Success is not inevitable, there are many factors outside of the hands of business-owners, but what we can control is the dedication, passion, and focus with which we can achieve great things. Continuous effort always pays off. The other important element in success is loving what you do. Amongst many, the profession of interior design is rewarding in itself; seeing the vision taken from rough sketches all the way through to the result is just an incredibly satisfying feeling which becomes a source of inspiration.

“I also love to read books about successful business leaders, as there is a bit of a reality-check in observing what others have sacrificed to achieve their goals yet so much wisdom and inspiration in seeing the road to success,” says Noor Al Muhaideb. She always had an eye for beauty and a deep appreciation for inspirational spaces. This disposition bloomed into a skill set as her creative mind explored the possibilities of different designs since childhood. This evidently led her to the American University of Sharjah to pursue a degree in Bachelor of Interior Design.

After graduating, Noor started her career as an Interior Design intern with Emaar Properties where she spent the next fifteen years with the opportunity to implement and deliver countless successful high profile residential, hospitality, and commercial development projects.

This naturally progressed in leading the interior design department in the UAE and internationally. As Noor’s confidence and first-hand knowledge grew, so did a real drive to establish a well-rounded interior design consultancy.

Now, she spearheads Opaal Interiors as the Founding Partner and CEO. Her love to nurture the young designers pushed her to give them a voice and opportunity to use their gifts. “I have not forgotten what it was like to be a fresh graduate,” reminisces Noor. Strong, creative, and competent thinkers bring immense value to the table and she hopes that they are empowered at Opaal to step bravely into the world of design.

The hiring and training process is key to making sure each candidate understands the unique way she runs her business, as a sense of shared ownership across the company is vital.  “When we first began the focus was mainly on design for property developers so that we could build a strong business case in one specific area, but our growth due to our passion for design and understanding of client and project needs has led to seamlessly starting and completing a variety of types of projects, from hospitality to restaurants,” informs Noor.

Dynamics of Opaal

“At Opaal Interiors, we are committed to finding the balance between the ambitions of the client, current trends, and the timelessness of spaces,” describes Noor. With ingenuity, enthusiasm and over 50 years of combined experience the team strive to ensure the client feels a sense of partnership in the process of design and creation. The company believes that an expertly designed interior is fundamental to a lasting first impression and we take on this responsibility with great enjoyment and great determination. Eager to realize each clients’ vision, Opaal’s team combines its understanding of spaces, materials, textures, and colours to elevate the space in a way that authentically represents each clients’ vision.

Opaal Interiors faced a lot of issues initially. The biggest challenge proved to be the very early stages of the business. “Building a client base and relationships takes time and there is no short-cut,” educates Noor. “We are up against well-established firms, so providing exclusive designs with attention to detail, excellent customer service and being willing to go above and beyond helped us build our reputation from the beginning,” adds the team of Opaal Interiors. Noor’s patience and determination to stick with the process has truly paid off and she feels happy about it.

Both strong creative leadership and real client partnership exist side-by-side at Opaal Interiors. This approach is its greatest motivation to hire well-rounded professionals with strong design aspirations and communication skills. “We may be in situations where we need to fast-track our work, but we never compromise on the quality and the result,” claims Noor.

The team of Opaal is especially meticulous in the concept phase, in the sense listening carefully to the client’s needs and requests where they can have an idea of the required and patiently collaborate with the client as the vision becomes more specific. Due to the subjective nature of design, it never assumes that they know exactly what the client wants but provide options where the intent can be identified and can fulfil their needs by placing a high value on their input. “We believe what sets us apart is the vitality of our client/designer connection,” adds the Opaal team.

Global Pandemic and Current Industrial Scenario

With the onslaught of Covid-19 pandemic, Noor and her team at Opaal have streamlined their virtual collaboration process to work more smoothly than ever before. The company had been able to successfully plan and complete international projects through the ease of available communication resources. Virtual work has been made possible in a way Noor had ever imagined. Though site supervision proved to be tricky, Opaal’s team used local representatives to safely provide oversight and it has worked till date.

On a serious note, the global uncertainty brought by the pandemic put many design projects on hold for Noor, but to her surprise many companies seemed to quickly pivot and find ways to open operations back up. Opaal has successfully acquired several new projects this year in the fallout where unfortunately many companies had to shut down or be acquired. “Our close-knit team worked really hard together to overcome the obstacles that came our way,” states Noor.

“We have been happily surprised with how much productivity has been possible even while working from home,” says the team at Opaal. This crisis, even for all the damage it is done, has really opened the use of technology and Noor is thrilled at how positively this has affected Opaal’s business today. “This global pandemic has honestly taught us so much,” she shares.

Virtual work has really helped with brainstorming; it may sound counter-intuitive, but away from distractions Opaal’s team has really been able to be super productive in the idea-generating stage of each project. “Even since we’ve returned to the offices in August, the ideas have continued to flow more freely,” tells Noor. Perhaps there is a collective sense of confidence now since the team has overcome the obstacles of 2020. “It can be tricky at first, but it is possible. If you believe you can do it, then you will be able to follow through and grab every opportunity,” concludes Noor.