i'll be needing to introduce myself a few times over the weeks and months to come as we discover the Kingdom of Bahrain and new faces that come with a new country and home, eager to give out my business card in the hope that projects will soon come my way. with that will be the inevitable perplexed look and repetitive pronouncing of E N V I E {usually said with best effort french accent 'onvee' and looking pleased with oneself til i correct it with 'envy', it's pronounced 'envy'} always received with a polite 'ah' and questioning frown. this is fine i didn't want it to be obvious, i want a conversation starter, because there is a reason i chose a rather provocative name rather than glorify my own.
therefore i feel this is a good time to explain the why? behind the name...
let's be frank everyone experiences some form of jealousy throughout their lifetime and from an early age i was often envious of where people lived, no doubt the result of being surrounded by stately plantation houses and seductive villas on barbados as well as majestic chateaux in france, i forever aspired to living a beautiful life. as i age i appreciate more that this is achieved beyond physical possessions but i still profess that a beautiful home enhances our well-being and stand firm that this can be supplied simply, continuing my efforts to dispel the assumption that interior design has to be an expensive investment.
E N V I E is the compulsion of emotions i have for interiors. i want what people create. not necessarily to possess but to be part of. it makes me feel alive, or 'etre en vie'... and voilà here is the alchemy of the name - the desire to be creative to feel alive. in addition 'avoir envie' also means 'to want'. furthermore being half french i love the fact that E N V I E could be pronounced 'envy' but written in the french form 'envie'. even more exciting is the provocative undertone to E N V I E... sensual desire, something that makes the heart beat a little faster is definitely an emotion i want to induce with my interiors, all captured poignantly in my mantra: lust love live
i'm finding it already intensely stimulating living in the Middle East and though not naive to the reality of the rise in modern culture here, i am adamant to seek out the authentic beauty of the people, land and traditional culture, to use this to continue to evolve E N V I E as seen through my eyes, to not be influenced by others' opinions on design but to continue to be confident in my vision and choices, to learn from the people i will be fortunate to work with and strive to deliver interiors in which everyone will find comfort, desire and a joy of life.
my aesthetic focus this coming year will of course be on all things arabian and how to blend this into my signature style to offer a unique take on arabian interiors. below are some past and present images of my interiors and inspiration to get this started. i hope you will continue to follow our journey and that it may inspire your interiors into 2017! happy new year!
adore these super simple heavy cotton canvas cushions, uber chic in washed out safari green against the faded timber. palette inspo all over this image {even me representing my black and oyster}
pic taken at the ethereal La Fontaine, Bahrain
images 1-7 taken by pascale arminjon-taylor
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