Press
Tone Poem
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dateDecember 2020/January 2021
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publicationARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
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locationMiddle East. Royal Issue
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authorAmy Bradford
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ORIGINAL CONTENT
The Riyadh apartment of interior designer HRH Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud embodies her eclectic style, mixing vintage and modern pieces with nature-inspired hues and statement art.
Tone Poem – Fresh Look at home with Royal Designer HRH Anoud Khalid Mishaal Al Saud
The Riyadh apartment of interior designer HRH Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud embodies her eclectic style, mixing vintage and modern pieces with nature-inspired hues and statement art. A rusted metal partition in the dining room conceals a food prep area. The art work on the wall is by one of Princess Anoud’s favourite artists, Mohammed Al Ajalan.
A trio of crystal chandeliers that once adorned the dining room of Princess Anoud’s great grandmother now form the centrepiece of the majlis. The low-level seating island central wooden table were custom made by Greek company Karageorgiou. To the far is a pastel-and-thread artwork by Greek artist Zoi Gaitanidou.
If there’s one woman who can sweep aside any lingering clichés about Saudi Arabian interiors style, it’s HRH Anoud Khalid Mishaal bin Saud. An accomplished interior designer, the princess has decorated her own apartment, set within her family’s palace in Riyadh, in an understated yet elegant way, balancing traditional features such as a majlis (or sociable sitting area) with a refined, modern aesthetic. A palette of warm neutrals is brought to life with the princess’s signature design touches: think one-of-a-kind vintage pieces (some of which are heirlooms from her family archive), bespoke furniture, and oversized contemporary artworks. Discerning readers will spot opulent details of the kind traditionally associated with Saudi homes – including a trio of crystal chandeliers that once adorned the dining room of Princess Anoud’s great grandmother – but these are deftly reinvented. Used with a light touch, they seem at one with their new surroundings.
Princess Anoud, who shares her apartment with her sister, set up Riyadh design studio A Interiors after honing her craft at Prince Sultan University, where she studied interior design, and Al Faisal University, where she did a masters in business administration. She’s since created a number of prestigious private homes, including several for her extended family. “I was passionate about interiors from a young age – I travelled so much with my parents and my mother was always interested in design and antiques,” she explains. “So for me, my work isn’t just a job, but something I really enjoy. I love how personal it is; you get to know your clients incredibly well.”
Pre-pandemic, the princess was still travelling the globe and bringing back rare finds for her projects – despite lockdown, she’s still juggling several commissions, although she says they’ve changed slightly in nature. “Because everyone’s
A collection of vintage amber glass vases adds warmth to the neutral dining space, and is filled with grass stems. The dining table was reclaimed from the princess’s childhood playroom and the chairs are custom-made pieces by Karageorgiou, inspired by a vintage design.
Two artworks in ballpoint pen by Greek artist Alexandros Tzannis,co-ordinate perfectly with a collection of vintage vases in the majlis.
“The painting was the starting point for the whole space. I love that it commands attention”
“I looked to the colours of the country around me. They create a perfect backdrop” at home much more, they’re finding certain areas that they want to fix – smaller things like a living room, perhaps. It’s a different clientele to what I’ve had before, which is interesting and fun.” She loves to share her design discoveries with clients at her Riyadh showroom, which is decorated like a home to show how pieces will translate to real life. “I curate a lot of vintage designs in my work, and finding unusual furniture and art is my favourite thing to do,” she says. “For instance, I could spend every day exploring the marché aux puces in Paris – it’s the place that I love most in the world.”
Many of the treasures Princess Anoud unearths on her travels find their way into her own home, including bespoke seating by Athens-based furniture maker Karageorgiou, sculptural table lamps found on a visit to LA, and crafts from Jaipur in India. She also has an affinity for contemporary Middle Eastern art, especially pieces on a grand scale which she uses to add drama to a room. In her effortlessly laidback majlis, which she uses for entertaining, there are a number of monumental canvases that draw attention to the space’s high ceilings.
“Art is an important part of my aesthetic and I’m in love with every one of the pieces that I own,” she enthuses. “The oil-on-wood painting of figures in my living room, by Egyptian artist Mohamed Ismail, was the starting point for the whole space – I love the way it commands so much attention.”
Natural materials and objects are another obsession, and form part of the inspiration for the apartment’s warm, earthy colour scheme. “I looked to the colours of the country around me,” says the princess. “I love their calmness and they create a perfect backdrop for all the items I collect – they have a sophistication and simplicity that is timeless.” In fact, you’ll see similar earth tones in many of A Interiors’ projects, alongside the princess’s trademark eclecticism. “It’s not about picking a certain style and sticking to it – rather, I love piecing things together like a puzzle.” ainteriors.com
Princess Anoud in her living room. The vintage trunks, which she’s repurposed as a coffee table, once belonged to her father and have his monogram on them. The stencilled lamp was found on a trip to L.A.
A small reading nook is made cosier with grasscloth wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries and artworks, including a figure of a woman in burlap and oil by the artist Loretta Tearney Warner from 1st Dibs.
