Downtown Design speaks to the founder of The Lighthouse about design philosophy, inspiration and his expectations from the fair
An art and design enthusiast, Hashem approached The Lighthouse with the same editorial eye he applies to pieces that he admires and collects. Having spent over 20 years in finances and the past ten years building successful asset management business for several esteemed companies Hashem now successfully runs The Lighthouse, a design-centric concept store and restaurant in Dubai Design District (d3).
This year The Lighthouse does a special pop-up at Downtown Design that epitomizes inspired food and all things design.
1. Describe The Lighthouse to us in 5 words.
Timeless. Experimental. Functional. Communal. Beacon.
2. What is the philosophy of The Lighthouse?
Our philosophy is simple: our customers should surround themselves with beautiful things by buying less but better. And this applies to our restaurant as well; Chef Izu is a firm believer in creating simple dishes by using the highest quality ingredients that he can source.
3. The Lighthouse is a space where both passion for design and culinary excellence combine- how did you come about drawing these two experiences together?
The great author Virginia Woolf (to whom we owe our name!) and other members of the Bloomsbury Set which included artists, philosophers and thinkers such as John Maynard Keynes gathered around extended meals to discuss their ideas, projects and, coming to think of it, life in general. We were inspired when we discovered that they met over “lingering breakfasts” and “painting lunches,” an indication of how central, fresh, well prepared dishes were connected to the way they socialized. This became a principal tenet of our own eating philosophy at The Lighthouse. And well prepared dishes to us meant paying equal attention to the “vessels” used to consume the food; everything from the cutlery, plating, glassware etc. Hence, food and design merged to create the perfect social atmosphere which we strive to create every day at The Lighthouse.
4. If you had to choose one piece of design at The Lighthouse which one would you say best describes the essence of your brand?
Having to choose one places us in the quintessential Lighthouse ‘conundrum’ however we’ll make an exception for this interview: L’Abitare, an Italian brand based out of Milan known for its beautiful ceramic glassware, was one of the very first design brands that we acquired. And there was a reason for it, we were (and still are) in love with the aesthetic that combined minimalism and playfulness. And being an established design brand, it seamlessly combines functionality with beautiful aesthetics. Having said that, it doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously.
5. What lasting impression would you like to leave on Dubai’s growing design scene?
The Lighthouse aims to become a reference in design culture regionally and on an international level. An experimental space which embodies the holistic meaning of design, an open platform, a constantly evolving space, putting forward the latest in design experiments and materials and creating new connections by bringing together different design disciplines and connecting various members of the design community.
6. How do you go about looking for the pieces that you showcase and sell at the store?
We scour the globe to source objects that embody our design ethos. Our ethos can be summarized by our brand values (see question 1) so we use those as our filtering mechanism so to speak. Once we find brands or pieces that we feel embody our values, we present them to our customers who tend to be global-minded, well-traveled and design conscious. They tend to give and receive gifts that embody their lifestyle and reflect their discerning taste.
7. Where do you draw inspiration from?
We are a small team, which means that bouncing ideas and holding impromptu brainstorming sessions is a daily necessity and we all draw inspiration from that. We do seek inspiration from traveling or even visiting our favorite design fairs and seeing what’s new at concept stores such as Corso Como in Milan and Colette in Paris. It’s not that we are looking to remodel their successes, but with Dubai still being an emerging scene, it’s always refreshing to come back from an area that has long established itself at the forefront of design.
8. What are you looking forward to most at Downtown Design?
It’s our first “TLH pop up” where we bring our mix of F&B, design pieces, music and overall spirit to Downtown Design so we are very excited and look forward to the public’s reception especially that we feel the two brands really complement each other. This fair has started small and has built a strong reputation for itself over the past four years, captivating design-conscious audiences from all over and thus creating a unique dialogue that we are very excited to be part of and experience further this year. That, and meeting all the fabulous exhibitors and their (sometimes) larger than life brands.
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