Interior Designer Shima Samaei Teaches Us How To Furnish Our Spaces With Intention

In her sculptural, emotionally resonant interiors, Shima Samaei redefines the modern home as a bold, immersive expression of identity and intention

In a serene, sun-drenched apartment nestled above the city in Dubai’s Index Tower, sculptural forms meet soulful materials in a space that is anything but typical. This is the creative domain of Shima Samaei, a visionary interior architect and founder of design brand Chapter Studio, and the apartment is a masterclass in her unique design philosophy: fearless, expressive and deeply personal.

“The vision was to completely reimagine the space,” Shima explains. “I wanted to move away from the typical, neutral interiors we often see in apartment living and instead create something that celebrates materials and form.” This bold departure from convention is the hallmark of her practice. Every detail in the space, from the striking finishes to the carefully chosen furnishings, reflects her intent to design not just for aesthetics, but for identity. “So many spaces are designed without intention,” she continues, “and I wanted this unit to be a statement.”

Statement, it is. The residence is a physical embodiment of Shima’s broader ethos: that a home should provoke thought, stir emotion and still serve the quiet rituals of everyday life. It’s a balance she achieves with disarming elegance. Her interiors feel like curated experiences – bold yet inviting, minimalist yet rich in story. “It’s never about visual impact alone,” she says. “The goal is to build a space that feels functional, beautiful and, above all, comfortable.”

That comfort is achieved not through softness, but through synergy – between stone and metal, light and shadow, the organic and the structured. “I love mixing materials and tones – bringing unexpected elements together in a way that feels harmonious,” Shima explains. Her approach resists trend and formula, favouring instead a kind of material intuition that gives each space its own rhythm.

So what, exactly, defines the design of a home in her eyes? “It’s a blend of both how it looks and how it feels,” she says. “A home should be a reflection of your lifestyle and personal aesthetic. It should feel natural – but elevated. I like when every piece has intention, whether that’s in its function, its story, or the material it’s made from. Above all, it should spark conversation.”

This idea – that space is narrative – is central to Shima’s work, and it’s what underpins Studio TACH, the interior design arm of Chapter Studio, known for its collectible furniture. TACH, she explains, “brings that same philosophy into full spatial design. The bold materials, the sculptural language – they’re still there, just on a larger scale.” In each project, the furniture, finishes and atmosphere don’t just complement each other – they co-exist as parts of a whole vision.

Her spatial storytelling is anchored by a strong, unmistakable design language. “I’m constantly drawn to materials that have strength and presence – stone, metal, sculpted wood,” she says. “I also love using tiles that aren’t typically considered in residential settings. They’re tactile, unexpected, and add dimension.” These anchor points, she believes, allow for both character and versatility, serving as the bones of the story while leaving room for the narrative to evolve.

If there’s a quiet critique in Shima’s work, it’s aimed at the growing sameness she sees in the design world. “Many spaces today are beginning to feel quite similar,” she observes. “With TACH, my aim is to gently break away from that rhythm by introducing new materials and more unexpected combinations that bring a different energy.” It’s a call not for rebellion, but for reawakening – to reintroduce wonder and nuance into spaces that too often fall back on safe palettes and predictable silhouettes.

And that wonder often arrives in the form of bold colour, sharp contrasts, and materials that defy expectation. “It starts with the materials,” she says simply. “I usually know exactly what I want to work with before I even begin the design process. I have a very instinctual relationship with materials, and I trust that. The boldness isn’t just visual – it’s in the way things are combined and how they’re meant to make you feel.”

That feeling is everything. For Shima, the future of interiors is less about decoration and more about emotion. “Interiors are no longer just about utility – they’re becoming experiential,” she says. “People want their spaces to reflect their personal story, to evoke emotion and to feel curated rather than decorated.” It’s a blurring of boundaries – between design and art, function and feeling – that she wholeheartedly embraces.

In her hands, interiors become immersive narratives – chapters in a larger, ongoing story about beauty, identity and the power of place. Whether it’s a gallery-like apartment or a full-scale TACH project, Shima Samaei is designing spaces that don’t just house life – they elevate it.

Lead Image: Shima wears dress, Dhs6,115, Max Mara. Earrings and rings, her own

Photography by Efraim Evidor Styling by Marguerita Christoforidis

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Interiors Summer 2025 Issue