Designing spaces that work Guest: Interior designer, Zubeida Ismail

0:00I'm a Sahle and welcome back to the daily reset. Today we're talking about something rather interesting in our homes and our workspaces, shape how we feel, how we think and even how, you know, productive we are. And our well-designed space isn't only about looking beautiful, it's also about creating environments that support comfort, functionality, creativity, and well-being. So from the layout of a room to the lighting, colors, and furniture choices, portable design can transform an ordinary space into something truly special. And to help us understand how to create spaces that really work for people using them, we are joined by sister Zubeda Ismail. She's a qualified interior designer with over 15 years of experience in the field, known for transforming homes and work spaces into environments that are both functional and beautiful. She is from Space Edge Design, an interior design and architectural company that focuses on creating spaces that truly work for the people using them. She also is currently pursuing a future in law,

1:00adding another exciting chapter to her professional and journey. Zubeda Assalamu Alaykum and thank you so much for making the time for us. Alaykum Assalam, I trust you all well. Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me. How is Ramadan going for you? Ah, Ramadan is going well. It's going very quickly. I think this year has been very challenging because the days have been very long. So we're not really used to fasting for 14 hours, but I've found that in life it's actually been a really lovely month, but all the challenges that you've had. Definitely. So getting straight into it, what does an interior designer actually do when it comes to enhancing a home or even an office space? So basically, as an interior designer, we look at spaces on how they look, feel and function, right? Because we spend a lot of time in these spaces so they actually need to have some sort of purpose. We analyze from layout to lighting, colors, furniture, placements, materials,

2:02and we're basically creating an environment that suits the user's lifestyle or business needs for that lifestyle. It's a balance between aesthetic, comfort and practicality, which most of the time people don't bother about these factors. They just want to go into a space and start designing or decorating it. It's very unique to be a data of conflict, but to look at it from a reality of realistic perspective, you actually need to take into account the minor details, more planning, area, but even while you want to do it and stuff like this. And that's such a helpful explanation because like you said, many people think interior design is about the deco and the choosing of the furniture, but it's like you've mentioned, it's about how a space functions and feels for the people who are using it, which leads me to the next question, what are the first three things someone should assess before redesigning their home or workspace? It's so simple.

3:02You need to understand the purpose of the space. How the space will be used? Is it for work? Is it relaxation? Is it entertainment? Your second one, you're looking at is there existing layout? Like, as I mentioned, the type of lighting that's in the area, are there windows, the type of doors and movements? And then the most daunting one is your budget. So you need to know the budget that you want to be spending in the particular space. So it's just identifying what it's for, your existing layout and then putting a budget in there. Yeah, that's wonderful. I think that's really practical advice. You know, understanding the purpose of the space before jumping into aesthetics can really save people a lot of time and money. Let's talk now about one of the most used spaces in the home, right, the living room. But how can a living room be styled to feel both welcoming for guests and comfortable for everyday life?

4:05So a successful living room is about balance and comfort and functionality, right? So we actually need to ensure that they're flexible seating in the area, comfortable sofa, additional occasional chairs or ottoman, so it's easy for multiple people to use the space comfortably. And also incorporating soft textures, your cushion, blanket, soft lighting, neutral colors, something that's warm and inviting. They sort of come the area down, decor pieces. And then also very important is to have a storage solution in these areas to store the extra blanket, to store the extra cushions, cabinets. We don't realize how much we actually have until it's all lying all over. And we realize we actually need storage space in these areas. So seriously, anything, the old book magazine, the remote and stuff like that.

5:10Yeah, I think you're right about that. I think, you know, when we see it all, we realize, okay, we need to find a place for this because it can't obviously be lying around. And I love that balance that you've created between comfort and style. And like you said, you know, the living room is where people gather, relax, and you know, reconnect. But another space that plays a huge role in our well-being is the bedroom. So what would you say are the key design elements that make a bedroom feel restful and calming? So your key design would be soft and neutral color palette, right, your warm white, your gray, muted art tones. Then you go with layered lighting, okay? So this is your bedside lamp, a soft overhead lighting. Then you've got comfortable pictures. So pictures from your rug to your bedding to the cushions and the throw that you put onto your bed. Minimal clutter. So ensuring you have sufficient storage space so you have this clutter lying around on the bedroom. That's where all the magic happened.

6:11Everything happened on paper before you actually do it realistically. Yeah, that makes so much of sense. And you know, I love what you're saying about the clutter. I think sometimes when we just have like a chair in the bedroom that becomes like the dumping drawer to put things on. But if we have enough storage, you know, we won't have that problem. Let's move on to something else which is the kitchen. We know it's the heart of the home. What small changes can make a kitchen feel more functional and modern without a full-on renovation? So we obviously don't want to break the budget. So you want something that's affordable. And I think it's like starting off with just minus things like changing a cabinet handle and the hardware in the kitchen. Installing under like, under cabinet lighting. So it's like, installing under like, under cabinet lighting. Basically replacing the back splash tiles. This is something that's not very costly and can be done. Improving the storage solutions in your kitchen.

7:12So internal cupboard storage, right? That can be retrofit into, retrofit into the existing cupboard, which is also very important. And then adding modern light fixtures like penguin lights in the bedroom as well. It's minor little things. You change if you will, basically refresh the kitchen visually and also improve usability. Did I say bedroom? I am so sorry. I meant kitchen. I meant kitchen. It's so fun. No. It's my fault that you didn't finish it. Yeah. I was just going to say, it's Rava Dali. We accept Rava Dali. But you know, you've shared some really great ideas, especially for those who want to refresh the kitchen space, but without the cost of this major innovation. And with so many people now working from home, right? What are the essentials of a productive and an inspiring home office? So a home office is something very important today.

8:13I think it's coming to play very largely after COVID. So you need something that's comfortable from a chair perspective. You need something that's comfortable. You need a proper desk at a proper height. Right? You need excellent lighting. You need minimal destruction. So in your space, it needs to be in the one corner of your home. It needs to be very organized. Personal inspiration. So adding in some artworks, some plans, a meaningful vehicle, because it's your space. You can do whatever you want to make it feel professional, but also comfortable within your home. And then reliable technology, which is very important within your space, ensuring that your Wi-Fi connections are very close to the area that you're actually facing, your office area. Remember, the goal here is to create a space that supports focus while still feeling motivated. And I think that it's so important because the environment that we have, that you're going to be working in,

9:13can really impact your focus and your productivity. And speaking about work spaces, let's shift it to workplaces and businesses, right? How can businesses design office spaces that improve employee mood and their focus as well as productivity? Okay. So this is actually very interesting. Here, you're focusing a lot on natural light and greenery. This improves the well-being of your environment, right? And the staff that you have, it's obviously creating different zones in the workplace, quiet work areas, collaboration spaces and relaxation places, so you can team and stuff like that. And then using comfortable and ergonomic furniture. So having furniture that ergonomically friendly is very important in a business environment because it's been a lot of times the things. Applying thoughtful color schemes that energize without overwhelming, I would never go towards Davi dark colors

10:14in an office environment because it sort of sets the tone and the mood for people when they're working. You want to have bright colors. You want to have bold colors. You want to have inviting colors. It's funny how color actually impacts on someone's mood and motivation for the day. And then also ensuring that there's good acoustics and lighting. So well-designed spaces basically support both productivity and employee satisfaction. Wow. I love what you shared there. And I think people and owners and employers, Draper, are listening in, and I'm sure that they're deciding to do a little bit of revamp for their employees in Shallah. You know, you've mentioned a lot about lighting and color. What role does that play as well as layout in influencing energy and flow in different rooms? So lighting affects the mood. Right? Visibly and comfort. Right? So bright lighting energizes the spaces where softalizing the spaces. Very simple example will be like a retail supermarket, right?

11:14If you walk into the supermarket, you'll notice that the retail floor is very bright. And then when you're going to the service department areas like your bakery, mostly daily, the lighting is very soft because you want it to be more warmer in the eating environment. Color is color influences. I just mentioned now color influences emotion. So you want warm tones that feel cozy and inviting while cool tones can feel calm and refreshing. And then the most important again, I say is layout. Let's hear determined how easily people move and interact in a room, ensuring that places feel open and functional rather than trap. And together, they will control the overall energy and visibility of the space. And it's so interesting. You know, it shows that even small spaces can completely change the wood, you know, office space. Let's talk a little bit about bathrooms, which, you know, many people tend to overlook when designing their homes. What would you say are common design mistakes,

12:16people that make in bathrooms? And how can they elevate the space affordably? So the common mistakes we know in bathrooms is poor lighting, lack of storage, overcrowding the space. And using materials that are difficult to maintain. Right? To, from an affordable improvement specific, if you're looking at maybe installing better lighting around the murders, adding floating shelves or wall storage, updating fixtures and using large murders to make the room feel bigger. So she's all about, you want to use large murders to give it volume. And then adding coordinated towels, plants, or decor. These simple upgrades can dramatically enhance the space. And I'm talking about bathrooms. It's actually an inside joke. When people visit your home, they don't remember your home. They remember your guest toilet. So they go wild in your bathroom. People remember your toilet in your house. They do not remember your house.

13:17And how it looks. Yeah. You're so, so true about that. Definitely. When we visit people, you know, most of the time, go to the bathroom and you're right. They will definitely remember the bathroom. And the tips that you shared can actually make the bathroom feel so luxurious, with just a few thoughtful changes, which is great. Thank you so much for that. And finally, if someone wants to transform their space but feels overwhelmed, where should they start? Declatering. Declatering and identifying the main purpose of the space. That's the question you are. You walk into your room and you don't know what to do. Find out what you want the space to be. The purpose of the space. Start declatering and then walking from there. Understanding what your layout needs to look like. The types of changes you want to make. What colors you want to bring into the bedroom. The types of furniture you want to add in. So, like I said, an initial question about Pinterest, where everyone goes on to Pinterest. Pinterest is not something you can always bring into reality,

14:19but you can always use it for inspiration. It will give you a lot of inspiration and ideas of what you can possibly do in space. But it won't make the room look exactly like Pinterest. But you can use it. And I think a lot of inspiration can be found in that if you are wanting to re-look at a space within your home. Beautiful. I absolutely love it. Thank you so much for sharing such valuable insights with us today. You know, teaching us the designing of space that truly works for us doesn't always require a big, massive renovation and a lot of budget. Sometimes it's just the thoughtful changes and understanding, like you said, what's the purpose of the room and how it's used and creating an environment that supports both function and comfort. So, Shukran, to you, Zabeda, interior design of sharing your expertise and practical tips with us today. Al-Azaila, place a baraka in all the work that you do in Sha'Allah. You're welcome. I feel much better having you, Samir. But absolutely pleasure and we wish you and your family

15:20a beautiful evening, Sha'Allah. Thank you so much.