Interview by Elena Sbokou

Renowned for their seamless fusion of form and function, award-winning designers Xander Noori and Keon Khajavi-Noori have carved a distinctive niche in the world of luxury design.

With a globally inspired aesthetic and an unwavering commitment to usability, their work reflects a deep understanding of craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless elegance.

In this exclusive interview, Xander and Keon share insights into their creative process, design philosophy, and the inspirations that drive his visionary approach to modern luxury.

GDN: What inspired you to pursue a career in design, and how does your personal design philosophy influence your creations, such as the Unisphere Swivel Chair?

Xander Noori : The truth is, we inspire each other. We love creating beautiful furniture and products that people can live with and ultimately enjoy day after day. 

It is inspiring to CREATE – steeped in luxury – from full environments to collections of furniture, fixtures and beyond; we thrive on our ability to bring everyday beauty home and positively enhance the lives of those we work with.

The Unisphere Swivel Chair is no exception! Ultimately celebrating the discovery of beauty and functionality with deep roots in mid-century heritage and an age of exploration. 

GDN: Your designs are known for their careful selection of materials. How do you balance aesthetics, durability, and sustainability in your work?

X.N.: For us, Luxury is defined as sophistication +taste, quality+experience, aspirational+ exclusive. This is the framework we use to balance aesthetics, durability, and sustainability.

Luxury has become synonymous with the Xander Noori brand.

We always say “materials should speak for themselves.” Faux is not luxury.

And in this way, we enjoy working with natural materials derived the Earth. Natural stone and an array of sustainably sourced woods and natural organic fibers, resulting in the best kind of product that we can be proud of. 

Beyond what we touch, the experience of this swivel chair brings a familiar comfort to the ease of use.

GDN:  How do you approach incorporating user comfort and functionality into your designs without compromising on the artistic aspect?

Comfort and quality are central to our design approach. At the core, economics and usability are focal to our process and in most cases inform materiality and form. In this case- creating a sculptural artistic chair, for example, it’s important to understand the dimensional factors and when we can bend or break the rules. 

GDN: Sustainability has become a key focus in the design industry. How do you see your work contributing to eco-conscious design trends?

This is personal to us. Essentially, in the spirit of quality, we aim to create products and furnishings that are not only born of natural materials, but that will ultimately stand the test of time. In the home furnishings industry, we aim to create heirloom pieces that can be passed down from one generation to the next. This preserves our treasured designs and keeps them out of landfills.

GDN: What upcoming trends in furniture design excite you the most, and how do you plan to integrate them into your future projects?

Interior design is really about relationships, how furniture and objects play together and how we engage with them. I’m so excited to watch the evolution of furniture design as the World becomes so technologically advanced. We are lucky to continue integrate a lot of the technical advancements into the Designs and manufacturing, but at the end of the day, furniture is tactile. As an earth sign, I thrive on the creature comfort aspect of designing beautiful objects and furnishings that stand the test of time. Somehow, we tend to be in our own lane, a little bit ahead or behind aesthetic trends. Trends come and go, but what most excites me is the use of mixed materiality and ultimately designing for the tried and true. 

GDN: What advice would you give to young designers looking to make their mark in the world of modern furniture design?

Follow your heart. There’s a fabulous book I would recommend reading call “The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin.”

An amazing read that illustrates so much of what I had been feeling for years. It’s like someone wrote down my flighty thoughts. The book explores creativity in a number of forms, honing in on personal awareness and the factors that inspire us; the idea that if we are meant to design and create then we can to do it with an everyday intention. I would say read this book and others like this. Become self-aware and aware of our environmental factors.

Don’t be afraid to explore your creativity and don’t take yourself too seriously. 

Xander Noori and Keon Khajavi- Noori are the team behind the Xander Noori brand; a full-service design firm, with luxurious projects in enviable Southern California and Italy.

Their firm spans architecture to custom furniture and beyond, while Xander Noori interiors are assembled around comfort, beauty, and quality all rooted in Global inspiration.

They have succeeded in balancing form and function with interiors that enhance clients’ lives.

Xander and Keon partner with architects, developers, builders and artisans creating a vision for each project that is fresh, youthful and unexpected. Catering to each client, our interiors embody Ultimate Luxury.