Design for Real Living and Hosting Spaces
Creating spaces where real living and effortless hosting actually happen—not just look good in photos. I'm not an interior designer; as one of my clients put it, I'm "the space and hosting whisperer." Everything is shaped around how you move, pause, cook, and connect. Spaces that feel like you, not a showroom. No fuss, no fluff, no filter.
Our Roots From Finance, Food to Design
I was an MD within the Risk & Strategy space on Wall Street when a chance meeting with Warren Buffett changed everything. That conversation led to cooking for the Gates, Obamas and later for Royalty too. I left Finance to set up The Hampstead Kitchen—a thriving private dining experiences and culinary studio in 2013.
With clients across London, Europe, the Middle East, and the US, I've cooked and hosted everywhere from palaces to tiny apartments with all kinds of kitchens and living spaces. I learned something fundamental: it's not the size of a space, but how you use it to host and live.
My clients were choosing a slower way of living—moving outside the City to the Countryside: Norfolk, the Cotswolds, Somerset.
So in spring 2025, I made my own move. From Hampstead, London—800 sq feet—to a 2,000 sq foot barn on a working farm in North Norfolk. The barn gave me alfresco dinners under the stars. Meadow views. A garden. Space to relax and heal. Two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023,
I was finally in a home that supported not just how I wanted to live, but who I was becoming. It taught me something visceral: spaces do shape how you live. They either work with you or against you. And that's when I realised—I was my first client.
The space made me re-evaluate everything: how I unwind, move, gather, dine & host.
What I really needed. How I wanted to live mindfully.
A New offshoot: Our Accidental Client
A client asked me to redesign her London penthouse. She only came to London once a month. The kitchen was beautiful but unused—she wasn't cooking, just ordering in or hosting business clients.
"How's the kitchen flow?" I asked. "It's beautiful," she said, "but it doesn't work for me."So I asked: how do you want to feel in the space and use it?
armed with that information, I designed a few key things like a heated kitchen island so she could order in and host casually in her kitchen instead of setting a table, making it casual. A walk in coffee/breakfast bar from the pantry with a mini fridge to streamline her mornings. Multifunctional ceramics, servingware, table linen, glasses. A cupboard called "Hosting" with everything she needed for more formal sit down dinners.
A flow system that made entertaining intuitive.Within three weeks, she was hosting easily. She recommended me to everyone, word of mouth quickly grew both in London & Norfolk. By the end of the year we've had ten clients and sixteen design-led projects. We started getting calls from clients overseas, all with the same design dilemma : beautiful homes they couldn't fully enjoy or host in.
That's when I understood. This wasn't a side project—it was genuine need. So I set up Curated by Saima as its own branch. My clients call me the space and hosting whisperer—not a design studio, not a consultancy. Think of me as your space and hosting whisperer, dedicated to making your home actually work hard for you.
Create spaces, stories & experiences that make connection feel effortless, uplifting & memorable
Small Changes, Big Shifts
With over a decade of experience hosting through The Hampstead Kitchen, I have learned this. The best gatherings happen when the space does the heavy lifting. Design shapes what you feel, even when you don't realize it.
We design how you feel, not just how things look. There's a profound difference between a space that photographs well and one that actually holds you. One looks edited for Instagram; the other encourages you to put your phone down and be present.
We focus on details others overlook: creating snugs, understanding natural nooks, letting outside in through sightlines, adding warm light, using grounding textures, making kitchens work with you when hosting. These aren't aesthetic choices—they're functional shifts that change how you move, pause, cook, gather, and actually live.
Our Unique Service: Space, Hosting & Systems
What I discovered through that first client—and countless ones since—is that the magic happens when three things work together: the space itself, how you host in it, and the systems that make it effortless.
Most designers stop at the kitchen. I don't. I ask: how does this space support gathering? How does the dining room connect to the kitchen? Where will people naturally linger? What systems do you need—a "Hosting" cupboard, a drinks station, the right servingware—so entertaining feels effortless, not like a performance?
But deeper than that: how does this space support your wellbeing? Your health? Your peace? Because a space should work with you, not against you. It should support how you want to live, heal, and thrive.
That integration—space + hosting + systems working together—is what makes the difference. It's why clients stop fighting their homes and start actually living in them.
Who Is This For?
You've invested significantly in beautiful homes but struggle to use them the way you imagined. You bought the second home—Norfolk retreat, country property—picturing long lunches and easy weekends. Instead, the kitchen sits unused. Cooking feels like effort, not pleasure.
Life changed. Kids grew up. You relocated or retired. Your routine shifted, but your home didn't. Or you want to host more—intimate dinners, relaxed weekends—but the space doesn't flow.
You're not looking for an interior designer focused on tiles and appliances. You need someone who understands how you actually live, how you want to feel when people walk through your door, how to make hosting intuitive instead of exhausting.
You value real hospitality over Instagram aesthetics and want to truly enjoy the spaces you've invested in.
Curated by Saima is for you if:
You own a second home that feels underused
Your life has shifted and your space needs to evolve
You want to host more but do not know where to begin
Your kitchen looks beautiful but makes simple tasks harder
You divide time between homes and need them to work effortlessly
Let's Make Your Space Work For You
Practical. Intentional. Memorable. No Pinterest boards. No showroom perfection. Just spaces shaped around real life and a trusted partner who handles the details so you can relax and enjoy.
We don't do templated solutions. Every project starts with understanding how you actually live, what you want to feel, and what will make you smile years from now. High-end but never pretentious. Always real. Always home.
