Style & Taste

Notes on a softer existence.

Style & Taste is the Soft Existence journal — slow reading on considered living in Dubai and the wider UAE. We write about scented soy candles and how fragrance behaves in air-conditioned rooms, about woven cotton baskets and the quiet work of home organisation, and about the kitchen storage that keeps a warm, humid kitchen calm. Everything here is written for homes in this climate, not imported from another one.

The pieces are practical rather than aspirational: fixing a candle that has tunnelled, storing flour and rice through summer, styling a shelf without buying anything new, preparing a majlis for guests. New stories are added most weeks — start with the latest below, or follow the tag on any story to read by theme, from candles and scent to storage, styling and care.

A cream guest bedroom with folded towels, drinking water and an oak luggage stool in soft Dubai morning light.

Latest

Christmas

They Are Coming for Christmas. Clear Them a Drawer.

The best welcome is often an empty drawer, a glass of water and permission to make breakfast. A calmer plan for Christmas guests.

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A kraft Christmas gift box with tea, shortbread, ivory tissue and linen ribbon on a warm oak table.
Christmas

A Christmas Hamper With a Person Inside the Plan

Three things that belong together can say more than a basket full of everything. Build a Christmas hamper around a real person’s day.

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A small oak Christmas dining table set for four with cream plates, linen napkins, pears and muted brass ornaments.
Christmas

Christmas Dinner, With Room for the Potatoes

A Christmas table should hold the people, the dinner and the second helping. Start there, then add something lovely.

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Unlit amber candles and a cream-wrapped Christmas parcel on an oak sideboard in warm Dubai afternoon light.
Christmas

The Christmas Candle That Knows Who It Is For

Before choosing a Christmas candle, think about the evening it is going into. The best gift begins with a person, not a festive label.

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Fresh bread in kraft paper, two ceramic coffee cups and a blank thank-you card on a sunlit oak breakfast table.
Candles

Bring Something for the Morning After

Dinner ends. The washing-up does not. A thoughtful host gift can make the next morning a little nicer, long after the last guest leaves.

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An ivory reading chair beside a window, with an open book, floor lamp and a cup on a small oak table.
Candles

A Reading Corner, Even If the Flat Has Other Plans

One comfortable seat, a useful light and somewhere for the book: a reading nook can begin inside the room you already have.

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A compact rental kitchen with clear counters and a freestanding oak cart holding bowls and folded linen.
Dubai Living

The Rental Kitchen That Finally Found Its Counter

A rental kitchen needs a little breathing room, not a renovation. Start with the breakfast corner, then give every daily object a sensible address.

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A tidy apartment sitting room with a cream sofa, folded throw, oak table and a book in soft morning light.
Dubai Living

The Weekend Reset That Leaves You a Weekend

A home reset should give you time back. Start with the places that catch the day, put everyday objects within reach, and know when to put the cloth down.

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A small oak dining table laid for four with linen napkins, simple plates and a low bowl of lemons in warm evening light.
Dubai Living

Hosting Dinner in a Small Apartment: Make Room for the Evening

Hosting dinner in a small apartment: a comfortable table, a clear kitchen counter and a few thoughtful details that make guests feel at home.

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An inviting compact guest bedroom with ivory linen, folded towels and bedside drinking water.
Bedroom

The Guest Room Is Ready. Even If It Is Also Your Office.

A thoughtful welcome needs less square footage than you think. Make a guest bedroom, sofa bed or spare corner feel considered with a few genuinely useful details.

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A compact apartment entrance with a slim oak bench, key dish and a canvas bag on a freestanding coat stand.
Dubai Living

Entryway Storage Ideas for a Rental: Somewhere to Put the Day

Entryway storage ideas for rental apartments: a useful landing place, woven baskets and a simple routine for the things that arrive home with you.

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Warm afternoon light across a cream sofa, rust cushion, oak table and a bowl of pears in a Dubai apartment.
Candles

Autumn in Dubai Begins When You Open the Curtains

The season arrives quietly here: softer evenings, a different light, and a home that feels ready to linger in. A practical autumn refresh for Dubai, without pretending it is snowing outside.

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