The Corner: Yumna Imtiaz

Yumna Imtiaz, the creative event planner behind Grandeur Events, walks us through her favourite corner — her cosy living room!

On a warm afternoon, we head over to the talented event guru, Yumna Imtiaz’s home. Our host greets us pleasantly and offers us a glass of mint lemonade to cool us down. As we sip on the lemonade, our eye travels around the beautiful corner. The first thing we notice is a white and brown, open-planned, contemporary kitchen on the left of the living room which is connected to the grease kitchen, where all the cooking is usually done. “My husband likes to cook, hence the kitchen attached with it was made for him. It is an ideal place for us to have a relaxed evening,” explains Imtiaz. Vibrant sunflowers placed in yellow and blue, ceramic vases which Imtiaz bought from her travels to Turkey, brighten up the space.  



As we begin our tour, Imtiaz points at her vintage, chalk-finished dining table where she and her family eat dinner together everyday. A wooden door opening up to a scenic patio connects to Imtiaz’s mother-in-law’s house. She shares that living so close to her mother-in-law is rather helpful and a great comfort for her. It also allows her children to visit their grandparents often. As she continues to explain, we learn that family plays an important role in Imtiaz’s life. Even with her hectic schedule, she always prioritises her time with them.

The living room is adorned with candles and family pictures as Imtiaz is a big fan of fresh scents, and thus she feels candles are the perfect accessories for her space. “I want everyone who comes to my house to feel welcome, comfortable and at ease. Our friends and my children’s friends hang out here so it’s a very relaxed area. The room represents us as an easy-going couple and family,” adds Imtiaz.



As we admire the paintings from Laiba Malik and Changez, Imtiaz tells us that since it’s a family room and her children are young, she tries to keep it contemporary yet colourful so that everyone is comfortable in the setting. “This room features various colours and has an eclectic mix of furniture. I wanted to keep things interesting and fun as it makes the room’s vibe welcoming therefore I’m constantly playing around with the layout in here. The large windows open up the space to the courtyard and patio, allowing elements of different spaces to create a warm atmosphere,” she adds.



While the walls are covered with grey, jute wallpaper from Waqas Vohra, Imtiaz adds quirky accent pieces to uplift the space. Though out of all the intriguing elements we find in the room, Imtiaz claims that the painted cabinet and side table are her favourite pieces.

As our tour comes to an end, we take a seat on one of the comfortable black and orange sofas parallel to her Sony flat screen television, and dig into the delicious pastries and homemade aloo chaat Imtiaz has set out for us. Sitting here, we think of this room, and the positive energy we feel here, which Imtiaz has thoughtfully created in order to bring the family together in a neutral space. This corner echoes her love and importance for family life and reflects on her warm, kind personality.