At Home with Miri Najarian Khayat

Posted on November 13, 2020

I first met Miri when we both worked with a high fashion label, here in Dubai.

Now, over six years later, we are still friends, we both have our own businesses and we are collaborating for the latest Wear The House blog post.

Miri was born in Lebanon and moved to Dubai when her husband’s career brought him here. They now share this brilliantly colourful and eclectic home in super trendy Downtown area of Dubai with their two children.

Photographed by @byfranki_

The Apartment

Miri opens the wide double wooden doors and greets us with the biggest smile and a warm invitation to “Come on in” to her home! 'Come on in you guys' in her International American accent, Miri travels between Dubai and LA, where her family live. The first thing to catch my eye is a vibrant pink neon sign which says pink and makes the whole hallway glow in a warm pink tone. From the first sight of the eclectic hallway you know you are in for a real treat inside.

Photographed by @byfranki_

The hallway leads on to an almost decadent collection of colourful pieces of art. There are so many, you are not quite sure which way to look first and when you do, you notice something different everywhere you turn.

Photographed by @byfranki_

There is no surprise that Miri’s favorite colour is pink and there are flashes of different shades and textures throughout the apartment.

The Sitting Room

We move to the right of the hallway, into the sitting room where you see the most beautifully re-upholstered Ikea sofa, the very best ‘Ikea Hack’ that I have ever seen. The L-shaped seating unit and back cushions has been splendidly unholstered in a beautiful monochrome fabric, this enables Miri to create a real contrast with a colourful array of printed/ embroidered /textured cushions of all shapes and sizes. Our Wear The House cushions look amazingly at home here, and compliment the others so perfectly.

Photographed by @byfranki_

Miri tells us that ‘Our home is a happy space filled with lots of art which we connect to many lovely memories. It’s very colourful and I like to think it’s got lots of life.’

Photographed by @byfranki_

We asked Miri which is her favorite piece of artwork, (not sure how you would choose from the huge range of subjects and styles) and Miri replied ‘They are all so special, but if I had to choose it would be a Gustav Likan. I love all the bright colours and layers of paint and the antique frame came with it. This piece is from the 1960s.

Artist; Gustav Likan Photographed by @byfranki_

The Dining Room

The colourful sitting room leads you directly into the dining room. Our eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful chandelier hanging over the dining table, which was a special gift to Miri, as it was bought at auction by her husband. There are also mirrors on all of the walls reflecting the room at every angle and bouncing the light from the chandelier around the room. The upholstery on the dining chairs coordinates with the wonderful sofa, and the monochrome palette and glass table, give a real feeling of light and space.

When asked where all the artwork comes from Miri replies ‘All over the world, we probably have a piece of artwork from every trip we have had.

Photographed by @byfranki_

When we asked Miri to tell us about her inspirations, she replied ‘Paris! I love the Haussmanian architecture. There is inspiration in very single detail’

The Bedroom

Photographed by @byfranki_

As we enter the bedroom, we see an immaculately dressed bed with of course those pops of pink and a large piece of art catches the eye. This piece featuring Elizabeth Taylor, one of the most iconic, fashionable women in history. We also spot a Wear The House framed print hung next to the bed, which says Happily Ever After (from our new print collection).

Photographed by @byfranki_

We can’t wait to explore Miri’s closet. When we asked “do your interiors and your fashion style have similarities and if so, why” Miri revealed

‘My closet is just as colourful and as bright as my house. I rarely wear black.

Photographed by @byfranki_

Miri is pictured here at the door of her colourful closet, cuddling our rainbow ostrich feather cushion, which photographed so beautifully in this room along with all the pink pops of colour.

Photographed by @byfranki_

If the shoe fits, Like Cindrella’s shoes, D&G shoes.

The Kid’s Room

This room is super fun, unsurprisingly, the walls are full of colourful art. Space in this room is used very carefully as it has to work for both children. Toys are cleverly stored away and on display are quirky fun ornaments, Like two lipsticks, which are actually champagne holders from duty free but work so well in a playful way.

Photographed by @byfranki_

‘Yes its like tetris this place’ Miri quotes. This comment is a very perfect way of summing up how Miri has used every inch of this two bedroom apartment work for all her growing family, her business and all of her collectables.

Career

Interior Design is not just a hobby for Miri Najarian Khayat but also her business specializing mainly in residential interiors as this is her favorite area to work in. However Miri is currently working on an office space with a design brief to make it feel like a Parisian apartment. We can’t wait to see what you do here Miri!

We asked Miri “what would be your dream project” Miri replied ‘A Carte Blanche, a blank canvas to work with, to cover all aspects of the design and furnishing and of course an endless budget for art’.

We also couldn’t resist asking” which celebrity would you like to work with?”

‘Kylie Jenner has some very cool spaces in her home and some nice art, I think she is also a fan of pink!’

Final question and we are outta here! What are your wishes for 2021?

‘Health and Happiness for everyone.’