Martha Stewart’s Brings Her Timeless Design Trends to Dubai Home Festival 2025

As the festive season dawns, Dubai Home Festival 2025 takes centre stage to shine a spotlight on elegance, function and creativity, in your home and living spaces. This year, it welcomes one of the most influential voices in design, Martha Stewart. In partnership with Apparel Group, the American lifestyle icon brings her signature home aesthetic to Dubai for the very first time, blending her timeless wisdom with modern sensibilities. From purposeful organisation to the art of lighting, Martha’s design rules inspire the art of living beautifully.

“I’m so excited to be part of the Dubai Home Festival, a wonderful celebration of home, design, and the joy of creating beautiful spaces,” says Martha Stewart. “Earlier this year, I was thrilled to open my first retail store in Dubai. It has been such a joy to see my products resonate with customers across the UAE, and to watch the wonderful photos and videos you’ve shared on social media. I’m especially excited because we’re going to be visiting again soon, and I look forward to welcoming you to my store in Dubai.”

To mark her Dubai debut and join the city’s largest home retail celebration, Martha shares her golden rules for every home. As she outlines in The Martha Manual, here are her top timeless trends to refresh any space:

ORGANISE WITH PURPOSE

A calm, balanced home begins with order. Martha’s advice: “View organising as less a problem to be solved and more an opportunity to embrace.” Start small—one room at a time. Focus on high-use areas like bathrooms or home offices, and unify storage for visual harmony. Stash items used together in the same spot, keep essentials within easy reach, and clear visual (and mental) clutter by tucking infrequently used pieces away. Martha also recommends looking “high and low for space-making inspiration” - a ledge above a doorway, a nook under a cabinet, even the area beneath furniture.

ARRANGE KITCHENS LIKE LIVING SPACES

For Martha, the kitchen is where function and comfort meet. “Make the most of every inch, clear out what you don’t need, and design a space that works for you.” She encourages creating “stations” to streamline routines—a breakfast nook with mugs and teas, or a baking area stocked with essentials. The goal: a space that feels both practical and personal.

PAINT WITH PURPOSE

Colour, Martha reminds us, “has the capacity to transform.” A soft matte can make ceilings feel higher, while a rich gloss adds elegance to trim. She suggests testing paint under different lighting before committing. For a flawless finish: matte for ceilings, eggshell for kitchens and baths, and semi-gloss for busy spaces.

CHOOSE THE PERFECT RUG FOR EVERY ROOM

The right rug anchors a room and ties the design together. Martha’s rule: furniture should either fully or partially rest on it. In living areas, the front legs of sofas and chairs should touch the rug; in dining spaces, it should frame the table and chairs. In bedrooms, let the rug peek out slightly at both ends. For durability, choose wool or flat-weave cotton; for indulgence, silk or hide.