Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/809115
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEITARO YOSHIOKA RIGHT BRAIN, LEFT BRAIN HE'S AN ENGINEER; SHE'S A DESIGNER. TOGETHER, THEY MAKE THE DIVINE DESIGN CENTER. BY LISA PIERPONT Battery Wharf is a long, long way from Cairo, but for Egyptians Magued and Mariette Barsoum, it is the headquarters of their business, the Divine Design Center, which aims to create home sweet home for their customers. The couple recently set up shop in the 8,000-square- foot space to provide clients with New England's largest modern kitchen and living showroom. From interior design to one-off purchases, the Divine Design Center team provides an all-inclusive shopping experience with the globe's most exclusive brands, including Leicht, Team 7, Rolf Benz, and Doca. What do your clients prioritize? Mariette: They want quality and service. They don't have time to shop around, but once they find you they trust you to do everything. You travel all over the world for your furniture buys. What design trends are your clients responding to the most? Magued: We travel to Spain, Germany, and Italy primarily for the best in kitchen and bathroom equipment and furniture. Clients want simpler lines, but choose pieces that offer a lot of functionality. Mariette: We have kitchen countertops that rise to different heights and can be converted into a dining table. One of our most exclusive pieces is a glass wall in which photographs—family, landscapes— can be imprinted into the glass. What do Bostonians particularly like? Mariette: Bostonians have a little bit of glamour. They definitely invest in their homes to be comfortable, and with very high quality materials. They don't show their "life" off on the outside, but they enjoy it inside the privacy of their house. 2 Battery Wharf, 617-443-0700; divinedesigncenter.com . This ultra-modern European Doca kitchen features a glass backsplash with an embedded image of (in this case) the Zakim Bridge, but any photo is possible— an exclusive service at the Divine Design Center showroom. 72 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM SPACE OPENING