Nour Al Zaim, an interior designer with magic hands
In Saïfi, in the heart of the capital, Nour Al Zaim, founder of Design in Frame and interior designer for whom the city of Beirut is one of her primary inspirations, has set up her own office in a traditional house, breathing new life into it in the form of a design studio.
Thanks to her sense of art and design, Design in Frame founder Nour Al Zaim, who holds a degree in architecture from the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation from Rome Business School, has beautifully converted a typically Lebanese house into a welcoming, colorful, and bright workspace for her own design studio, without losing its original charm. An approach that reveals the transformation of the place with purpose and accuracy, combining aesthetics, responsibility and respect for the past.
“My ten years of intensive field experience, between design, layout, technology and even communication, have strengthened and consolidated my knowledge of design principles and its evolution. They have also allowed me to keep up with the times while maintaining unlimited creative freedom”.
As Nour Al Zaim describes it, Design in Frame is a place where people meet and exchange ideas, with an invigorating family atmosphere and a lounge-dining area that immediately puts clients at ease. Wood, marble, steel, paint, resin – a whole palette of colors and materials is on display, accompanied by customized furniture to help visitors visualize the experts’ ideas, imagine what the studio is capable of achieving and make the proposed project their own.
The idea of creating an architectural studio had been brewing in the mind of this design enthusiast for a long time, and bringing it to fruition– apart from the war – wasn’t particularly complicated. Transforming interiors and places, infusing them with a breath of modernity and efficiency, while preserving their soul, holds no secrets for her. It took just two weeks at full speed to renovate the space, and two more to furnish it.
White for purity and luminosity, vitamin-rich orange for brightness and sparkle, azure blue to evoke the charm of the Mediterranean, voluptuous sofas made to measure for comfort, atypical hanging lamps chosen with great care, not forgetting the canvases that bring the office walls to life… all with efficiency and finesse in mind.
From an ideas blog created in 2015, which focused on interior design, the founder was frequently invited to share her impressions, discoveries and favorites inspired by various events, Design in Frame has broadened its expertise and evolved into a fully-fledged design studio. Established in Beirut and Dubai, the company now undertakes luxury residential and commercial projects (cafés, hairdressing salons, conceptual boutiques, clinics, etc.), with services covering architecture, landscaping and urban planning in addition to interior design.
In an constantly evolving world, Design in Frame is always mindful of delicately keeping up with the march of time, mentalities and tastes, leaving room in project planning for change, as Nour Al Zaim points out, often advising her customers to keep an empty, neutral wall for future desires.
As for the concept adopted ‘‘From Lebanon to Lebanon, it perfectly reflects the designer’s love for her country and its people.
The work of Nour Al Zaim, for whom architecture is both a human and a family adventure, reflects her personality, her values, her way of life, hence the infinite imagination and creativity inspired by her style, which she blends harmoniously with her clients’ desires, while obviously trying to take them to new levels of sophistication, combining beauty, functionality and craftsmanship. Isn’t Design in Frame’s motto: “My style is the best version of your style”?