People who wish to have a beautiful, unique home have it designed by a creative qualified architect. Together, they put time and effort into the process, a commitment to creating something beautiful that should ultimately lead to a stunning home, regardless of whether it is modern, classical, or a blend of different elements. Strangely enough, this is not always mirrored in the décor, as a result of which interiors can fall behind the architectural standards of the property and indoor and outdoor areas are not optimally matched.

The same owners who expect nothing less than a personalised design for their villas are often content with decoration made up of the serialised output of high-end brands. Yes, these are quality furnishings, but produced on a ‘one design fits all’ scale where you have to fit existing pieces into your home and style. Why is this so? Mostly because not everyone knows that there is an alternative that is rather better suited to the concept of a luxury home designed around your wishes.

Design That Is Free Of Limitations

“The designs we create for the interiors and outdoor spaces of homes are not limited by such considerations,” says Jana Novakova, the Creative Director at AALTO Exclusive Design.

“We don’t have to fit our ideas around what is available ‘off the shelf’ as we produce most items in-house and locally, and for this reason we can create custom-made home decors that are a perfect match for a property’s architectural lines, helping to emphasise its unique identity and character. In other words, Aalto Exclusive Design removes the limitations to your imagination.”

If you think of it, a design studio that bridges the gap between architecture and interior styling makes the true realisation of your vision possible by enabling a process of creativity that doesn’t end with a home’s architectural design, but begins with it. “The exterior design, layout, landscaping and interior styling are all coordinated, because now you can make furniture that fits seamlessly into your home on a physical level and is true to the image you had in your mind. The compromises have been removed, and while bespoke, it is also within the same price range.”

The design company managed by life and business partners Ness Yammine and Jana Novakova provides this level of made-to-measure design, production and installation within the same price range of conventional high-end interior design. “We are very focused on offering the best possible quality-value combination, just as we are not only designers but also a production hub that manufactures bespoke furniture and decoration, installs it, and also provides architectural, construction, and management services for renovation projects,” says Ness.

The highly individualised pieces designed in-house are not manufactured in a low-cost country but locally, in Marbella and Málaga, by teams of skilled carpenters, upholsterers, and other craftsmen specialising in metal detailing, marble, glass-cutting, and other fields that require precision. This is accompanied by experts in home domotics, lighting, and engineering to bring the circle round and offer modern design solutions matched with handcrafted quality. The pinnacle of this offering includes exquisite wall panelling by Aalto Design Signature Style.

Award-Winning Concepts

“It might sound a bit predictable but in a field such as this the greatest reward is when your client is delighted with the finished product you’ve created, having met or exceeded their expectations,” says Jana, “but of course it is always nice to receive awards as well. We are pleased to have received four Architectural and Design awards, and this year we have been nominated for The International Design & Architecture Awards in the category of Luxury residence Europe for a project in Puente Romano in Marbella.”

The ability to custom-make furniture around their visual concepts creates a continuum between exterior architecture and interior styling that makes AALTO’s designs stand out. “Our work balances form/aesthetics with function/practicality as we quite literally create bespoke solutions that are unique to each home, and this is where the fun and challenge lies for us, as we don’t repeat designs, so in actual fact each client gets their own tailormade interior.”

Penthouse Orquidea, Puente Romano

A fine example of this is the project Jana and the team undertook at Marina Puente Romano, where they converted a penthouse into one of the most stunning properties of its kind in Marbella. “One tends to look at the furnishing, the main décor,” says Jana, “but we did the whole renovation, from design concept through build and detailing, down to placing the last item.” Moreover, most of what you see is bespoke by design and made to measure by Aalto.

This applies to the carpentry items, stylish marble pieces, mirror claddings, upholstered headboards, and stand-out features such as a superlative kitchen dressed in marble, and decorative surface walls designed especially by Jana and created by the specialist artisans of Aalto Exclusive Design. Take the steps up to the master bedroom, flanked by handmade wardrobes with inlaid mirror detailing, where the true masterpiece is a headboard design with geometric lines that incorporates hand cut mirrors, Calacatta marble, suspended night side tables, and a frame with LED lighting and padding inlaid with seamless perfection.

The terrace is the ultimate expression of Mediterranean bliss, soft white plaster and weather-resistant fabrics on light toned furniture so that the azure of pool, sea, and sky can merge with unchallenged visual splendour. Steps lead from the panoramic seating area up to the splash pool, where the skill of the design team has been to create so much impact within a compact space. It also provides a setting in which the outdoor furniture shines under the sun.

Besides private clients, the company also works with property developers, having created the interior design for projects such as Marbella Club Hills, Oceanview, Lomas del Rey Villas, and Marein Privilege Villas. “People are beginning to see what you can do when you have the capacity to make the pieces you design in a local Málaga factory,” says Jana. “It eliminates many of the restrictions placed upon design and personalised expression that are created by serialised production, leaving a home so much more open to creativity.”

Meticulous Detailing

Every detail is meticulously considered, creating an ambience in which the harmony of elements comes from creative yet well-balanced design and the perfect execution of the smallest details. “We have to be precise because we make-to-measure, using and also blending materials such as marble, stone, glass, wood, and fabrics. We’re also not afraid of colour and use it to enrich and enhance a more neutral background that forms the palate for giving each room a character of its own. In just the same way, no two pieces are ever the same, as different clients opt for the individual materials, tones, textures, and configurations that blend into their lifestyle.”

But the opposite can apply too, as Aalto Exclusive Design does not limit itself to a ‘house style’, “because that implies repetition and a lack of flexibility and immersion in each client and project.” A good example is a villa in La Reserva de Alcuzcuz whose owner requested a modern achromatic colour scheme with a striking balance of white lightness and the solidity and impact of juxtaposed black. It’s the kind of thing that has seen the Orquidea Penthouse shortlisted for The International Design & Architecture Awards 2024, not the first time the team has been accoladed.

Outdoor Collection

The team is growing and the showroom on the Golden Mile is currently being expanded, due to the increasing demand for Aalto’s made-to-measure approach, as well as the expansion of the existing furnishing collection with a fresh new outdoor collection, Chill-out, designed and made in-house. “It is a real gift to work with such a talented team of designers and specialists,” says Ness, “not just because it gives us almost limitless ability to be creative, but also because that is what enables us to provide our clients with a one stop design hub to find their design solution.”