Born in Scotland, Hiba Abu-Heija spent her childhood moving around a lot between the UK, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. “My family always joked that we were nomads, travelling from one country to another in pursuit of the best education and opportunities for my parents, siblings and myself,” she quips. In high school, she found herself fascinated by human behaviour, an interest that only grew as she enrolled to study architecture at the University of Jordan.
“Since day one, all I was fascinated with were the interior spaces created by architectural juxtapositions and their huge psychological impact on human behaviour”
As an architectural undergraduate, Hiba Abu-Heija assisted in teaching design studios and various other courses to architecture students. After graduation, she joined her husband in Muscat and landed a job at Scientific College of Design, dedicated to teaching creative sectors – fine arts, interior, graphic and fashion design.After a couple of years teaching there, she went on to pursue a master’s degree in Interior Design at Hertfordshire University in London, which she completed in 2017.
With loads of experience in the field, since then, she has directed numerous interior design studios at Scientific College of Design; has privately consulted on an assortment of projects focused on interior design both in Oman and Jordan, and has conducted Design and Décor (D&D) workshops, teaching interior design and styling tips to people interested in interior design but belonging to different educational backgrounds.
With a successful career that she is deeply passionate about, it might seem that life for Hiba Abu-Heija is a bed of roses. However, juggling motherhood with a variety of projects, conducting studios, private consulting and design workshops has resulted in work-life balance being the greatest challenge of her career. “I have three beautiful kids, including a pair of twins that are at their best a full-time job. However, with the support of my husband, we try our best to finely balance the scale,” she remarks.
When it comes to weighing trends and the personal style of her clients, Hiba’s work is inspired by the inhabitants of the space, their likes and dislikes, and the functionality of the design with regards to their daily rituals. She is inspired by Oman’s proud culture of embracing individuality in design, reviving native historical design elements and incorporating them in a modern fashion.
As an educator, Hiba Abu-Heija believes a design education is a lot more than just teaching decoration. It has to do with teaching perception; broadening students’ thinking over a vast spectrum of subjects, contexts, cultures and styles; instilling an understanding of how each design element could cause a different attitude; and how enhancing spaces could eventually enhance the way we live, ultimately making the world a better place.
Hiba looks into the future, brimming with hope and aspiration. Her next endeavour is to create an online interior design course, along with running and owning a study lounge with all design-associated services and a space to host creative talks – ‘a creative hub’. In the long run, her goal is to build her own brand of furniture and interior accessories with a global presence that will remain occupant-centred and celebrate individuality.
Up Close & Personal with Hiba Abu-Heija
The home I grew up in
When I was a child, I wanted to
The moment that changed me forever
My greatest inspirations
My hero
If I could change one thing about myself
I dream of
What I see when I look in the mirror
It’s not fashionable, but I like
My greatest regret
You may not know it but I’m no good at
You may not know it but I’m very good at
If I have time to myself
My house is
My favourite haunt/holiday destination
My favourite weekend spot in Oman
I will not leave my house without
Things I like about Oman
On top of my wish/bucket list is
My success mantra is
In 10 years’ time
Which one? We moved a lot…
Be an artist
Studying architecture
Are self-made entrepreneurs
Is my family
It would be hesitancy
Having an international furniture and accessories line
Is a strong-willed person
Floral chintz
Not doing any architectural professional practice
Typography, my handwriting stinks!
Party planning
I plan
My haven
Italy
Is the golf club – Al Mouj
My phone
The people and the culture
Having good health
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
I hope to be the owner of a design-based study lounge, with my own furniture and interior accessories line and have a published interior design book.