Press
A Royal Residence
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dateSummer 2021
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publicationHARPER’S BAZAAR
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locationsaudi arabia
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authorAYESHA SHEHMIR
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ORIGINAL CONTENT
Detailed with soothing patterns and a simple colour base, a tranquil home in Riyadh, designed by Her Royal Highness Princess Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud, is an exemplar of understated luxury.
A Royal Residence
Her Royal Highness Princess Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud sits in the living room themed light grey for a soothing ambience. The downstairs living room features bespoke furniture by Karageorgiou and interiors and artworks by Sami Savatli. The dining room for guests features a brown and grey base palette for a casual-chic setting. Accessories by Rabat Manzil. All furniture has been tailor-made by Karageorgiou Interiors. A view of the bespoke contemporary blue powder room with traditional touches. The casual area is enlivened with bespoke furniture and vintage chandelier. The impressive dining table is custom-made seating more than 20 guests.
Just outside Riyadh, in the quiet Dhahrat Laban district atop a wadi, rests a palatial home reminiscent of a bygone era, but with modern influences. A creamy beige is the reigning hue inside, with hints of gold throughout the space. The regal property has been designed by the founder of Saudi-based interior studio, A Interiors, Her Royal Highness Princess Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud, over the course of two years with the aim of making it a comfortable and entertainment-friendly home. “It’s one of my favourite projects because I had full design freedom and flexibility,” Princess Anoud tells Bazaar Saudi.
“I wanted to create something that was comfortable but at the same time, looked really good and had an Arabesque feel to it.” Enabling free expression through design and authenticity is a philosophy Her Highness knows too well, and is the driving force behind A Interiors. “Don’t try to imitate or look at what other designers are doing,” she urges. “Ask yourself, what makes you comfortable? What makes you happy?
Because if it makes you happy, it’s probably going to make your clients happy too.”
Often visiting furniture shops and flea markets in the Kingdom and beyond during much of her childhood, Princess Anoud was well aware of her passion for interior design from an early age. After her first freelance project, it was clear that she needed to launch her own firm. “I just didn’t want to do freelancing projects anymore and then the idea of A Interiors was born,” she smiles. Marrying her love for global travel and art, A interiors is constantly evolving, merging traditional elements with modern minimalism and applying an open-minded approach to every project.
“My favourite projects are the ones where the client gives me full flexibility and trust,” she says. “And with this home in Riyadh, I had the ability to be very creative.” Geometric designs recalling traditional Islamic calligraphy fill the home in the form of artworks, design sculptures and even shapes on doors, cupboards and ceilings, welcoming beautiful daylight patterns to fall on the sofas and flooring. The furniture has been manufactured by a family-owned business in Greece called Karageorgiou Interiors, chosen for embracing the same design values as A Interiors. There are tomes placed on the coffee tables as art pieces on their own.
Bespoke furniture is paired with a vintage chandelier for a look that’s luxurious yet subtle. The outdoor pool area is designed to resemble a beach resort.
Her Royal Highness Princess Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud downstairs; Below: a view of the elegant dining room bathed in natural light. Small antiques collected from vintage dealers during Princess Anoud’s travels have inspired each room’s aesthetic. “I find things that are really special,” she says.
“Then I start styling with those pieces in mind and it just grows from there. These travel pieces were the main inspiration for each room and everything just fell into place.” She laughs, “And I have attachment issues with all these pieces.’ A nod to the homeowner’s affinity with the art world and co-curated by Saudi art advisor Raneem Farsi, large-scale works by Korean artist Cha Seung hang on several walls. “I gave Raneem photos of the rooms selected the artworks together,” says Princess Anoud. “She’s really amazing and a good friend.”
The designer’s love for vintage style stems from fond memories of collecting items with her mother during travels abroad. “I was very influenced by my mother – she loves antique and vintage items,” she shares. “And it’s something we always used to do together as an activity. In saying that, I don’t have a certain style or an era that I’m attached to. It’s all about the connection with a piece that I simply feel really attracted to.”
Beyond its impressive designs and subtle-luxury ethos, perhaps it’s the meditative ambience that makes this space extraordinary. The warm, muted base palette of the home exudes a tranquil energy which fills the entire space, and pops of colour inject a distinct mood into each room. “Throughout the entire home, I didn’t want to have too many finishes or make it too busy,” says Princess Anoud. “So we kept a unifying colour and then in certain spaces, we added some touches to give each space its own character”
Her personal favourite area is a living room downstairs, rich in textural layers and design. “I really like this room because it’s so eclectic. Each piece is completely different than the other and reflects a completely different style.” While the abode has a personality of its own, the aura of the homeowner can be sensed even without their presence. “As a designer, no matter what you do, it’s not the same until someone actually moves in,” expresses Her Highness. “I think it’s their energy. I don’t know how to explain it, but you feel like the house has a new life. I think having accessories and plants always give the space a homey feel, but what makes a home warm is the people that are in the space and what they bring.”
