Modern Interior Design in Amman?
Am I imagining it, or all the new modern buildings in Amman have exactly or at least very similar interior design? the door opens to small entrance that leads to the the biggest room in the house which is the big salon, this salon yaleeq bimaqam Her Majesty the queen of England in her bi-annual visit to have her afternoon cup of tea in this salon. which of course goes with the perfect china that are only used for this specific occasion, and the most expensive furniture that are also used in this room. The other reason for this salon is the once in a life time event, the daughter’s engagement… it could be used occasionally by families that entertain guests on regular basis, which we all have to admit are not many!
The rest of the house is divided into 2 or 3 rooms, including one master room, the other two rooms share a bathroom. There is a smallish living room usually the most used in the house and the kitchen, which shares a balcony with the living room in many apartments. Of course we should not forget the maid’s room and her bathroom, which are on the side of the apartment that does not have windows 3 sides have windows to the outside , so my questions for today are honestly why are the best resources of the house put in this room which is used the least? why every single house have this big salon? and why does it have to be the biggest room and the most impeccable?? why not use the space to make the rooms a bit bigger and keep a smaller room to have guests that are not supposed to mingle with the people of the household? what i am really trying to find out, why even our homes have to be designed for the enjoyment of other people? and why do we all have to live in exactly the same apartments, what happened to the creativity of all the architects that graduate every year? or maybe since they have the same professors, there is no room for creativity? I am just trying to understand…
E777em…
actually, it’s an endless dilemma when trying explain some “logical” idea to people of not having a grand saloon on behalf of other spaces, I’m a junior architect my self, and I’m facing a very very stubborn mentalities day after day, from people who’re not welling to put little effort in rethinking their priorities, maybe it’s getting even crucial when talking about someone’s own houses ,because they tend to act like they’re the real designers ,and an architect should fit their thoughts into executive scripts, however, I think it lies upon some certain inherited psychology ,rather than lake of creativity, but for sure, it’s an architects assignments to open eyes into new fresh original designs for homes.
Well, thanks a million madas for sharing this, my thumbs up
Rawi
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This is not refered to as interior design,as for the architects, the apartments you're desribing are not designed by architects, usually its a civil engineer or just an investor, 90% of the buildings you see in Amman were not laid out by proper architects, there two other factors sometimes the norm becomes a rule, without it things can't be right, and thridly the architects at the end of the day cater to the need of the clients, you rarely get a couragous client who is ready to explore, ask your parents about their dream house and that's how they will describe it!
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Why our homes have to be designed for the enjoyment of other people.100% right.abdelstar alslimat.
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This is a common problem when buildings are financed by developers or contractors and then sold to the occupants only after they are 75% complete. When an architect has a chance to work directly with a client, it is much easier to customize the home to meet the client's needs. However, when a developer finances the project without a specific client in mind, they want to design it to please 95% of the people. Thus, you get cookie-cutter houses.
But why the enormous, ornate salon? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me to be connected to Ammani's desire to honor their guests. You wouldn't make your guests sit on your second-best furniture, while you keep the best furniture back inside your house? Or make your guests squeeze into a smaller room, when you have larger rooms inside the house? Even if you only have guests once a year (or once a lifetime), can you offer them second best?
It seems also to be a generational thing. Your parents generation is more likely to entertain frequently, while our generation is so busy working and getting established that we hardly ever entertain.
This is just my perception of culture in Amman based on the short time I was there. Please tell me if you have different insights.
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Well..our home dose not share the same design explained above…specially the queen of England part “Thast was so funny by the way”….
Nice post and once i said to a friend, man this one interior designer in amman must be reallllly rich ?? he said: Who ?? which one you mean?? i said: the one who designs all the Villas and homes in Jordan!!
Shuiklo ma fie 3'ierrro
) regarding the space of the Salon, its a culture issue u guess of making the guest feel comportabiel even if its on the expence of the owners ” Karaaaaf il dyaaafeeeh” 
)
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Rawi,
thanks for your comment, I do reconize your style of writing… You are right it is inherited psychology. For me it feels like when someons starts a trend everyone follows the same trend, which is a atural human reaction. However, maybe because Amman is a small place, we get to recogize this more than in other cities. I still have issues with the big salon… I really hate it
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thanks for your comments… how do i refer to what i am describing.. I would apreciate the correct technical term, so that i can use it properly and intelligently when i discuss this topic again, which i am sure i will do soon since few people I know are looking for apartments now. If you tll me that these apartments are not dsigned by architects i will believe you, however i am really shocked
you are right this is the style of what people want in Amman… I still HATE the big wasted space, and i think if someone starts the trend of buildings without Salon. taken that this someone is either rich, important or authority in design, people will start following and they will start defending why they dont want salons!
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Abdelstar thanks
I am glad you agree 
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Rebecca-Jordan…
Thanks for your comment… you are absoluty right in describing the culture in Amman… you asked an important question, can you offer them (guests) second best? and my true answer to this question is YES! if this is on the accont of my family and children. I am very aware of the greatness of our bedouin/Arab generosity…and i do appreciate it… but i prefer my children to have more space and grow up knowing they have the best and they are the priority and not my guests who will come once in a life time or even once a week or even one hour a day!!… as a matter of fact this habit strikes me as very shallow, and i have a feeling that it will change soon.
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Rebecca-Jordan…
Thanks for your comment… you are absoluty right in describing the culture in Amman… you asked an important question, can you offer them (guests) second best? and my true answer to this question is YES! if this is on the accont of my family and children. I am very aware of the greatness of our bedouin/Arab generosity…and i do appreciate it… but i prefer my children to have more space and grow up knowing they have the best and they are the priority and not my guests who will come once in a life time or even once a week or even one hour a day!!… as a matter of fact this habit strikes me as very shallow, and i have a feeling that it will change soon.
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I am glad your home is different
I will make sure my home will be different as well …I'd rather use the space in a more effective and useful way… Mabrouk to everyone who wants to make their guests feel more comfortable (inclung my family) if that rings satisfaction and a feeling of status…
do you mean to tell me that the queen does not come to visit your home?!!! (shock, shock)!
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Madas thanks a million for this post. I loved it
I am on the 1st step to be an interior designer. I learned something at university “I have to think the unthinkable to be a creative designer” but when I am trying to do that in real life not only on papers it's not really working. Main reason is the house owner himself where his education, habits and budget affect the design. No matter how functional and beautiful the design is at the end of the day he is the one living there. I can control his behavior with my interior only in one condition if he allowed me to.
M!R@CHK@
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I think you are going about things backwards. Don't try to control the client's behavior by your designs. Rather, have him tell you how he wants to live. Then come up with a design that fits how he wants to live. Every person is unique, and because of this, you will naturally come up with a design that is not like every other house in Amman. (It may be only slightly different– but it will be unique.) He will probably see the design and protest, because it's not what he is used to seeing. But if you can show him how your design accomodates the way he wants to live, then you will be more likely to win him over to your way of seeing things– and be able to see your design built.
(Let him think it was his idea!)
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Rebecca,
Thanks
I have no idea about architecture, i speak strictly from a client's point of view, or someone who might be looking for an affordable house one day and is disaapointed of what is available 
especially that what is available is relatively expensive… so i as a buyer would hope to find something that is a bit unique for a house that would take all my savings and put me in debt for the next God knows how many years… 
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afr writing this post, I started realizing that things are more complex that I imagined… your line of work is difficult and challenging because aparently you have to deal with culture, psychology, religion, traditions…
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Rebbecca I do agree with you but you didn't really get what i said or maybe i didn't get you the message. I didn't mean by behavior by changing doing something against his will, I just meant for example if i put a circular dinning table the human behavior and the circulation area around is way different than having a rectangular one. So i do have control on his behavior?I didn't mean by changing his behavior is by positioning the bedroom at the entrance. I guess the owner has to adapt to the design meaning if i convinced him as an interior designer to have a smaller area for the saloon. He will adapt it by adding the dinning chairs for example to the saloon when more seats is needed, and this would change his behavior around the house as well.Hope you got the point now.
Mira
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Mira,
now you guys are talking in a language that i dont understand, but this is really fascinating
keep going.. i am all ears 
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My husband and I are looking for an apartment and we are facing the same thing. First of all, we are used to apartments abroad where there there is no 'salon' – we only need one living room because seriously, what is the point of the salon when you only use it for entertaining every now and then? Plus, we don't want a maid's room (and like you said the room is so small and with no windows) and we want a place for our washer and dryer! Even the nicest apartments don't have a place – we are told to put them in the kitchen – imagine that! Anyway, Madas, I don't know your email address but I work for VIVA Magazine. If you read this and are interested in writing an article for us, please email me at vivaeditor@alfaridah.com.jo I think you may know Wendy? Take care, Laura
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u should come visit my house, our salon is the smallest thing in the house
Lara M
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but i always said you are a modern family! so this is why I am not surprised!
love
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Hi my name is moeen elajou
I want to buy modern home furniture
I would like to ask you if you can help me selecting my home furniture
For my 500 sq/m apartment?
I can send you the lay out if u ask me to
Thanks
Waiting for your reply
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