Firas Al Sahin: Exclusive Interview – What the designer loves the most about his work is that it affords him the opportunity to be creative. “There is nothing more satisfying than building a relationship with a client, forming a sense of trust, and giving me the liberty to design a space that we both fall in love with.” – he said. In his career, the most challenging time was the start-up of 4SPACE. Firas Al Sahin and his partner co-founded the studio and at the time they had no team, so he had to be the designer, the visualizer, and the CAD detailer all together. “Amjad and I overcame the challenges by putting in the extra hours, working weekends, and overseeing every stage of the project from the design process to on-site coordination and project management.” – said Firas.

Firas Al Sahin

When asked if he had already achieved everything in life, the answer was quite simple: not yet. Firas Al Sahin is proud of his journey and where he is today, mainly when he looks back on his achievements. Nevertheless, he can help it but imagine how much better his future will be. His biggest dream is to extensively travel the world and leave his design mark in every different part of it. Professionally what really fulfills him is the recognition. “The most fulfilling accolade is when the 4SPACE team exceeds the client’s expectations without compromising on style, perfection and self-satisfaction.” – said the designer.

[BDCK category=3 Keywords=”CH-annualsalescovetlighting”][/BDCK]

PROJECTS

When it comes to communicating with his audience, Firas Alsahim enjoys being close to it. He regularly connects and speaks to them on the various 4SPACE social media platforms. “I enjoy sharing site stories and building challenges, answering questions, and of course, responding to new project enquiries.” – he said. Currently, he is working on an impressive new 2000 square metre chic bar venue called Papa Dubai. Papa’s has eight dynamic bar concepts under one roof, creating a one-stop destination for drinking, dining, socialising and entertaining. 4SPACE is also working on a vast, immersive experience park in Dubai. It’s inspired by everything that is hype in today’s life. A new Armenian restaurant and bar called Vaga have a fantastic location on Blue Waters Island, home to the Dubai Eye. And they are also working with celebrity chef Kelvin Cheung to create a stylish new restaurant on Emaar Boulevard. Last but not the least, a few commissions are happening throughout the year. They are designing an installation that will appear at Dubai Design Week and one competition installation piece for “Urban Commissions”.

Creatively speaking, the designer considers that the pandemic has thrown to the interior designer world an exciting curveball of challenges. He and his team are embracing this new way of living. They are thoroughly enjoying creating beautiful design-led elements that help keep people safe and secure. His type of clients tends to be dreamers like them! “We have an eclectic mix of interesting clients that range from developers to hospitality companies and foodpreneurs to visionaries. Our clients seek uniqueness.” – explained Fira Al Sahin. Plus, all of their projects are vastly different. They draw inspiration from everything around them; it could be a book, a movie or a music video. Most importantly, they love to listen to young CEO’s and how they envision the future. In the designer’s opinion, they have the unique opportunity to express themselves differently in every aspect of their life.

TO FINALISE

When it comes to craftsmanship, the designer thinks that builders, contractors, and joinery carpenters are all valued assets in this business. “However, the responsibility lies with the designer to provide the right proportion, scale, finish and feasibility. The designer is the soul of anything manufactured.” – he said. In the future, Firas Al Sahin would enjoy seeing designers pushing even further the boundaries of traditional interior design. He seeks to design spaces that seamlessly touch the lives of the occupants and create a tangible long-term relationship with them and the spaces that they occupy.