At the beginning of 2026, a new space will open at Alserkal Avenue, located next to piehaus and Firretti Contemporary. If you are a lover of interior design and architecture (or a fan of The Sandy Times), you already know them: Studio Meshary AlNassar, founded by Meshary AlNassar.

Previously, the studio was cozy and based in City Walk. But in 2026, the team decided it was time to grow — both in scale and in vision — by moving into a larger space that also functions as a gallery.

I was so excited by the news that I couldn’t help but ask Meshary to tell me everything. Below, he shares what to expect from the new space, when it is opening, and why it is so different from the City Walk studio.

— Meshary, congrats on the new space! But why this move?

— So, our City Walk office was kind of our debut into the Dubai market. It allowed us to launch the brand locally, expand, and work on projects with clients of very different scales.

What we also discovered during that time is how community-driven we are. We started doing brunches and gatherings, and the social aspect of the physical space played a huge role in shaping our brand. It became something people genuinely looked forward to: these monthly brunches at the studio, opening up the windows and welcoming people in.

The funniest thing is, our City Walk space is actually quite limited. It was designed for maybe six to eight people, just a small working studio with a meeting room. It wasn’t meant to host events or large gatherings. But somehow, we started fitting in 55 to 60 people per event!

That is when we felt it was time to grow the brand. People walking by in City Walk would stop and ask questions. They would see the furniture, the tables, the lamps, and ask, “Is this for sale?” And we would say, “No, we are not a furniture store — we are a design studio.” But the questions kept coming.

We realised there was a huge demand for curated spaces — places where you walk in, experience a fully designed environment, and can actually buy what you see. People wanted that experience, rather than a standard showroom. We always knew that gap existed, but we didn’t know how to cater to it from such a small space in City Walk.

The next logical upgrade was Alserkal Avenue. It is the hub for creative galleries, art, and design. It is the place to be — but it is also incredibly hard to get into. There are very limited spaces, and everyone wants one. The waiting list is long.

So, I approached them. We had several conversations, shared our vision, and explained how community-driven we are — how much we care about bringing people together. That part really resonated with them. And we got a space. It felt so unreal that we could hardly believe it.

The space was a shell-and-core unit, a completely clean slate. The brainstorming started immediately. We decided to build a mezzanine. The idea was to move the studio upstairs and give it privacy, while keeping the ground floor public and open.

They actually recommended that we don’t operate by appointment only. They encouraged us to keep our doors open from 9 am to 9 pm. Not for just clients but for everyone.

That shift was huge. We went from being a private, appointment-only studio to fully opening our doors and inviting people into our world at any time. And that raised a big question: how do we create our world in a way that people can walk in, understand it, and feel it without us having to explain it?

— How does it feel? This is a completely new approach for the studio.

— On the one hand, it is exciting, of course. On the other hand — and I will be very honest with you — it is very scary. Before, we were always in control. Everything was curated behind closed doors. Now, we are exposing everything. We are no longer hidden — we are on centre stage.

That means we have to do double the work. Everything displayed downstairs has to be intentional.

This is where the idea of the boutique gallery came in. It is not a concept store or a traditional gallery — it is a combination of both. It is collectable furniture from young artists around the world, vintage pieces, and random finds from our travels. Carpets, pots, lighting, artwork, tapestries — things sourced globally.

We want it to feel mixed and accessible. Yes, there are high-end pieces, but there are also affordable items — things you can buy as gifts or for your home. We plan to refresh it every few months so people can experience what we are currently obsessed with.

It is not just a mood board on a wall. You walk in, you see the pieces, you feel the atmosphere, you understand what we are trying to create for you. It is like stepping into our world.

The luxury of this space allows us to communicate without even talking. You walk in, and you experience it. I don’t need to present anything — you just get it.

— When are you planning to open?

— We are aiming to open before Ramadan, with February 1 as our latest target.

We already have several shows lined up: an exhibition for the opening, another for Ramadan, and one planned for April. Everything is moving very quickly.

— Tell me about these exhibitions, please!

— Throughout the years, I travelled a lot to attend design exhibitions, fairs, and galleries, mainly to learn. I always wanted to see more, to expose myself to different things.

Over time, I started registering and noting down people whose work really stayed with me. For example, if I went to Alcova Milano and discovered a couple of artists whose work I loved, I would keep track of them and stay in touch. So over the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of information and built relationships with so many different creatives.

As soon as we got the space at Alserkal, I sat down and went through everything I had accumulated over the years. I revisited what I loved and reached out to those artists again, saying, “Would you like to be part of an exhibition space?” And everyone was incredibly supportive and welcoming.

For the opening show, we are presenting a selection of five young artists from different parts of the world. There is a ceramic artist based in Warsaw, Poland — his work is beautiful, and he was part of Alcova. There is a Turkish designer who creates furniture inspired by the Ottoman Empire. There is also a designer based in New York who works with steel welding, alabaster lighting, and furniture. It is a very diverse group. And I am bringing all these designers together to showcase the design aesthetic we want to communicate moving forward.

Our second show, during Ramadan, will be a collaboration with a brand connected to Kuwait and Jaipur. They are two friends who create beautiful textiles and marble serveware — designed in Kuwait and crafted in Jaipur. Their work pays homage to the artisans who make these pieces.

These brands are centred around hospitality, and Ramadan is all about hospitality as well. So we wanted to create our own interpretation of Ramadan hospitality — welcoming people in to experience it.

— And finally, a more personal question. You’ve travelled extensively and collected many objects from different parts of the world. If you imagine everything you’ve gathered over the years and had to describe yourself through those objects, which ones would create the most accurate portrait of you? I think it would also, in a way, become a portrait of the entire studio.

— Things that have age. I think anything with age — where you can see the texture of time — is really beautiful and important.

The second is Middle Eastern references. I love having cultural elements from the region. Anything that speaks to the Middle East excites me deeply.

And the third is sensory. I want to smell things, see things, and hear things. I want spaces to engage all the senses. I don’t like when things feel minimal and flat. I want to be provoked. I want to walk in and feel curious.