Fount

Meet a top design family.

When Joana Abreu (pictured) thinks back to childhood holidays, it is not beaches or mountain hikes that come to mind. “Instead, we’d spend our family vacations visiting Alvar Aalto’s houses in Finland and the like,” she says, teasing her mother, Marta.

The pair are at Fount’s flagship, one of Joana’s two Abu Dhabi outlets that prove just how formative those early memories were. The founder’s penchant for Scandinavian design, along with influences from Japan, Spain and her native Portugal, is obvious. Panton chairs, Tokyo bikes and Moebe stools sit proudly on large wooden shelves.

But beyond the stellar selection of design objects, Fount is, at its core, a family story. A large portion of the flagship is dedicated to products from Fabrica, a brand of Emirati-inspired design goods created by Marta. Joana’s aunt, Rosario, oversees Fount’s other outpost at the Abrahamic Family House. However, the Abreu family might not be here at all without Joana’s father, Nuno, who transplanted his design studio, Slash, to Abu Dhabi in 2012. He has since played a pivotal role in introducing a clean aesthetic to the city through his work with the local government.

More than just retail outlets, Joana wants Fount to perform an educational function, similar to that of a museum. “We want to take on this role and teach people about good design,” she says.
fountconcept.ae

Choice items
Monocle’s Fount favourites include Santa & Cole lamps, Dieter Rams radios and Kakimori fountain pens.