Lifestyle

When you ask interior designer Alua Kul what luxury means, she doesn’t mention marble. “To me, it’s comfort, practicality and functionality,” she asserts. “Those are the three words I use.” At LUMI Interiors, the studio she founded and runs as creative director, that philosophy is reflected in the details. For clients who dislike dust and clutter, she creates closed storage; for those who want their possessions on display, she incorporates open shelving. “The space must be both functional and comfortable,” she says, “with sufficient circulation space and enough room to breathe.”

That instinct for spatial awareness appeared early on. When she was just fourteen, as part of the renovation of her parents’ villa, Kul prepared the plans for the new joinery and furniture. She oversaw the process from ordering through final installation, even though she had no idea then that a career in interior design was possible. “Our parents used to move a lot,” she explains, “and I was very observant. I looked at things that other children didn’t find interesting to look at.” Although she had studied at the KLC School of Design in London, where all her classmates were interested in clothing for sale on the shop floors at Harrods, she was attracted to the way the building was constructed. “I was completely amazed by all the interior architectural features,” she recalls. During her studies, London became a city of inspiration for the budding architect. She says she can still see the city’s impact on the way she designs interiors to this day. And at LUMI Interiors, that early love of architectural juxtapositions and her meticulous eye for detail – honed over years of practical personal experience – translated into a very exacting approach to interiors. Each new client receives a questionnaire for every room, with 10 to 15 questions covering everything from favourite colours to who lives in the home, whether there are children or pets, and will older relatives need to be considered. The aim is not simply to create a beautiful environment, but to understand the life that will take place inside it. “We have to find a smart way of incorporating convenient access at the moment they wake up,” Kul says, illustrating how even the smallest routines can influence a design.

Kul opened her studio in 2020, during a pandemic which had closed down all the design fairs. “It was a great deal of risk,” Kul admits, “but then I told myself, right, now or never.” With just one designer alongside her, she started finding suppliers via social media platforms. Today the studio has expanded to 11 people.

Much of the work that makes a LUMI project feel effortless happens long before the final elements are put in place. The studio coordinates with MEP and lighting specialists, sources bespoke details such as mesh for radiators and kitchen cabinetry, and works with fabricators on materials and finishes. Even the less visible choices are considered, including non-toxic glues and coatings designed to minimise off-gassing. “These small details are making the home very holistic,” she shares, pointing to the natural fibres and seaweed-based stain repellents, selected not only for what they contain but for how naturally they sit within the overall scheme of a space.

If you ask Kul to explain what the LUMI look is, she argues it’s more about a feeling than a look – a sense of balance. If you go too luxurious, she says, “it will be just like a museum and not something you could actually live in”; if you go too rustic, then it might end up being nothing more than traditional or country-style. Her five words for the studio are honesty, creativity, functionality, sophistication and cosy. “Even if it’s sophisticated or luxurious,” she says, “it should feel like a cocoon.” Her goal is that her clients can just show up one day and “move in with a suitcase and not have to worry about anything at all”.

One of the clearest expressions of this approach is a penthouse she created on Palm Jumeirah, where custom rugs and chandeliers were selected to work within the wider scheme. The project later received Best Interior Design Scheme Global and Best Master Bedroom at the International Design & Architecture Awards in London. With those accolades in hand, LUMI is now looking beyond individual projects: a lighting collaboration with the British brand Bella Figura, covering table lamps, chandeliers, wall sconces and a pendant, is due to be launched at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour before being included in one of the company’s own projects, and a room at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House will be opened to the public in Dallas on 14 November. Kul also mentions plans to expand into the United States, aiming to grow LUMI internationally over the next 10 years while keeping it “very selective and boutique”.

Away from the studio, inspiration tends to arrive when Kul is not actively looking for it. She finds ideas by the sea, during walks and while swimming off the Dubai coastline, moments she says help her stay balanced. “I’m alone with my thoughts,” she says, “and it’s at those moments that the beautiful ideas appear.” For Kul, that quiet space that leaves room for her own creativity is directly connected to the principle that informs her work: a home is not simply a composition of fabrics, colours and furniture, but an environment that can shape how a person feels every day. Her approach is rooted in crafting spaces that feel personal, considered and enduring, allowing each home to reflect the people who live in it. And when it comes to design, her philosophy remains refreshingly simple: “Trends come and go,” she says, “but personal taste and personal style remain.”