FRESH&fabulous

How NACRE LIVING INTERIORS, founded by young and dymanic female entrepreneurs in the Dubai Marina Promenade region, will diversify the high-end category.

Clients who visit the showroom gallery location can expect to be inspired by the excellent choice of objects and furnishings on exhibit, and the NACRE client base is only poised to grow with new visitors, many of whom will become loyal customers.

There's something new bubbling in the region's premium category that will forever redefine the interiors landscape in Dubai.

Margarita Salionova and Surat Dzhelilova, both 27 years old, launched NACRE Living Interiors. NACRE is the first design studio and bureau under the same ownership to launch in the Middle East, following the success of its Russian predecessor design house and bureaus, Jelil Home Buro and MS Interiors.

Margarita Salionova is the co-founder of NACRE Living Interiors, which recently debuted in Dubai Marina. Salionova, who is from Moscow, is the proprietor of MS Interiors, a prominent interior design firm in the Russian city, and has an influential presence among Russian upper echelon circles.

Salionova graduated from the Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts in the United Kingdom and holds a degree from the Moscow Institute of Art and Industry in Moscow.

Surat Dzhelilova is a co-founder of NACRE Living Interiors. Dzhelilova, who is from Moscow, is the owner of a renowned interior design studio named Jelil Home Buro in the Russian capital. Dzhelilova's mother acquired numerous vintage objects for their home as a young girl, inspiring her to develop a love for everything beautiful in life, and Surat grew up surrounded by exquisite and enormous collections of unique ornamental treasures and furnishings. Dzhelilova, who works with over 70 companies to supply her Moscow-based outlet and clientele, intends to build on her success with the gorgeous >>> new addition to Dubai's interiors segment, NACRE, which can be found on Marina Promenade, Dubai Marina.

As a result of their proactive international business ventures in the field of creative retail and design over the last few years, the pair has amassed an appealing portfolio of furniture brands, goods, artworks, and design services that set the tone for the ultimate in luxury, quality, and functionality. At only 27 years old, the founders make an exciting and influential example of interior design brilliance through clever and strategic collaborations with worldwide suppliers, with the inauguration of their first Dubai site currently open on promenade level in Aurora Tower, Dubai Marina.

“We are proud to only work with the best on offer from the design industry and the art and architectural world, giving our clientele a unique opportunity to enjoy top-of-the-range furnishings that ooze the best in luxury and quality,” said Surat Dzhelilova, co-founder, NACRE. She continued: “The NACRE team is rapidly expanding, and we hope to continue to attract the best brands, partners and talent in the region and beyond.”

Some of the ultra-premium brands to be found in the stunning NACRE showroom space include Longhi, Raynaud, Ercuis, CTO Lighting, Vaughan Designs, Bella Figura, Giobagnara, Pinetti, Dedar, Sahrai and Alivar, to name a few.

“While we enjoy a vast variety of both classic and contemporary styles to be seen at our showroom, all of our clients, both new and loyal, are united by their sense of taste, the desire to treasure hunt, and the quest to surround themselves with beauty, that creates a comfortable and stylish setting in the home. Treasures become the future generation’s family heirlooms, and we love to play such a central role in our customers’ individual interior design stories”, added Margarita Salionova, cofounder NACRE.

The NACRE founders are starting to work on fit-outs for commercial spaces, luxury hotels, and residential buildings, which will be a growing area of the business in the future years. Their primary goal is to develop NACRE as a highly influential design studio in Dubai. Dzhelilova is currently working on a second design project for clients in Dubai, which will be released later this year.

/ In conversation with Margarita Salionova /

How did your wide background in architecture, the arts, and interior design lead to your entrepreneurial path with NACRE?

I had a strong urge to accomplish what I do now since I was a child, possibly around the age of 14. I've always had an entrepreneurial attitude, which, paired with a passion for the home and interiors. I studied at the Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts in the UK before going on to learn with the prominent UK interiors platform Elle Decoration. I also have a diploma from the Moscow Institute of Art and Industry. Although I had a thorough understanding of the sector, when I opened MS Interiors Design Studio in Moscow in 2019, it felt like a risky move. I think there is always some risk with any new entrepreneurial activity. And of course, this was my first foray into independent trade.

Why did you decide to start your business in Dubai?

There was a clear gap in the market for what NACRE offers, as I don’t think there are many offerings that are comparable, and I believe we are meeting a unique demand in the market. As a city, Dubai is an incredibly exciting place and there is a high potential for reward for entrepreneurs. I wouldn’t dream of changing our new location.

How do you decide which designer brands to exhibit in your showroom?

We combine our own industry expertise and discoveries with timeless favourites from our existing loyal customers. Naturally, since NACRE is a new brand and Dubai's market is different from Moscow's, we enjoy experimenting with purchases to discover how lovely artwork, furniture, collectibles, and other treasures are received by new consumers. Nothing less than beautiful is kept at NACRE.

Who are you targeting and what are your expectations?

Although we have a strong foundation of individual, private, and interior designers as clients, we are also pursuing more b2b endeavours. We would want to collaborate with some of the biggest hotel chains and upscale property developers in Dubai. We are fortunate to have the ability and resources to furnish substantial projects and spaces, therefore we wouldn't restrict ourselves when it comes to larger commercial orders.

How did your childhood shape you into the person you are now and influence your decision to pursue a profession in interior design?

I believe that my love for beautiful interiors and a sense of style began in childhood. Even though I was still very young, it was always exciting for me to participate in dialogues with designers when my father produced projects on his own. I was allowed to select the furniture for my room as well as the materials for my dressing room and bathroom. In my adult life, I've frequently relocated and have always enjoyed furnishing my home. I must thank my parents for constantly providing me with opportunities and choices at such a young age. Today, it gives me a lot of confidence to go on, to be fearless, and to do whatever I want.

You've had success in Moscow and are now expanding into Dubai; how different are these markets for you?

Although Moscow has an older history than Dubai, I believe Dubai has far more multi-culturalism than Moscow due to its big expat population, and its economy is relatively recent. Although there are many Russians in the UAE, it is very different from Moscow in terms of style and taste, as it receives influences from all over the world while remaining famous for its uunrivalled luxury.

Which of your favourite brands do you want your clients to experience in Dubai?

We exclusively work with the top designer brands and premium home products, so picking favourites is really difficult! If I had to give an example of how our items differ from those found elsewhere, I would point to our Italian powerful Nespresso machine edit from Giobagnara, which is covered in luxury leather skin.

What plans does NACRE have for the coming years?

We want to keep working hard to make NACRE the go-to brand for private clients looking for high-quality home furnishings and collectibles. We are excited to work with some of Dubai's most prestigious hotel groups, interior designers, private residential spaces, and real estate developers.

The team devised innovative methods to make the form in order to accomplish the clean stitching and aesthetics and assure the chair would fit our stringent criteria. The end product is a beautifully made chair design in which every form, stitch, and curve is important: a really iconic piece of furniture.