Cover Story
Tasmeem
Design Studio
Designs & colours display a meaning for the place where we live or work. Architects build a structure, but interior designers bring life to it. Interior design is a complex process of customer requirements & creativity. It requires expertise to understand & execute a combination of imagination and intelligence.
One of those creative minds we have for you on our guest list. We
had a Q & A session with Khaled Al Qamlas & Marshad Al Omar.
Here’s the conversation:
About the Founder’s Life & Initial Days of Career
Marshad and I (Khaled) both studied at Kuwait University, the College of Architecture. Later, we joined different architectural
firms. We have started to build our experience and understand the
Kuwaiti market in terms of client needs and requirements.
While I focused more on interior design and furniture, Marshad
concentrated on architecture, making us the perfect team.
How did Tasmeem Studio come into existence? We would like to know about the inception story.
We both wanted to create a REAL APPROACH to design and understand how to cater to the clients’
needs and requirements. After a while, we discovered that the market had started to shift and that the
client was no longer interested in vast, spacious designs. Today’s clients are young and practical. they
want to live and enjoy life. Spaces are calculated adequately to cater to their needs, nothing more and
nothing less.
What were the challenges in the initial days? How did you overcome them?
The main challenge was how can we introduce ourselves to the client as a new and young architectural firm. Luckily we both have good connections and networking, which we immediately used to market our company. We focused on young clients with little space to help them utilize these spaces as much as possible; we then started to design furniture that perfectly fits them, making them more practical and livable. Our clients were happy, they liked our approach of REAL DESIGN, and they started talking about our work.
About Products & Services
Services: architecture, interior, and furniture design.
We also do reviews of designs from other firms to see
how we can enhance them and make them better.
What is Tasmeem Studio’s USP?
Our USP would be our (REAL ARCHITECTURE) or
the REAL approach to design. What is that approach?
When we are fully aware of the client’s conditions
socially and economically, we differentiate between
what he (wants) vs. what he (needs). We then deliver a
design that fulfills his requirements in the given budget
& space without compromising the quality of the
design. BE THE CLIENT!
Which tasks to date have you found tough to deal with?
Some of the clients are indecisive We believe the
challenge is always how to understand and adopt this
change of mind, requirements, and needs through the
Design Process.
Interior design requires complex study. Climate change is making it tough. How do you work on these projects while keeping them economical & as well as ecological?
Generally, building here in Kuwait has to follow “The building codes and
regulations.” issued by Kuwait Municipality. these codes and regulations
pay attention to the climate issues and impact here in Kuwait, which helps
us a lot through our interior work, allowing us to focus on the economic
part of the project. However, we always prefer to use sustainable or recycled
materials whenever we have the chance, especially since we try to educate
our clients regarding these issues.
The Middle East is one of the emerging markets globally. How do you see that as an opportunity?
As for now, we see the opportunity here in the Gulf area (GCC countries). e
new era of KSA and DUBAI will provide us with vast opportunities to present our
services. You only need to be unique, defined, and real.
From Tasmeem’s portfolio, which task do you enjoy the most: Interior design or Branding & Web development?
I would say architecture and interior design, depending on the project itself. For example, our o ce
is one of the projects that we enjoyed as it was made with recycled materials that we had handpicked
ourselves, including the furniture. Nothing was new; every piece had a story. As for the rest of the
project, our commercial projects are more fun, as you get to engage with the client while designing
their stores and helping them build their brand and expand their business.
What would you like to say about your team?
We are more like a true family; we all have a saying in project design and all contribute. thus,
our projects have different characteristics yet are all based on the same principle of (the REAL
ARCHITECTURE) approach.
Saudi Arabia has some marvelous architecture & designs. Which strategies do you follow to stay in that league?
As a Kuwaiti design firm, we are witnessing architecture all over the GCC countries. We have a few
projects in Dubai & Muscat. Soon enough, we will start approaching Riyadh & Manamah to introduce
our services there.
☐ Tasmeem: means “Design” In Arabic
☐ Web site: www.tasmeem-kw.com
☐ Instagram : Tasmeem_kw
☐ Tasmeem will soon publish its new account (Tasmeem Journals)
On Instagram which will focus on Architecture, Art & Culture
all over the world presented by the founders Khaled &
Marshad. (Tasmeem_journals)
India’s Creative Architecture Interior Design Startup
Featured Person : Raj Varma – CEO
Company Name : RiVirtual
Founded Year: 1999
No. of Employees: 51-200 employees
hello@rivirtual.com