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Home Sweet Home is a concept established by founder, Rayan Raad. A host by nature, who tends to have his doors open for people from all walks of life. Day or night, event planner and entrepreneur, Rayan, loves to host friends and friends of friends and people who keep coming back, whether it was for his warm hospitality or eclectic home décor. Rayan, a total homebody understood that home truly is a feeling. This notion drove the Home Sweet Home team to construct a happy, positive, cozy place where friends could hang out, feel welcomed and enjoy the familiarities of home; at the same time offer people the ability to buy home related items which Rayan personally chose from his travels. Rayan believes to sell something you must truly love it yourself.
Home Sweet Home is a genuine blend of worlds, concepts and dynamic use of space. One such section is dedicated to home items, gift ideas and knick-knacks all at the right price, some of which are designed in-house by Rayan himself. The first product to be revealed is a customized candle line named after and inspired by Rayan’s mother. Fire and Grace candles (released in November) will offer scents that remind people of aromas from homes of Lebanon. The first scent named; “the Manousheh” candle, contains an aromatic blend of thyme, fresh cotton and mint.
Christmas promises to be warm, cozy and very festive at Home Sweet Home with a selection of ornaments/décor from all over the world and fun for friends and family of all ages.
Interior designer Maggie planned to stimulate all five senses when conceptualizing the space. Making sure to avoid a deja vu type room, she pushed the envelope to make a lasting impression taking Rayan’s ideas and refining the vision, controlling the colors and moods to create a welcoming haven in the crowded area of Mar Mikhael. All silverware and plates were hand picked by Rayan and his mother throughout the years of travel, both having a passion for design and décor. Rayan wanted every little detail to reflect home, and to tap into people’s memories and give them a wholesome warm feeling.
The shop and café tries to keep in touch with its foundation of being a home away from home starting with the choice of homely wallpaper in the general space and bathrooms, the tiles used on the floor and the comfortable variety of seating found indoors and outdoors, by the fireplace. Nothing too symmetrical, nothing too rigid and above all, comfort first.
Executive Chef, Farid Chehab, targeted a global definition of home cooking and has polished dishes to offer different and crave-worthy plat du jour meals from kitchens from across the globe: Lebanese, Peruvian, Moroccan, Chilean, American, Asian, English, to name a few, all cooked with love and made with a home style twist. Farid understood exactly what Rayan wanted and developed a menu that offered everything from comfort food to the most intricate dishes.
Home Sweet Home is more than a shop and dining venue. It is a start of a new model that includes encouraging socializing, private events and small banquets. In the pipeline for Home Sweet Home are cooking classes, book readings/clubs, cooking sessions, activities for adults and children, teatime, and this is just the beginning.
