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Interview with Kawn Designs

Kawn Designs came to life through Rama Akel’s architectural journey that included interior design complimentarily.

Kawn Designs

Design Legend Interview

10 April 2021

I did my bachelors degree in Architecture at the University of Jordan then did my Masters Degree in Design Futures at Goldsmiths Collage- University of London.
My first design job was a site based architect with the team that worked on implementing the interior design of the Royal palace in Jordan. It was a great exposure and it made me see the the importance of the details. I enjoyed the learning process and seeing ideas becoming real. After that, I started taking interior design projects because I felt confidant dealing with interiors. Meanwhile I took projects in which I did the architecture, Interior design, interior decoration and landscaping. My design expertise got expanded as I had to deliver and could not accept a compromised outcome. I understood that design is a way of thinking and approaching problems. Design is all about finding smart, simple and creative comprehensive solutions to needs and problems.
The more projects I completed the more I felt that interior and furniture design is my true passion.

Its my passion and what I do best. I enjoy the process of creation more than anything else. I still feel that I own the world every time I finish a design and see it come to life and the mount of joy and happiness the design brings to me and my clients

I chose it and had to fight for it. My dad wanted me to be a dentist and it was a big struggle to make him accept my choice to study architecture.

I design furniture, interiors’ and architecture and in personal occasions I step into fashion. I would love to focus on furniture and products design more.

Have faith in the power of their ideas.
Listen to their clients and address their dreams and needs. A design that solves a problem and cater for a need is already a successful design.
Not be scared of breaking the norms.

A great design can wow the observer decades after its done but a good design can sustain its beauty for maximum of 10 years then fades with trends.
A great designer can create timeless beauty despite all challenges, budget, context, social limitations, norms, etc… A good designer can create beauty but with no limitations involved.

A good design is a timeless sustainable design that solves a problem or fulfills a need and is beautiful regardless of the context.

A really good design lives through generations without getting old or useless. As a matter of fact a good designs ages very gracefully. They never loose their edge or charm.

I would love to design functional, sustainable and beautiful furniture for low budget houses. I believe that beauty and style should not be exclusive to rich. Everyone should afford it.

To work on the restoration of a historical building and turn it into a boutique hotel with all the details of finishing, furnishing, lighting and exterior. To create an exceptional experience that connects the past with the now gracefully.

I design with love. I feel my designs and sympathize with my clients. I switch places with my clients and try to understand what fulfills their dreams of the perfect living. I question my definition of functional and beautiful over and over until I get it as right as possible.

Frank Lloyd Wright
Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe
Philip Starck
Tadao Ando
Gabrielle Bonheur known as "Coco" Chanel

•The Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman designed by Charles and Ray Eames for the Herman Miller. Its timeless and elegant and add to any interior space regardless of the interior design statement intended.
•Fernando Mastrangelo sand mirrors. I admire the ultimate simplicity and uniqueness.
•Melt pendant light by Tom Dixons. I like the light fluid distortion of the the round shape and the sharpness of materials used.
•Falling water house by Frank Lloyd Wright. The integration with nature is done beautifully.
•Totems lights by Prateek Jain and Gautam Seth from Klove. The whole collection is unconventional in the way it referred to an ancient tribal symbol that carried sacred significance.

The Royal lounge at Jordan’s new airport. There was a design competition and I won the award of the best design and got the project.
The space was so challenging, very long and narrow (6 X 80 meters with very high ceilings and 80 m long continuous glass overlooking the runway. Being a lounge at the airport the design had to have a glimpse of Jordan in it. So I created sliding metal screens with poetry of Jordan perforated with Arabic calligraphy. Walking by the long window became a beautiful experience because one would be busy reading the poetry and admiring the details. Those magic screens not only added a beautiful experience to the lounge but also created an outstanding reflection on the floor in the afternoon. This project with all its details is still my pride and joy those it was done in 2016.

The key to becoming a good designer is to dare to challenge the norm and to be open to explore all possibilities. Staying safe and in one’s comfort zone can only create ordinary designers and outcomes. One very important tip is to love what you do and to truly have a real passion behind your design. Passion and purpose can do miracles.

I think a lawyer.

Its very difficult to define design. It can have so many meanings and translations.
Design can be an endless list of things we do every day without even noticing.
Design is fulfilling an existing need by adding a hint of beauty to an old room.
Design is the art of using the right material, color, piece of furniture, art in the right place.
Design is the ability to combine opposites and make them look inseparable.
Design is the ability to see beyond the parameters that people see.

My family is my biggest support. But I also had a dream, and I couldn’t let it go.

I have high expectations from myself and never stopped trying to learn more and perform better. I do not stop designing ever. My mind and eyes are trained to scan every single detail everywhere no matter what the occasion is and honestly, it’s a sickness.
I also was lucky to get great opportunities and clients’ who totally believed that I have what it takes to transform their living spaces to magical rooms. The more faith they had the harder my job became and the more I tried to live up to those expectations.

Finding the right opportunity was a main struggle. Building the right team and creating common language, understanding, trust and continuity was another obstacle. Getting the execution of the design done properly is also a challenge.

It depends on the context, client, project. There is no one right answer. But visuals are very important when presenting any design. Clients related to visuals a lot more than text or technical drawings.
But any design in any context must be presented with confidence, love and faith.

I am working on a new furniture collection using old middle eastern tiling patterns in a modern twisted way in both metal and wood. So far, the outcome is looking great and I'm very excited about it.

My ultimate goal is to set the furniture design trends in the MENA region and to design a whole collection for Roche Bobios and Minotti.

People expect creativity and understanding. Being a good designer goes hand in hand with being a good listener. If you can’t hear you clients with sympathy and love when they are talking about their needs and issues and experiences you can never offer the solutions that work for them.

Properly designed cities, neighborhoods and buildings proved to have a major positive impact on the behavior of the users. When all the details are thought of and spaces are designed and furnished properly people will find it harder to misbehave. Having a bench in a park, distributing trash bins properly in a street, designating a path for cycling and many other little detail that affect the everyday behavior of the users.

I am working on a landscaping project with a pool and its facilities. The project owner is a beautiful family who intend on enjoying every part of the garden which is making the project more enjoyable. Having a different feel and purpose for each zone to accommodate usages throughout the day and achieving the right balance between water, green and function areas is a nice puzzle that I am truly enjoying.

All the projects that created happiness to their owners

I would like to see more originality and less copying.

It depends on the size and type of project.

Be Original

Design certainly sets trends

I find sketch up very resourceful and user friendly. 3D max is another powerful software to show the piece the way it will truly look. But I also need to see a mockup in the real size of the piece if possible, to make all the final decisions.

How can this simplicity look this beautiful?

What a beautiful mind!

My best design partner is my manufacturing team lead by my carpenter. When I come up with a great design, I know it will not be complete until I discuss it with my workshop team. The excitement and energy and great ideas I see there is an inspiration on its own.
I also love working with designers from different backgrounds and disciplines. Each designer I co worked with taught me something new.

All my clients, the difficult and the easy ones. I did learn something from each project I designed.
Contractors and workers who execute the designs taught me a lot.

Furniture in Architecture: The Work of Luke Hughes
“Architecture for the poor” by Hasan Fathi.
The Century of Modern Design.
S,M,L,XL

I worked very hard and didn’t give up. I always believed that I can do better and I can offer more. I did lots of mistakes and I over-designed and over analyzed and got the design all wrong until I eventually got it right. The most important lesson I learned is truly “less is more” and its not only about how the design looks, its mostly about what it means

Barack Obama

I am not famous yet but can live with the hardships that might come with fame.

Color: White
Place: Anywhere by the sea
Food: Burgers
Season: Summer.
Thing: A brass sculpture in my bedroom by an Iraqi artist.
Brand: I don’t have a favorite brand. I go with what my heart desires not by brand.

One of those days I got a call from a potential client who happened to be the biggest advertising agency in town at that time. They bought a new building and wanted to discuss with me the possibility of doing the interior design for them. I got so excited because it’s a nice project, in a great location with amazing exposure. They gave me directions and we set an appointment and somehow, I got confused and could not find the exact address. So, I called the client and he was explaining to me how to get there, until I interrupted him saying that “I am parked in front of an ugly building with a colored roof top” and this ugly building turned out to be their new offices!

A lot of things can make a great day, a nice song in the morning, a good workout, a smile from a beloved one, a call from client saying “thank you for changing my mornings by your design” and many other little things that make a good day great. The freedom I have a designer is a bless and a curse at the same time, I can either be the most productive or go on for weeks without achieving much. To get over that and to stay motivated I make lists, I truly cannot function without them. I sometime even make the list after getting things done to assure myself that I am on top of things.

I don't think so.

I want all my fans to know that every piece I designed has a part of my heart and soul in it. Most of the pieces started with a memory or a sketch or a talk with a dear friend and took part of my sleep and dreams before it turned into its final shape. Each piece has so much character that only those who see themselves as special can relate to and want to own.

Designer Interview

7 October 2020

I did my bachelors degree in architecture because the process of creating buildings that ends up shaping our lives and experiences always fascinated me. I did not know when I made that decision that the way I see things and analyze them will change forever.
I stopped perceiving things as a whole because I understood the amount of work, effort and creativity invested to make a room feel like home.
My passion for architecture and for creation extended from creating the shell only to seeing each room as an independent project. Dealing with every detail of the room (the finishing, the light, the temperature, the energy, etc) and making it fully functional and as beautiful as my clients hoped somehow left me with no choice but to furnish those rooms with the same amount of passion. I could not accept less for me and my clients.

Kawn Designs is small house of design with a great team that is so passionate about design and making a difference in the furniture design industry. We are anti mass production and we believe that our living spaces should say a lot about us. The furniture in a room isn’t only there to be functional, it is there to remind us of who we are and what we connect with.
We create art that functions as furniture.

Design is seeing the endless possibilities’ in everything.

I enjoy the process of design, but my favorite is interior design.

My most favorite project is the design of the Royal Lounge at the new Airport in Amman- Jordan. The project was a competition that I won for submitting the best design. The main challenge was the space because it was slim and long and of course it had to be elegant and meaningful being the last and first point one would interact with visiting Jordan.
To make the walk through the long space more fun, I designed metal sun screens that run across the lounge with poetry about Jordan carved in the metal. The reflection of the calligraphy on the beige floors created an amazing image that one needs to struggle to forget it.

The first thing I designed was an entrance for an existing hotel (architecture and interior).

My favorite materials are brass and wood. The timelessness and the beauty of both materials even in their most basic forms is fascinating.

When I complete a project / a product. Looking at the final product that came from just an idea and seeing it real still mazes me and makes me feel creative.

Originality and functionally.

Excited and happy.

Achieved, fulfilled and happy.

A design is successful when it simple, original, functional and truly serves its purpose.

Sustainability,Functionality and aesthetics, in this order.

As designers we all hold major responsibility towards the environment as well as increasing awareness of users. We should encourage using recyclable materials and make it our duty that those materials are well presented in our designs. As designers we should set the trends in the industry responsibly.

I see the future of design as very eventful. With COVID 19 and the way its changing people’s perceptions and way of living, and with the growing need for feeling the individuality again after mass production dominated our public and private spaces, I see that design is needed more than ever. There is an opening for creative ideas that can cater for individuals’ specific needs, limited budgets, small homes, house based offices, sustainable solutions, more functional living rooms, etc.

My last exhibition was in March 2020 in Abu Dhabi- Ataya. It’s a design exhibition supported and organized by Red Crescent. Was supposed to participate in Milan Design Week 2020 but COVID 19 happened. But I will be participating in Dubai Digital Fair from 9-14 November 2020.

I have many sources of inspirations. It could be nostalgia, a phenomenon, a story or a need. When I need an inspiration and do not get it from any of the above, I read and research and usually land on an idea or an image that inspires me.

I would describe my style in design as Elegant, Sophisticated yet simple.
With time and practice, and after many errors I came to the realization that “less” is truly “more”. Overdesigning a space or a piece of furniture or a product will only compromise the outcome. A simple design that has the right story behind is a timeless design. A basic idea that is translated with enough passion into an object will speak for itself.

I was born and lived most of my life in Amman, Jordan. My culture and background and growing up in this part of the world certainly reflected on the way I see and do deign. I come from a conservative culture that challenges the new especially if it is introduced by a female. But despite the many complications and limitations there is so much history and originality and pride. Embracing the good and fighting the obstacles without losing perspective and motivation was the real challenge.

I am not sure I get the question exactly. I do the design, visualization and technical drawings within the design house “Kawn” and I outsource the makers.

Selecting a designer should be based on checking previous expertise and styles to make sure the designer can deliver what is aspired, but communication and mutual understanding of the project/ product should not be dismissed for it is as important as expertise.
Qualifications, compatibility, communication, similar set of ethics and mutual respect is the pre-requisite for a successful outcome.

The design process usually starts with an idea or an emotion or a need. Then the idea gets discussed and transforms into something more tangible. At that point the idea starts having physical boundaries. I start sketching the image until I get to a basic concept that can be carried forward. I take the hand sketch and draw it in Sketch Up and fix dimensions and proportions and colors and allocate materials. If the outcome is acceptable to me I have it rendered in high quality to assess the outcome. If I am happy with the outcome it stays if not I restart the process from the discussion phase.

Egg Chair.
An old Persian rug.
A 70s armchair that is restored and upholsted with deep green velvet.
An IKEA laptop table with adjustable height base.
A purple Minotti shiny side table

Days starts with two cups of coffee in which the day gets planned and the previous day is analyzed, then 30 min of workout, showering and getting ready and then heading to the office. I usually make my calls and enjoy my music in my morning drive. The day at the office starts with a quick morning meeting with the team catching up on work progress and setting targets whether for the day or for the week or specific projects. After that I either attend to my meetings or work on new designs.
After work I usually head home for a late lunch, then spend sometime with the family then go out to see friends in the evening couple of days a week.
I do not work on weekends. I need the time to relax, reflect, do the things that make me happy and energized.

Dare to think and to do challenge the norm. There are no rules. We can re-create new norms and new rules.
Always ask.

A positive aspect about being a designer is how curious you become because you need to know more about everything to expand the possibilities in your head. You need to understand cultures, religions, methodologies, psychology to make sense of the products you are creating.

Ironically “seeing non ending possibilities in everything” is the most positive and negative thing about being a designer. You just cannot accept or see things the way you are because you are always re-creating them in your head, and that takes away from the joy of accepting things the way they are.

“Less is More”

Imagination and the ability to see beyond the expected.

I start with sketching with a pencil. When I get more confidant about the lines I use my colored markers. If that goes well I take it to Sketch Up to validate proportions and material.
I use my collection of books for inspiration and I check Pinterest and read the newsletters I get from many sources.

I do lists and I try to follow them. But the thing is unless I have a deadline it is really hard to stop designing. I always feel that the more time I have the more I can improve the design and the outcome.
I allocate the time efficiently, first brainstorming, then design development, then visualization to validate decisions made during the initial phases of the design. If the outcome is satisfactory I take the design to the implementation phase, if not I either go back to development or decide that it is not worth it.

There is no golden rule here. Sometimes a perfect design can materialize in one day, and some others it could take weeks.

"What were you thinking?"

My most important job that shaped my whole career was being part of the local design team that worked in the Royal Palace to implement a design done by Jonathan Reed, a UK based interior designer. The exposure to brilliant designs and methodologies and best implementation practices was an experience that is beyond my dreams.

I worked as an interior designer with Arab Bank and Bank Al Etihad in Jordan.
I worked with the Royal Court to design the Royal Lounge at the new airport in Jordan.
I was the local consultant for Tesla showroom in Jordan.
I worked with Orange to design their creative center in Jordan.
I designed Golden Tulip Hotel – Airport in Jordan.

I enjoy renovation and restoration work the most. I guess the transformation and having a bench mark that identifies the achievement size makes me feel like a magician.

My future plan is to be recognized as one of the leading designers internationally and to have my furniture displayed across Europe, USA and MENA region within two years.
I am working very hard on establishing the brand and its image and hoping it will be recognized soon. Meanwhile I am working on the design process and outcome and selling online.

I do both. I do have a team of young ambitious designers working with me. Sometimes I work totally on my own and some others I work closely with my team.

I am currently working on a furniture selection that is inspired by many games that defined my childhood. The collection will be disclosed in Dubai Digital Fair November 2020. It is extremely fun and I'm enjoying the process and the outcome.

I can be contacted on my e-mail, either
rama@id-firm.com
or
rama@kawndesigns.com
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