purchase them from a local shop.
What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
For the next 12 months I aim to focus on expanding my horizon in terms of trying to create new spaces with new inspirations to see how far I can go as a designer. It’s important for me to get customers but not as important as it is to educate myself in the field to give the Qatar interior design market a little more taste of the western world.
Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:
Your most treasured possession?
My son is my most treasured possession, he means everything to me. Part of what I’m doing is to give him a sense of what hard work really pays off if you do it.
Your favourite holiday destination?
My favourite destination is London, the Qatar population see London as their second home and going there really brings me comfort.
Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar?
My favourite hotel would definitely be the St. Regis Hotel Florence it was truly a magical experience being there.
Your favourite book, film & song?
My favourite book would be the Bridgeton series, I read them a while ago and it was just so beautifully written that I keep going back to read them again.
Your favourite food and drink?
I have sweet tooth and so I always crave something sweet. Waffles, crepes, chocolate covered strawberries are all my favorites.
Your favourite way to spend an afternoon?
Every afternoon I love to spend it relaxing and just being with my family, we usually do that through drinking tea or having afternoon teas. As a designer I’m a sucker at making my life aesthetic as well.
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
I would definitely still be in the designing world since it was the one thing I was also good at growing up, maybe a fashion designer.
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