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Modern Arabesque by Miller Design: A Contemporary Home with Measured Eastern Nuance
- Style Essentials Edit Team
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
Modern Arabesque, a 100 m² apartment in Kazan, Russia, reflects Miller Design’s attempt to bring Eastern cultural cues into a contemporary space without resorting to predictable motifs. The idea wasn’t to create an Oriental interior from the outset; it grew gradually from the client’s request for a home guided by feng shui principles. These principles shaped colour direction, the use of natural materials, the kitchen and bathroom layouts, and the presence of indoor plants. As conversations with the future homeowner progressed, an understated Oriental tone began to feel appropriate — and it was welcomed.
The design leans on nuance rather than dramatic gestures. The architectural shell stays calm and neutral, allowing the overlays of textiles, lighting, and decor to influence the atmosphere. Walls, doors, flooring, cabinetry, and most furnishings operate as a quiet backdrop. This ensures the Eastern character can shift over time; changing a rug, curtain, cushion, or artwork alters the mood instantly. For the designer, interiors function as living entities that respond to seasons, light, and the changing temperament of the people who reside in them.
The apartment’s original layout required minimal reworking. A few partitions were added for storage. The living room, fronted by panoramic glazing with views of a nearby lake, was intentionally kept spacious. A modular sofa anchors the room, balanced by a TV feature wall and a steam fireplace. A recessed niche from the developer has been reinterpreted as an open library. Here, the most direct Oriental reference appears in the “Tree of Life” artwork positioned above the seating — not decorative excess, but a single, symbolic gesture that supports the overall narrative.
Feng shui recommended that wood appear throughout, so timber wall panelling extends across the main spaces. In the primary bedroom, blue becomes the dominant tone, shown through upholstered surfaces and textiles. A symbolic requirement for pomegranates — representing abundance and union — led to a painting of a man and woman offering fruit to one another. Pendant lights on either side of the bed carry a subtle Oriental silhouette, while a golden bedside table introduces a deliberate, restrained gleam.
A smaller adjoining space doubles as study and dressing room. A large mirror framed in an Oriental motif becomes its focal element, placed above a surface that alternates between vanity and work area.
In the kitchen–dining zone, natural materials remain the anchor. Wood grain appears in the upper cabinetry of the compact L-shaped kitchen. The dining table extends to host additional guests, lit by two chandeliers with soft Arabic references. The bathrooms respond to feng shui’s recommendation for deeper tones. The larger bathroom’s focal point is a mysterious artwork titled Alien, part of the owner’s private collection.
Textiles carry much of the home’s sensory weight. Brocade cushions, heavy curtains gathered with tassels, patterned runners, and soft eucalyptus-silk rugs create a layered feel that moves the Oriental theme forward without overwhelming the space.
Decor pieces come from various regions, tied together through colour and motif. Turkish ceramics appear across rooms, from plates to vases to tea sets. An antique Iranian jug has a dedicated spot in the bathroom. A Cairo nightlight and a mother-of-pearl inlaid box add further depth. In the living room, the coffee table holds slender Arabic candlesticks and a traditional backgammon set. Gold — often overused in Oriental-inspired interiors — is used sparingly here, limited to hardware, sofa legs, switches, and elements of lighting.
Scent is not left out of the design. Recognising the emotional impact of fragrance, the designer selected diffusers with layered Oriental notes, allowing visitors to sense the theme before they consciously register it visually.
Modern Arabesque is not an exercise in replication. It is a measured study in how cultural references can live within a modern spatial framework, how Eastern cues can register quietly without dominating the architecture, and how a home can evolve through layers rather than large gestures.
Fact file:
Project name: Modern Arabesque
Location: Kazan, Russia
Area: 99 sq m
Typology: Residential Interior Design
Design firm: Miller Design
Lead designer: Julia Miller
Photography: Alena Balyagutdinova
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