INNER BEAUTY

Bentley Motors Executive Club - 2019

“A CLIENT’S HOME is their sacred space, and I am humbled that people have put their faith in me over the years,” says the interior designer Noor Al Moataz. “My goal is to make a client’s vision come to life in ways that exceed their expectations.” 

Noor exudes warmth and passion for her interior design work, which takes her between Dubai, Saudi Arabia and her native Bahrain. Her clients, among them royalty and business leaders, value both her talent for creating bespoke interiors as well as her absolute discretion.

In an age of accessible internet publicity, Noor guards her clients’ privacy fiercely, with no social-media accounts and a recently launched website to satisfy the demand of regional inquiries. She has a history of working solely on referral. “Working on multiple projects or properties with the same client helps cultivate a deeper understanding of tastes, preferences and – most importantly – trust,” she says. “Typically, after we have discussed details and project goals, I am given a great amount of freedom, which is the highest complement. I am my clients’ go-to designer.”

Noor ran her business for eight years as a selfdescribed “one-woman army”, managing every element of the design, planning and installation process. “Supervision at every stage is vital for me,” she says. “You must never let things slide.” In 2019, while still keeping tight control of each project, she brought in an in-house design team to support her growing business. “This natural progression has given me room to step back and focus on developing creative content for my clients.”

The majority of Noor Al Moataz’s interiors feature bespoke designs, which requires an intense focus on materials and manufacturing quality. Noor works closely with her suppliers to ensure each one-off piece of furniture or lighting is perfectly crafted, sourcing steel inlay from artisans in Egypt, mother-of-pearl from Syria and mango wood from India. “It is so liberating as a designer to create pieces that uniquely reflect a client and that add personal value to a space,” says Noor. “My clients understand that if a table is being inlaid by hand, for instance, it takes time.”

When not designing one-off commissions, Noor can turn to an established network of luxury furniture and fabric houses. She travels regularly to Europe for major design fairs, bringing her clients pieces by top designers and gaining inspiration from the latest interior trends.

“My brand has a recognizable style,” says Noor, “chic, sleek and urban, but every project I take on is distinct. I never replicate an idea. Inspiration often comes from my travels: I love the Japanese aesthetic – that minimalism is so elegant and beautiful. The challenge for me is how to incorporate those qualities and make them liveable for, say, a family home. Or how I change the mood completely for a bachelor pad.” Increasingly, she is being commissioned to design for commercial projects, including a contemporary apartment building in Bahrain, but she measures her time carefully. “I prefer to work with one client at a time, to ensure they are given focused attention.”

Noor Al Moataz Interior Design may have grown since Noor started out, but every individual project retains the stamp of her original style and energy. “To design well it has to be your joy, your passion and your purpose,” she says. It certainly is hers.

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