Speed, Courage, Responsibility
In the world of architecture and design, a successful business is built not only on creativity and technical skills but also on the ability to adapt to ever-changing trends and client needs. Ksenia Gabliya and Anastasia Moiseenko, co-owners of Lappo Interior Design Studio, believe that the key to a successful project in Dubai is courage and responsibility, the ability to listen to the client, embrace local peculiarities, respect the city's rhythm, and create a space that connects these aspects.
Ksenia Gabliya: In the business world, where each day brings new challenges and opportunities, our story began over 15 years ago. In Moscow, as independent professionals, Anastasia and I met and united thanks to the city. For two years now, we have been working in tandem, creating and developing a company that has become our shared endeavour.
We combined our two worlds, in which there is self-reliance and no limit to growth. Both of us, at different times, arrived at the same denominator. When I speak about this, I recall sometime in May when I was 16. My father, a military pilot, came home and said, "Little one, come, I'll show you how the apple orchards bloom." We arrived at an incredible garden, all in white and pink. We sat on the grass, chatting, and I felt protected, absolutely comfortable. This feeling is unforgettable. A month later, my father passed away suddenly. We were left as three: my mother, sister, and I — exposed, without protection.
At that moment, I realised: support must come from within. It's important to have a shoulder beside you, but an inner core is paramount. Everything can change in an instant. Today you are here, and tomorrow the situation may be different. You need to have inner support. This turning point changed me. I was a princess in a pink castle, and everything around me crumbled in a moment.
Anastasia Moiseenko: My life changed three years ago. Six months in Brazil opened my eyes to the world. Before that, Moscow seemed the only point on the map; life didn't exist beyond the Moscow Ring Road. One day, while walking along the ocean, I realised: the world is wider than it seems. The view of the endless water space awakened a desire to explore, learn, and try new things. This feeling became significant when my family decided to move and work in another country. I understood then that a person is always capable of more; their possibilities are limitless. Now we are "beyond the ring road people", living in villages, laughing about it. But our plans are always global, without boundaries.
Dubai has become our new home and a platform for realising ambitious projects. Our company has been here for two and a half years, but the experience and skills accumulated over the previous years have become the foundation of our success. In this city, we understood each other's strengths and learned to support and develop them. Our first clients in Dubai were Muscovites who had moved, with whom we had worked before. They are constant, time-tested. Word of mouth kicked in — it's the main thing now. People recommend us because they trust us.
Our company offers three main service areas. The first is furnishing. In Dubai, many apartments come with finishes, and our task is to fully equip them down to the smallest details so that the client can move in without extra hassle. Whether it's housing for permanent residence or rental, we strive to ensure maximum comfort and superior service.
The second area is full project design and implementation. This includes renovation and construction of large objects from scratch. Our team provides a full cycle of turnkey works, from measurements and visualisations to client approval and construction site entry. We remove all possible pain points from clients, ensuring high quality at every stage.
The third area is flipping. This is the renovation of objects with a small budget, which is in high demand in Dubai.
Our experience in Moscow allows us to work confidently in this direction and look to the future — striving to build villas from scratch. Such projects seem particularly interesting and promising to us.
In the near future, we plan to enter a new working season. In Dubai, people often say that all processes are slow. However, much depends on the specific object and permits. For example, the renovation of a 500-600 square metre villa can take several months. Here, each land plot is managed by its own authority, making it almost impossible to predict the timing of permit approvals.
We have already mastered the levers for obtaining permits, although we encountered problems at first. Now the system is well-established: the contract is signed, and the furnished apartment is equipped within a month. A week is spent on client approval, two on purchasing and arranging, and the last on cleaning and decorating.
Deadlines sometimes excite us: can we meet them? In Dubai, people buy and sell endlessly; it's like a mania here. In this flow, we create beauty quickly and efficiently. In Russia, clients are willing to wait six months for furniture from Italy, while here, everything is needed yesterday.
K.G.: The company's philosophy is to do the impossible. Clients choose us for our promptness: we respond to messages and calls 24/7. One writes at 2 a.m., another responds at 5 a.m. I am an early bird, working until 10 p.m., then Nastya takes over.
Currently, we have 12 work chats that never go silent. We strive for delegation and rest, but for now, we work intensively. We are fanatics about our work. Both Scorpios, our birthdays are a week apart. Work ethic is rare and valuable in a partner. Our ease is transferred to clients: we solve problems effortlessly and quickly. Our intensive work remains behind the scenes. It's our DNA.
Dubai is a city of endless opportunities, but it also has its fair share of challenges. Bureaucracy here is a separate story. Every permit, every action requires time and patience. Banks become a second home: threats of account closures, blockages, obtaining permits for everything from furniture to construction workers' access. Each step is accompanied by licenses, and their list grows with each passing day. The myth of a tax haven is debunked — investments here are significant.
The local mentality is surprising. Things move slowly as if in another dimension. One contractor said, "What, are you in an ambulance? Why the rush?" Here, you need to greet everyone first, enjoy the sun, tea, or coffee, and only then get to work. In Moscow, estimates were sent in the evening and were ready in the morning; here, you can wait for weeks. It's irritating and nerve-wracking, especially when clients don't understand the delays.
However, it's important to accept local peculiarities. We are guests in this city and need to respect its rhythm of life. Perhaps we should slow down, but it's not always possible yet.
A.M.: The success of an architect-designer rests on stress resilience, diligence, and communication skills. Talent is only part of the success. Sometimes you have to be a psychologist, find new ways. The main thing is not to be afraid and to go towards your dream head-on, overcoming your fears and doubts.
Life in Dubai requires adventurism and risk. You either do it or go back. The motto is simple: boldly move forward, no matter what. If you want to change, change. If you don't change, don't complain. What's left? You get up, do it, change it. Or you sit and shed tears. That's life. But fear is not our companion.
Dubai has opened the boundaries of consciousness. Everything is possible, everything is real and lies on the surface. This is the main revelation in life and work. Home is an ephemeral recognition of stability. I took a risk to change my familiar environment for the sake of my family — I have three children and a husband. Moving together was an important step.
K.G.: Much is surprising in Dubai: the absence of radiators in apartments, no hallway, the kitchen right at the front door. This is our pain; it's especially difficult to explain to Russian-speaking clients why everything is three times more expensive. Where to put shoes and why the kitchen is immediately at the entrance — questions that stump everyone. Sometimes we have to demolish everything and do it the way we are used to, or play up what already exists, especially when everything needs to be done in three weeks. We are not magicians, but we find solutions.
The most amazing thing for us here is sealant. All of Dubai is built on sealant. It's a meme among all local designers: once we did a project on Blue Waters, and the clients didn't pay for air conditioning in the summer. After three weeks, we entered the apartment — the ceiling had fallen, the drywall was soaked, the parquet had swollen. A catastrophe. We had never seen anything like it anywhere.
The quality of construction here is unusual: installation, marble, joinery. We can talk about it for hours. We work exclusively with Russian-speaking contractors. They are chosen through our pain and money. The work costs more than with locals, but the quality our clients are used to is guaranteed.
A.M.: On this path, inspiration is needed like air, and it comes from everywhere. Successful people, entrepreneurs who have reached heights through their work, are admirable. Tatyana Bakalchuk is an example of a woman who has created an empire, raises children, and manages to live a full life. It commands respect.
Travel plays an important role — for the sake of emotions and impressions. Financial stability also plays a part, but the emotions from grateful clients at project handovers are the true pleasure. Demanding clients are especially valuable: overcoming difficulties and gaining their recognition of success motivates us.
A regular client we have been working with for two years concludes each project with the words, "You are the best, as always!" This inspires quality work and pushes us to new heights. It's important to receive feedback, see the result of our work, and feel satisfaction from a job well done.
K.G.: A designer's success is determined by the presence of word-of-mouth and returning clients. It's important for a professional to be established and recommended, with people saying, "You can rely on them; everything will be fine." This level of trust is a significant criterion.
Dreams of global projects never leave us. To build a super-village or a hotel, to work with naming and brand stories — all of this beckons. The constant desire for something new propels us forward. Having achieved one goal, you want the next. This is the main motivation.
The ideal dream object exists but currently only in our heads. In it, we will consider all the accumulated experience, positive and that less so. Layout is the pain of any designer. In each apartment, it is the skeleton on which any design can be overlaid. Ergonomics must be thought through. Often, apartments with unusual layouts are encountered, especially in Dubai, where there is one corridor and fifteen doors. Such places require significant improvements.
It's important for a project to be realised for people. Often, ready-made projects are bought, which are then refined for years: marble is removed, pipes are checked. This is a common problem. We want everything to be of high quality and well thought out from the very beginning.
A.M.: Currently, the project in the works is perhaps the most interesting and important one. A penthouse of one and a half thousand square metres on the seashore. Absolutely from scratch, from concrete to the last hook. A large-scale object, the project is ready, construction is underway. The renders are strikingly beautiful. This is a true achievement.
The desire to develop and build a super-city is another one of our goals. Nothing is impossible if you live beautifully and boldly. If we don't know something, we will figure it out, find those who will share their experience. Courage and responsibility are key qualities. Having undertaken a project, we will find the necessary information and professionals. The main thing is not to be afraid and to move forward.
