Walking in some of Abu Dhabi's richly coloured havens with graceful, curved lines, fabrics in daring colours and textures, it could be that you are standing in one of Foyer Décor's creations.
Tamara began her career as an architect, but found the time span between design and finished product tiresome: "I'm impatient, and I like that in design I can see returns on my ideas within four months, not four years. I also have always loved colours and fabrics, and I discovered I was good at it," she says from behind her desk, which is piled with fabric samples, architectural drawings, and catalogues from the latest collections in Milan and other design centres.
The change in career focus took her to Paris' esteemed Ecole Boulle for a degree in design. Tamara's aptitude for the technical side, an understanding of construction techniques and materials, and sophisticated creative flare helped catapult Foyer to the forefront of interior design in Abu Dhabi. Backed up with Emad's Business and Financial background Foyer Décor was established in 2003 with only three employees, the company now employs 35 professionals other than labourers and has doubled its workspace. Foyer has also bought its own wood manufacturing facility in 2006, a 2200 sqm wood factory that will concentrate on producing highend decorative wooden work.
Foyer Décor's designs are coveted by the elite of Abu Dhabi society, and members of the Royal Family are among its clientele. Its clients list spreads out to also include major corporate names as well as many governmental offices. “Villas, palaces and other large-scale residential projects create a lot of challenge for the vast amount of creative freedom they provide”, says Tamara. But to create a corporate identity for a corporation is not an easy task.” Among younger clients, she says, “there is a willingness to experiment with colours and materials - sumptuous drapery, cutting-edge Italian furniture using materials such as gold, exotic woods and even fur. Foyer Decor older clients prefer the French and Italian Classic styles, but even within this rubric, Foyer Decor's trademark of modern flourish is incorporated so that the antique furniture and thick rugs still exist within an airy, open space.” The company provides a 'turnkey' service, where bare walls and floors are transformed into fully functional, comfortable and luxurious interiors. Besides residential, corporate and governmental interiors, Foyer's other specialty and mainstay is industrial design, which can incorporate interesting challenges. For instance, for a children's psychiatric hospital, plans had to incorporate scientific research about the psychological effect of colour and architectural shapes - no fiery tones, no sharp corners or harsh edges.
Foyer has also expanded into the retail design sector, and includes among its clientele a large number of shops in Abu Dhabi. In retail design, the trend is toward a modernist look at which Foyer excels: clean lines, lightwoods and stainless steel.
Foyer Wood Factory is the backbone of Foyer Décor contracting as manufacturing its own product allows for complete assurance of the best quality, as well as the ability to respect the time frames and deadlines of any project. To further integrate the unique vision of Foyer Décor a full team of gypsum craftsmen and painters are amongst its list of employees. Foyer Décor trading is another part of the company which is involved in providing furniture for the educational and hospitality sectors. To stay ahead of trends and make sure she can provide the best quality accessories and furniture for her clients, Tamara travels to trade shows in Italy, Germany, France and China every year, and has created alliances with major companies from Europe and the Far East.
Although Tamara welcomes the breadth of new design and interior contracting firms cropping up, she is concerned about quality and professionalism. She lists Foyer's strengths: "our designs are really different, we respect deadlines and stick to them and When we say something will be done, we do it."
When the dust settles on the construction sites and the last curtain is hung in Abu Dhabi's new developments, a new design ethos may be born, and Foyer Décor will be in the vanguard.