Mohamed Foresta on The Hidden Cost of Material Failure in Luxury Interiors

Across the UAE and wider GCC, luxury interiors have become increasingly sophisticated. From high-end residential developments to bespoke private villas, significant investment is poured into creating spaces that reflect comfort, success, and lifestyle aspiration. As people spend more time at home, whether working, hosting, or unwinding, expectations of interior performance have risen accordingly.

When homeowners, developers, and investors commit substantial budgets to luxury interiors, they expect more than visual appeal. They expect durability, consistency, and environments that continue to perform well long after handover. In recent years, sustainability, material longevity, and occupant wellbeing have become central considerations, particularly in regions where climate places unique demands on interior materials.

However, beneath the polished surfaces of many premium projects, subtle issues are beginning to emerge.

When Materials Begin to Reveal Their Limits

The first signs rarely appear immediately. On handover day, everything looks pristine. Doors close smoothly, surfaces shine, and spaces feel new. It is often months, or even years later, that problems begin to surface.

In some homes, cabinet edges start to lift. In others, doors swell slightly and resist closing after repeated exposure to humidity. In enclosed spaces such as wardrobes or drawers, unfamiliar odours may appear when doors are opened. While these symptoms are often dismissed as minor inconveniences or attributed to humidity, they frequently point to deeper material behaviour issues.

"These problems don't usually show up at installation," explains Mohamed Foresta, Founder and Chief Vision Officer of Foresta. "They appear once materials are exposed to real conditions, prolonged heat, humidity, and daily use."

In the GCC, where temperatures remain high for much of the year and indoor environments rely heavily on air conditioning, materials continue to react long after installation. Panels expand and contract, adhesives respond to moisture, and emissions trapped within enclosed spaces gradually reveal themselves.

Material Performance Beyond Installation

One of the most common misconceptions in interior construction is that material performance is defined at the point of installation. In reality, installation is only the beginning of a material's lifecycle.

A board that swells after two summers is responding to its internal composition. A surface that releases chemical odours is revealing how it was manufactured and treated. Edges that lift are often signs of internal stress, not installation error.

These issues rarely appear on initial cost breakdowns, but they have long-term implications. Defect liability periods may extend. Rework and replacement costs increase. Developers and joineries face dissatisfied clients. In residential projects, homeowners experience discomfort that undermines the sense of luxury they initially invested in.

"The true cost of materials isn't what you pay on the invoice," says Foresta. "It's what they demand from you over time."

When Luxury Looks Right but Feels Wrong

This has created a growing contradiction in the region's high-end interiors. Many homes appear flawless visually yet fail to deliver the level of comfort expected from premium living environments.

A sharp scent released from a wardrobe may be described as a "wood smell," but it can also indicate material instability or emissions reacting to heat. Swelling doors or lifting edges may be seen as maintenance issues, yet they often originate in material selection rather than workmanship.

"Most people judge luxury by how it looks on day one," Foresta notes. "I judge it by how it behaves years later, when no one is watching."

As awareness increases, developers, designers, and homeowners are beginning to reassess how they define quality. Aesthetic excellence alone is no longer sufficient if materials fail to perform consistently under GCC conditions.

A Shift in How the GCC Interior Industry Thinks

Across the UAE and wider Middle East, industry conversations are gradually shifting. Developers are placing greater emphasis on long-term performance and maintenance cycles. Joineries are seeking materials that reduce callbacks and replacements. Architects are factoring material behaviour into specifications, not just finishes and appearance.

This is not a design trend but a practical response to environmental realities. High temperatures, humidity, and sealed indoor environments demand materials engineered for stability, emission control, and longevity.

As a result, responsibility is becoming a defining characteristic of modern luxury. Materials are now assessed not only for how they look but for how they protect investment, reputation, and occupant wellbeing.

Listening to Materials, Not Just Selecting Them

Mohamed Foresta's approach to interior materials has been shaped by more than a decade of hands- on experience across wood-based panels, surfaces, and real-world installations in the region. Rather than evaluating materials solely by appearance, his focus has been on understanding their behaviour under prolonged exposure to heat, moisture, and use.

"Materials communicate in subtle ways," Foresta explains. "They tell you how they're going to age, how they'll react, and whether they'll remain stable. You just have to know what to look for."

This perspective was developed through observing real homes where interiors looked impeccable at first yet introduced issues over time. Those experiences formed the foundation of a philosophy centred on consistency, safety, and long-term performance.

Why Foresta Aligns with the Region's Evolving Standards

Foresta was established to address behavioural failures that have become increasingly apparent in premium interiors. Its materials are engineered specifically for regional conditions, with a focus on emission stability, structural consistency, and long-term performance rather than surface shine or short-term trends.

"Luxury isn't the gloss on the surface," Foresta says. "It's the honesty of what sits beneath it."

This approach has resonated with developers, designers, and homeowners who are seeking solutions that reduce uncertainty and protect their projects over time. In a market where reputations are built on reliability, predictability has become a defining element of quality.

A Simple Indicator Inside Any Home

Many material issues reveal themselves through simple signs. A wardrobe that releases an unfamiliar smell when opened. Cabinet doors that swell or resist movement. Edges that lift in frequently touched areas.

These are not cosmetic inconveniences. They are early indicators of material behaviour that should be addressed before they escalate into larger issues.

Redefining Luxury for the GCC

The GCC has set global benchmarks for visible luxury. The next evolution lies in how interiors perform behind the scenes.

Luxury today is increasingly defined by how well materials protect health, preserve investment value, and maintain integrity over time. As expectations rise, responsibility and performance are becoming central to what premium living truly means in the region.

Foresta operates within this shift, not by following trends, but by aligning material behaviour with the realities of life in the UAE and the wider Middle East.

Because in the end, the most enduring form of luxury is not what captures attention on day one, but what continues to perform quietly and consistently for years to come.