Montegrappa Middle East | Seashells on the Palm

Photos by Alex Jeffries Photography Group

Annabel Kantaria is a published author, who in 2013, won the inaugural Montegrappa Prize for First Fiction at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. This lead to being discovered by top London agent, Luigi Bonomi, who helped her secure two defining contracts as an author, a three-book contract with Harlequin’s MIRA and another three-book contract with HQ at Harper Collins.

Annabel first moved to Dubai in 1998 where she worked as a freelance journalist and a radio producer, and later become the Editor of Emirates Woman before leaving in 2007. She lives in Dubai with her husband and her two children, and for 7-years shared as an ‘expat blogger’ for The Telegraph her experiences and encounters of life in the Middle East. Her debut novel, Coming Home, was published in 2015, and Annabel has since published two other books, The Disappearance and The One That Got Away. The One That Got Away is out in the shops this month.

Annabel has since taken a project on of a another kind to renovate her kitchen. As we are huge fans of interiors, we wanted to share her stunning kitchen that is homely, perfect for a family and its calming colour scheme.

Why did you choose Hacker Kitchens?

I looked at a few companies but I chose Hacker in the end because of the company’s reputation for quality, and because I believed the team would deliver the job without cutting corners. I’d had my kitchen updated eight years ago using a local contractor (now out of business) and it had been a disaster: I paid a fortune and ended up with a substandard job that started to deteriorate just months after it had been completed. I was determined that if I did the kitchen again, it would be a ‘forever’ job.

I talked to a few companies when researching the new kitchen and I can’t recommend Hacker Kitchens highly enough. They held my hand throughout the entire design process and then worked with me to fit my budget. They delivered everything when they said they would and were lovely to work with throughout.

What was the most important aspect for you as a family in terms of design and functionality?

I obviously wanted the kitchen to look amazing, but everything had to work efficiently as well, as I spend a lot of time cooking. We moved a few things around in order to make the ‘flow’ of the kitchen work better. This was no small job but I’m so glad we did it as the layout of the kitchen now makes so much more sense.

How long did the process take and how did your family manage during the installation period?

The design took a few months as I was backwards and forwards with our very patient designer at Hacker Kitchens, as I made sure I got everything where I really wanted it. Then the entire job took about two months. The bulk of this, though, was contractor work prior to the units being installed. The actual installation of units doesn’t take long at all, maybe just a few days, then it’s another wait for the worktops to be measured for and cut and fitted.

We basically set up a makeshift kitchen in the living room by moving the fridge/freezer in there and setting up a camping table on which I had the slow cooker, the microwave and an electric two-pan hob. I’d planned to buy in lots of food but I don’t think we even had one take-away in that period… I got creative with the slow cooker and even made a lasagne in it. Otherwise I cooked one-pot dishes such as curries and Bolognese on the hob and always made large batches that I could freeze and re-heat in the microwave. It didn’t seem a hardship at all. Doing the washing-up in the bathroom was the worst bit.

What made you choose this stunning soft cashmere style?

I love pale colours. I find them very peaceful. Our house is largely white and our last kitchen had been white with black granite tops. I felt the black and white was looking dated so opted for this more modern look, and I absolutely love it. Polar White high gloss cabinets with integrated satin steel handles contrast beautifully with the cool grey quartz worktop and interior drawers in lava grey. The worktop was extended into the splash back giving continuity and also great durability. It’s so calming and looks very luxe.

You chose Miele for appliances. What made you choose this brand and how has this worked out for you in terms of practicality?

Hacker Kitchens recommend Miele and work closely with them. Miele themselves offer a super service of fitting the appliances and then sending a technician to ‘train’ you in how to use them. I’m very pleased with all the appliances: the induction hob is really fast, and both ovens are lightyears ahead of the cumbersome old one I had previously. It never ceases to amaze me how fast they heat up!

Has the kitchen made a lifestyle impact on your family?

The kitchen makes me smile every single time I walk into it, and I really, really love using it. Everything flows; everything’s in the right place; the cupboards close beautifully; and everything’s well organised and has a home.

In terms of the family, we fitted an island that seats five people and we often end up eating family meals together there, instead of setting up the dining table. It’s also great when I have people over for dinner and I’m just finishing up the cooking – guests sit there with their drinks and chat to me while I get the food ready.

Did you manage to stay within your allocated budget within the project?

Yes, Hacker was very good at helping me make choices that worked with my budget. I hadn’t realised you could tailor things to match your budget. I did blow it a bit on the Miele appliances, though. This is my fault because I chose to install a 90cm oven that has the most amazing features and automated programmes such as proving dough, steam-cooking meat and so on. Maybe if I’d stuck to the 60cm one I’d have come in on budget!

What are your three favourite key features of the kitchen?

I love the deep drawers. I get so much joy from not having to scrabble inside dark cupboards to find things. I love the soft-close on all the cupboards and drawers, and I love the larder units with the glass slide-out drawers. Small things that make me happy!

Your latest book, The One That Got Away is out in September. Can you tell us a little more?

The book’s about a pair of teenage sweethearts who meet up after 15 years and get back together. But things are not as nice as they may appear on the surface. It’s quite a dark story of obsession, coercive control, secrets and revenge.

How has winning the Montegrappa Prize at the EAFOL in 2013 changed your life as an author?

Ultimately, winning that competition turned me from an unpublished writer into an author with a three-book deal from Harper Collins. It’s very hard to get an agent and a publishing deal in London: the Montegrappa prize won me the attention of Luigi Bonomi, a top London agent. He then took me on as a client and secured me a book contract. Before I won the competition, I thought the prize would simply be a validation of my work: looking back, I now see that winning that prize was the beginning of my new career. Last year I won a second three-book deal with Harper Collins so I’ll have six books out by 2020. I honestly feel I can call myself an author now!

How do you discipline yourself to write while juggling your children’s routine?

I work when they’re at school. The children leave with my husband at 7.15am and, as I’m most productive and creative first thing in the morning, I get straight onto the computer and work as long as I can before taking a break. I try to do some exercise late morning, otherwise I’d just be moulded to my seat then, after lunch, I have another session of about an hour before picking up the children and starting on the whole after-school sports / homework / dinner-cooking palaver. If I can get any work done in the afternoon it’s a bonus, but I don’t rely on that time: the children are my priority, and I cook dinner every single day.

In the school holidays, I try to finish work by 10am so the children and I can spend the bulk of the day doing something together. I find if I’ve got my work out of the way early, I can relax. If I know it’s still got to be done, I’m on edge all day.

What do you hope to instil in your children as they grow up in Dubai?

I’m very keen that they learn to be self-sufficient and not get used to having things done for them; and that they keep their feet on the ground. I also try not to over-schedule them into activities – it’s important to me that they learn to amuse themselves with whatever limited resources they may have to hand rather than being in organised activities all the time.

Your favourite restaurant for date night?

We don’t have one. Generally, we‘d both rather stay home and hang out in the garden than go anywhere really fancy. The last place we went that I really enjoyed, though, was Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. They had a lovely vegetarian Wellington. I love it when restaurants make an effort to provide something interesting for vegetarians that goes beyond the ubiquitous mushroom risotto, pizza and pasta Pomodoro.

Your favourite place to write?

At home in my study. Sometimes at the dining table. Occasionally in a café. But generally anywhere where no-one’s going ‘Mummy… mummy…’

Find out more about Annabel Kantaria’s books.

The Art of Correspondence is so beautiful and yet so undervalued in today’s technological frenzy. As a child, it was impressed on me to sit down to write thank you cards, letters on the weekends home to family, and we were just encouraged to write in general. However, these days with texts, emails and what’s app taking over, most of us are losing the sentimental memories as we don’t print off these memories, and the only way we remember what happened is when Facebook shares a memory.

I still have letters that my mother and friends wrote to me when I was at school, and they share a stories about their lives that are recorded in pen.

I try to ensure that my children send postcards to grandma now that the older two are more confident with their writing skills. I want my children to write diaries about their days. I want to take it back to basics.

There has to be something said about writing with the weight of a quality fountain pen and when the ink flows out of a sharp nib which eventually molds to your style of writing. An ink that will lasts in letters to my children to read when they have grown up, that won’t fade or smudge with time. Call me sentimental, well, that’s happened to me when I had children.

Plus, I want making receiving posts fun again. Not just bills. To find that handwritten note amongst the bills is exciting. (hint hint to family and friends in the UK who find it strange to send posts of a PO Box).

The Brits have always been the best at correspondence, and having grown up there, it has rubbed off on me, and I do see great value in being able to write good letters. Think of Pride & Prejudice, when thoughts are carefully formulated and placed on paper, with great focus and concentration. Often, better than emails that are often sent without much care or thought, recording little or nothing about our personal lives. Just one liners that the children are fine.

The Italians are best known for their craftsmanship and the Montegrappa collection for pens has given me so many ideas for gifting this year, for Christmas, and throughout the rest of the year.

What is most unique in today’s luxury market is that Montegrappa still remains under the ownership of the original Aquila family who have managed the company through several generations. They are passionate about their craft, and not just about the bottom line. They also make bespoke pens, that fetch values of USD10,000 and I have seen some of these, and the workmanship and crafting is extraordinary including some designed for celebrities and royalty.

With much of the world’s factories set up in China, Montegrappa still hasn’t succumbed to this, and still operates from the same factories in Italy with real Italians artists crafting each pen, and there is much comfort in this.

The Art of Correspondence, I realised is something that my children, will not be exposed to this living out of the UK, hence I have taken it upon myself to incorporate it as part of their ‘home education’. My eldest is 7 years old and I have already marked out is their Parola, fountain pen from Montegrappa to use at home to write his correspondence letters that will cost between AED500 – AED700 in a Performance Red colour. “Paola” in Italian means word, and it means to pay homage to the importance of the written word, and the pen comes in a range of fountain pen, roller ball, twist-action ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil in Solid Black, Snow White, Performance Red, Mauve Resin and Navy Blue.

Sentimental Collection

Using my Montegrappa fountain pen to write on evenings when the children have gone to bed during the school holidays, I enjoy writing memories of the children’s days in each of their ‘My Life Story’ books with photos attached, plus it helps me remember each of their individual milestones, funny comments they have made, and achievements.

The first book was given to me as a gift on the birth for my 4th child, and I loved it so much that I bought one book for each of the others.

This book makes a sentimental gift to a friend with the Montegrappa Mule Fountain Pen (AED1,280) that is a classical design with a contemporary feel.

The Montegrappa Mule cap and barrel are crafted in mirror-polished copper, further defined by a brushed silver-plated trim. Over the time, each Montegrappa Mule will acquire its own unique patina through handling, truly personalising the writing instrument. Easily recyclable, copper is a noble and hygienic metal that slows down the growth of germs.

Meetings and shopping lists

There is also something charming at a meeting when I see people draw out fountain pens at the meetings. In recent months, I have fallen in love with the fountain pen again, and have started carrying it round in my handbag all the times for writing in my notebook at meetings for lists and appointment notes.

On a recent photoshoot, a journalist asked to borrow a pen, and she expressed with joy, ‘how she had forgotten how beautiful it was to write with a fountain pen’. They do make the perfect corporate gifts or for mums who work and for mums who run homes. It’s not just a man thing.

The Beauty Book – the pen is encased a stunning coffee-table book taken by famed photographer Darren Tieste. The Beauty Book is a limited edition pen with only 200 items for each model.

Otherwise the Fortuna Mosaico in black and white is a favourite of mine which I chose as part of my writing collection.

Educational

Finally, I am a strong believer that writing with fountain pens will help children control their handwriting and when my children are 10 years old I will be introducing it to them.

It encourages the children to write mindfully and hold their pen positions. The Parola Pen and similar ranges are around the AED400 – 900 level making it a great reward for achievements, birthdays and graduation. My nephew will receive one for his 18th from us to take to university. We have chosen the Italia Azzurro Fountain Pen with Palladium Plating.

There is also the DC Comics collection, great for fans as well as sons. These pens include Batman, Superman and, Wonderwoman Catwoman and starting price of this collection is around AED1,380.

Montegrappa is located at the Emirates Towers and the Atlantis, The Palm. For more information please see www.montegrappa.me

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Tag Archives: Montegrappa Middle East

At Home | British journalist, published author and mum of two, Annabel Kantaria, takes us into a home to show us a project of another kind, her stunning new Hacker kitchen

Montegrappa Pens | The Art of Correspondence | Pens that range from AED450 – AED30,000 created by artists in Italy.