Symbolic Power

Blending traditions in furnishings of uncommon beauty, Mehdi Dakhli unpacks complex cultural narratives

- HANNAH MARTIN

1. DESIGNER MEHDI DAKHLI AT A LONDON WOODSHOP WITH HIS NEW SCARAB CABINET, DEBUTING AT DESIGN MIAMI. 2. MURAVEY CHAIR IN PINK IVORY.

In Egypt, a scarab is something that brings you peace in the afterlife,” says Mehdi Dakhli speaking about his new beetle-shaped cabinet, debuting at Design Miami this December. “When someone dies, you place [an amulet of] one in their coffin. But when you’re alive it can protect you from harm.” Turning that enduring symbol of good fortune into storage feels apt for the French designer of Tunisian descent. Explains Dakhli, “Open the doors and you might find some treasures.”