< PreviousCREDIT HERE Your LIFE Miri Najarian Khayat’s eclectic apartment in DIFC emanates a modern fairy-tale charm: fi lled with cotton-candy pinks, bold designs, whimsical artworks, quirky chairs and vintage touches. Upon entrance is a bright neon sign which reads Pink, a pleasant warning that the colour will be found anywhere and everywhere in the home. “Even as a child, I always loved having a white base with splashes of colour,” says Miri. “I was never afraid to live in colour.” Not a single wall is naked, boldly showcasing the Khayat family’s affi nity with the art world. The very fi rst artwork Miri collected was by Yugoslavia-born Gustav Likan, known for his use of bright colours and often called the Father of Acrylics. “We took a trip down to Denver in Colorado to buy one of his pieces once,” Miri reminisces. “He is our fi rst love and we have been collecting his work for years. His colours are just epic, I could live with them forever.” One gorgeous work which stands out is Michael Moebius’ illustrative portrait of the late icon Marilyn Monroe with a pink bubble gum, sourced by Miri’s husband from a gallery in Beverly Hills during a trip to Los Angeles, as a gift for her 30th birthday. “It’s pink, I love it, and it’s Marilyn,” she shrugs. “How can you go wrong?” French photographer Cécile Plaisance’s lenticular Barbie is another statement artwork in the home, which Miri fi rst laid eyes on in Paris and hunted down a year later in Beirut. On the kitchen wall hangs a bright yellow McDonald’s photograph by Matt Crump, the artist renowned for setting colour trends, in collaboration with Beirut-based Candyfornia studio. “It’s a picture of the fi rst McDonald’s “ I W A S N E V E R AF R A I D T O LI V E I N CO L O U R ” 60 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 An interior view of the chic bedroom with an artwork depicting Miri and her husband made in the South of France by a Japanese artist. Below: Miri’s colourful collection of accessories An interior view of the powder room with a gorgeous Fornasetti wallpaper HBI_048_58-63_AFL_Miri_11429413.indd 6030/11/2020 03:45:04 PMCREDIT HERE 61 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Your LIFE A quirky orange chair with a Ben Frost artwork in the background HBI_048_58-63_AFL_Miri_11429413.indd 6129/11/2020 06:01:37 PMCREDIT HERE 62 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Your LIFE An interior view of the dining room with an artwork by Syrian artist Sabhan Adam and dining table found in an old castle in Venice HBI_048_58-63_AFL_Miri_11429413.indd 6229/11/2020 06:01:46 PMCREDIT HERE 63 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Your LIFE the region which was in Lebanon,” smiles Miri. The art afi cionado has also made a name for herself in the interior design industry, having established the eponymous MNK Interior Designs just last year, shortly after her youngest child turned one. “I think it was a great time for me to return to what I love to do so much,” she says. Her favourite spot in the house? “I don’t have one,” she answers. “I really do love every corner of it. I have put my heart into every inch of it. I also feel the same way about my projects. I really put my heart into them.” Miri’s closet is just as colourful and playful as her home, brimming with pink shoes, pink jackets and even neon; a testament to the fact that the décor, artworks and clothes are all really an extension of her bubbly character. Over in the living room is a bench with an artwork by Tarsila Schubert, one of Miri’s favourite local artists, printed on it. “I took the image and I put it on a piece of furniture because I loved it so much,” she says. Another artwork-turned-furniture item is a bright orange candle sculpture. “One time when I was in Paris, I was walking through a department store and I saw this,” she recalls. Although it was just a display piece and not for sale - well, let’s just say Miri isn’t one to let go when she falls in love. “I said no, no. I have got to have this.” The piece now acts as a side table in the living room. Two white armchairs adorned with baby blue peace signs are also housed within the living room, designed by Miri’s mother-in-law, with handsewn patchwork including buttons and ribbons on the back. “Together with my mother-in-law and her sister, we literally hand-stitched all the little details together,” she says. “It was a very fun, special project.” The furniture has been sourced from all over the world, including Chicago, Venice, South of France and her hometown Lebanon. The dining room is home to Miri’s favourite piece in the whole space; the table, found in an old castle in Venice. “It’s ridiculously old so I always imagine how many people that table must have hosted,” she says, amused. “We added a glass top to make it bigger - It’s an art piece on its own. And all the stories it could tell.” And just when I think this is as playful, whimsical and interesting as it gets, we enter the shared kids’ room. “I tried to tone down the pink as much as I could here,” admits Miri, laughing. “But it is still very colourful with tons of art.” There are images of Lebanon, works by Marc Ferrero, a collage of art by street artists and Basquiat skateboards. One of the most special artworks in this room, gifted to her by her husband on their engagement, is a painting of a newly-married couple by Brazilian artist Romero Britto. “It’s very special to my heart.” Just outside this room hangs another cherished work, by Likan, gifted to Miri when her daughter was born, depicting their new mother-daughter bond. Through this home, Miri has rebelled against every rule there is in the traditional interior design and art book, proving that your own eye for beauty comes before any norm should. The dreamlike space is a treasure trove of memories, stories and choices; an ethereal, playful collection of herself. Looking around, I can’t agree more with Miri’s take on the wonderland-like home: “It is alive and absolutely a happy place.” ■ Bright orange candle display bought from Paris, now used as a side table HBI_048_58-63_AFL_Miri_11429413.indd 6329/11/2020 06:01:54 PMCREDIT HERE Your LIFE 64 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Words by ODELIA MATHEWS Photography by AASIYA JAGADEESH Nadya’s formal living room contains furniture from Bloomingdale’s Home, coffee table from 2XL, carpet from Carpet Centre and accessories from Knot Home HBI_048_064-069_AFL_Nadya_11440402.indd 6426/11/2020 06:53:25 PMCREDIT HERE Your LIFE 65 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Territory Neutral UAE-born style icon Nadya Hasan opens the door to her private residence where geometry, symmetry and a classic all-white glow take centre stage Your LIFE HBI_048_064-069_AFL_Nadya_11440402.indd 6526/11/2020 06:53:32 PM Your LIFE 66 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Known better as @thefi erce_nay to her 200k followers, Nadya Hasan was one of the early pioneers of the infl uencer scene in the Middle East. From her bold fashion choices to her carefully curated beauty looks, there’s always an air of grandeur to the simplest things she picks and posts on social media, and this quality is equally evident from the minute you step into her palatial double- storey villa in Jumeirah Park. Consisting of two spacious living rooms and three bedrooms, the original property was a traditional Arabian villa which was completely revamped to match Nadya and her husband Wiktor Gniewek’s tastes. “We are a very minimalist couple that loves simplicity and a clean look, hence the all-white everything theme,” she smiles. Together, they stepped foot into a house where they made their fi rst memory signing their marriage certifi cate in the formal living area. Then began the work of buiding their dream house. “We made so many changes based on what we preferred and how we thought we would want to raise a family in it one day,” says Nadya. Having purchased the property in May 2019, the renovations began in June. Recording much of it on her Instagram stories, viewers watched walls being knocked down, the kitchen and bathroom completely overhauled, and the staircase given a grand makeover. “The kitchen was very dark but now it’s an open area and you can cook and have a conversation with someone in the family room,” she explains. “We also removed the maid’s room and turned it into a home-offi ce for Wiktor, closed the toilet room for a spacious laundry room, demolished all the bathrooms upstairs and then placed my dream bathtub inside.” Working with trusted contractors and handpicking every element was no mean feat for Nadya, and the painstaking selection of materials, fabrics, soft furnishings and hardware all came together beautifully, considering there was no interior specialist. “The only way we could do it was by working on one room at a time, so that we wouldn’t have to go through all the changes at once and be able to supervise it closely.” Nadya on her bed customised by MEROË Ottoman customised by The Line Concept, carpet by Carpet Centre “M Y W A L K -I N C L OS E T I S M Y S A N C T U A R Y , I C A N S I T I N T H E R E F O R H O U R S J U S T G O I N G T H RO U G H A L L O F M Y T H I N G S ” HBI_048_064-069_AFL_Nadya_11440402.indd 6626/11/2020 06:53:42 PMCREDIT HERE Your LIFE 67 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Nadya and Wiktor in the living room. Nadya wears custom-made dress by Arushi, Wiktor wears Suitsupply HBI_048_064-069_AFL_Nadya_11440402.indd 6726/11/2020 06:53:51 PM68 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 A few of their signature selections include the marble dining table which was customised by Dubai-based The Line Concept and seats six guests, and the master bed, with a customised headboard covering the entire wall by MEROË – The Bed Boutique. In other places, warm white tones mingle with visually eye-catching, abstract chandeliers while rugs, runners and soft furnishings in a creamy palette of beige, blush pink and grey lend a warm welcome to the living, dining and lounge areas. “My walk-in closet is my sanctuary, I can sit there for hours just going through all of my stuff,” says Nadya, recalling how for months she endured living with her clothes, shoes and bags all boxed away. But what followed, was a stunningly calm and stylish space where she can showcase her jewellery, bags and shoes creatively. “The space just suits me, and it’s so easy to navigate through as I designed it according to my needs and wants,” she shares. “We wanted to have an open space throughout the house, and for me, my favourite place is the walk-in closet, while for Wiktor, it’s the formal living room and garden.” Taking much of their inspiration from Paris, the goal was to achieve a quintessential Parisian chic vibe and to make the house ultra-Instagrammable to suit Nadya’s work. And with the neutral palette of grey, cream and marble; hints of gold accentuating the clean geometric lines of the decorative pieces; the off-white drapes covering the fl oor-to-ceiling windows for a radiant fl ush of light, and the classic white blinds in the kitchen - there’s no place that misses the classically romantic, Parisian vibe. Ensuring nature and natural elements were part of the vision, the white cobbled pathway of the outdoor garden adds a welcoming touch. A fruit garden lined with lush palms, a statement display of cacti, a mango and lime tree are also a few surprises which greet guests upon entrance. “We host a lot of guests in our garden, so we decided to add some fun to it by including a chessboard, and a spot for table tennis as Wiktor used to be a Polish national team player and a former table tennis coach for the UAE national team,” says Nadya. For a power couple who live and breathe a life of style, this modern home, completed with love and ticked off with personal taste, has formed a personality of its own. ■ An interior view of the white living room with hints of gold and geometric décor An interior view of a bedroom with bed, headboard, ottoman and lamps from MEROË, curtains by Sedar The minimalist white bathroom with bathtub from BAGNODESIGN HBI_048_064-069_AFL_Nadya_11440402.indd 6826/11/2020 06:54:04 PMCREDIT HERE Your LIFE 69 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 “ T H E S P A C E J U S T S U I T S M E , I T ’ S S O E A S Y T O N A V I G A T E T H RO U G H A S I D E S I G N E D I T A CCO R D I N G T O M Y N E E D S A N D W A N T S ” HBI_048_064-069_AFL_Nadya_11440402.indd 6926/11/2020 06:54:15 PMNext >