Forbes. Katrina Antonovich - The Interior Designer of The Era

Katrina Antonovich is the founder and chief designer of Antonovich Group, the Dubai based interior design, architecture and fit-out practice established in 2010. She leads the design direction of the studio across residential and commercial projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and internationally.

The role of the designer in a luxury project

In high end residential work the designer's job extends well past selecting finishes. It means establishing what the space is for, resolving how it will be built, and holding a single idea together across the months it takes to deliver. On a villa or a palace the decisions that determine the result are made early: proportion, the sequence of rooms, where daylight enters and how the architecture and the interior agree with each other.

That is the part of the discipline Katrina has built the studio around. A room that photographs well but does not work for the people living in it is a failure regardless of the budget spent on it, and the difference is usually decided at plan stage rather than at furniture selection.

How the studio works

Antonovich Group is organised so that design and delivery sit in the same practice. Interior design, architecture, custom furniture and joinery, and the fit out itself are carried out by one team under one contract. This is a deliberate structure: the most common failure in luxury interiors is the gap between the designer who draws and the contractor who builds, where detail is lost and responsibility is disputed.

Keeping both under one roof means the drawings are made by people who know how the work will be executed, and the execution is done by people who understand the intent. It also means one point of accountability for the client.

Areas of work

The studio's residential work covers villas, palaces, penthouses and apartments, and extends from the architecture and exterior through to furniture, lighting and decor. Commercial projects include offices, hotels, restaurants and retail. Alongside these, the practice produces bespoke furniture and joinery, which allows pieces to be made to the drawing rather than sourced to approximate it.

Recurring themes across the work are classical and contemporary luxury interiors, majlis design for the Gulf, and turnkey delivery where the client receives a finished and furnished property rather than a construction handover.

What defines the studio's work

Two characteristics run through the projects. The first is that architecture and interior are treated as one problem. Where the studio is involved early enough, the building envelope, the window positions and the internal plan are developed together, which avoids the common outcome where an interior designer is handed a shell and asked to compensate for decisions already fixed in concrete.

The second is that furniture is designed rather than sourced. A room planned around pieces that do not yet exist can hold proportions that stock furniture will not fit. Producing joinery and furniture in house makes that possible, and it is the practical reason the studio maintains its own production rather than specifying from catalogues alone.

Working across markets

Projects in the Gulf carry requirements that do not appear elsewhere. Majlis and guest reception areas have a social function that shapes the whole plan of a residence. Climate drives glazing, shading and cooling decisions that in turn affect how rooms can be arranged. Local approvals set what can be built and when. A studio working regularly in this market designs around those conditions from the first sketch rather than discovering them during construction.

Credentials and reach

Antonovich Group has operated from Dubai since 2010, with a presence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification. Projects have been delivered across the UAE and the wider GCC as well as internationally.

Working with the studio

Projects usually begin with a consultation about the property, the brief and the budget, followed by concept design, technical documentation and then delivery. Clients who want the studio to carry the project through receive design, joinery and fit out from the same team.

To discuss a project, call or WhatsApp +971 54 299 5555, or use the contact form to arrange a meeting at the Al Wasl Road showroom in Dubai. You can see the studio's work in the gallery and read more about the practice on the about us page.