Raised floors

There are some amazing tiles
that could be used for some
amazing and unusual spaces!

We speak to Interior Designer, Giovanna Gemmell about what inspires her and why she loves RAK Ceramics

Giovanna Gemmell, a native Scotswoman, has been living and working in Dubai for the last 15 years and recently used her interior design skills to transform her own villa in Jumeirah Golf Estates. We caught up with her and took a peek inside her beautiful villa. Gemmell styled her first space at the age of nine and redesigned her first “client” space at the age of thirteen.

She describes it as “something I was always destined to do, almost written in the stars”, although it did take her a whole other corporate career, a personal tragedy and the unwavering support and love of her friends and family to get her where she is today.

5 stars performance
Raised floors
Raised floors
Raised floors

"I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t designing. I have been designing spaces for as long as I can remember and have been very fortunate since moving to Dubai almost 15 years ago now to have been involved with the design of some prominent GCC region four and five-star hotels and royal palaces."

A big fan of RAK Ceramics products, she says:

"I love the quality v price v the selection. For the majority of the space I used Shine Stone Beige floor tiles. These tiles give the lighter colour I was looking for, but also add a touch of depth with the occasional marbling detail, which helps keep the Spanish feel to the property. Using this tile has brought a very disjointed house together and helps it flow so much better."

Gemmell loves RAK Ceramics’ Surface 2.0 Mid Grey, using the tile in several of her projects on Jumeirah Beach Road and in the Kite Beach villas she designed. She chose Surface 2.0 Mid Grey for the extended kitchen, “I’ve used this floor tile several times before - it’s a firm favourite.

It’s a rich, warm grey that’s not overly industrial looking so can work very well with high end finishes in bathrooms and kitchens,” she says.

5 stars performance

The final floor tile Gemmell used in her transformation from dark and dreary to bright and luxurious was Surface 2.0 Greige. She used the 60x120cm tile to give the newly created master bathroom that opulent feel and says, “I love larger tiles - the larger the better. When I look back at older bathrooms I’ve done with the 30x30 floor tiles - I just want to go back and change them all!” Indeed, she says that master bathroom is her favourite space and adds, “The large tiles makes it feel very luxurious. The colours make it feel almost spa like. It’s the room I could see myself making excuses to potter around in.”

Gemmell is currently working on a quick turnaround villa, again in Jumeirah Golf Estates and is considering RAK Ceramics’ “marbled” tiles for the master bath, “I like the idea of the depth of pattern that can be achieved using that collection” she says.

When asked what the most important thing to consider when choosing tiles she says, “There are several things to consider before choosing your tiles. Do you want a fashionable space which may not stand the test of time or do you want to have a design that you don’t need to think about for the next 10 years? Size of the tile v the size of the space and colour/pattern/texture – are all very important things to be considered and all depends on what you are trying to achieve.” She goes on to say, “RAK ceramics is always my first port of call for tiles. It’s a price point that won’t offend any client and there is a selection of tiles for every taste. Quality and customer service is second to none”.

5 stars performance

“Flowing throughout the property, Shine Stone Beige”