With over 20 years of experience in the design world, our Associate Design Director Esra, has extensive experience in both luxury interior architecture and hospitality projects including, our highly anticipated show home at The Royal Atlantis Residences, Dubai. The team sat down with Esra to discuss her creative journey, her inspirations, and a little insight into the design of The Royal Atlantis Residences. 

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a successful interior designer?

I have always leant towards the creative side and started my journey sketching and painting as a young child. Although having said that, my artistic mind could have been led into any part of the creative arts, music or theatre. I found that expressing myself through the media of sketching helped me to understand light and form and from here, it was a natural progression into the world of 3-dimensional design. I studied furniture and product design but in my final year at Ravensbourne University I felt that was not enough and those pieces needed to sit within their rightful rooms or spaces. Hence this led me to the ever-evolving world of interiors.  

Where do you get your inspirations from for our award-winning interior design projects?

I am inspired by anything and everything. Our world is a wonderful place for forms, textures, science, innovation; it’s all there for the taking. I particularly love looking at architecture and the forms we can create in structure, which I tend to incorporate into my designs. I love natural forms, uncomplicated and pure in their essence, so the fluidity and cohesiveness of design is very important to me. 

Can you tell us more about the design for The Royal Atlantis Residences show home? 

This luxury show home epitomises the idea of using forms of nature within a space. Subtle nuances of the exterior landscape of Dubai have been implemented throughout the interiors. Specific to this show home you will see nods to the sea, the earth, and the sun. 

The brief was to provide an interior worthy of any discerning clientele a home away from home as this would likely be a second abode or even more. The interior furnishings in this show home subtly grace the spaces with hues of sage, blues and corals leading your eye through the apartment. Tailored pieces have been intentionally designed to add an air of distinct identity balanced with developments vision. You can hear more about our projects on our Instagram.

You have designed the interiors for so many properties in prestigious locations all over the world, but which one is your favourite and why?

My stand-out projects are usually not the big international jobs but the intimate ones. My current favourite is very close to home, a lovely Belgravia town house not too ostentatious but lovingly designed as a family home. I like these personal projects where you can really get to know your client and what they are looking for. This project has just the right amount of high-end luxury combined with the comfort of family living. 

What country would you love to design a project in that you haven’t already and why?

I would love to design a quintessentially LA home. I think the light in California is so dramatic that you can really explore with pattern, colour, shape, and form without it being too overwhelming. I’d imagine this project to be chic, Hollywood, 70s Boho revival housing iconic pieces as well as 20th century masters.  A feast of design excellence.