Our studio
A studio built on
careful attention
Rumi & Alder began with a simple conviction: that interiors feel right when they reflect the people who inhabit them, not the designer who shaped them.
Back to HomeHow the studio came to be
Rumi & Alder was founded in 2017 in the old commercial district of Kuala Lumpur. The name holds a small ambition: Rumi for the layered, literary quality of space — the way a room can carry meaning well beyond its walls — and Alder for the steady, quiet craft of making something that will last.
The studio grew out of a shared frustration with interior projects that looked polished in photographs but felt disconnected from the lives being lived inside them. Too often, the design was louder than the home. Too often, the client's brief was treated as a constraint rather than a gift.
Since then, Rumi & Alder has worked with homeowners, renters, and small business owners across the Klang Valley — on apartments in Mont Kiara, terrace houses in Bangsar, studio units in Bukit Bintang, and a handful of small cafés and studios that wanted their spaces to do quiet, purposeful work.
What ties all those projects together isn't a visual signature. It's a process. We ask a lot of questions at the start, we document what we hear, and we hold that knowledge through every decision that follows — so that by the time a space is finished, it carries the texture of the people who live or work in it.
Our mission
"To design spaces that hold the shape of the lives they serve — quietly, durably, and well."
Studio facts
2017
Founded in KL
140+
Projects completed
3
Core service tiers
8 yrs
In the industry
The people behind the work
A small, closely knit team. Each person brings a distinct background; together we cover the full arc of a project.
Nadira Sulaiman
Principal Designer & Founder
Trained in spatial design at UTM and with early years at a mid-size KL practice, Nadira founded Rumi & Alder with the intention of keeping the studio small enough to stay personally involved in every project. She leads client relationships and design direction.
Razif Tan
Technical Designer
Razif handles spatial planning, technical drawings, and 3D visualisation. His background in architecture means he thinks about structure and light together — a quality that shows up clearly in the detailed stages of the Interwoven Design Package.
Farhan Ibrahim
Project Coordinator
Farhan manages procurement, contractor communication, and on-site quality checks during Pattern Completion projects. His steadiness and attention to detail mean that what is designed on paper arrives faithfully in the finished space.
How we work — and why it matters
These aren't slogans. They're working habits we've developed because they lead to better outcomes for clients.
Written briefs, always
Every project begins with a documented brief. What you tell us in the first meeting is written down, shared back, and used as a reference throughout. Decisions that drift from the brief are caught early.
Physical material samples
We present actual swatches and samples rather than relying on screen renditions. Colours and textures need to be seen in your light, in your space, before a final selection is made.
Data handled with care
Client information — addresses, preferences, photographs of personal spaces — is stored securely and never shared with third parties. Photography of completed projects is only posted with written consent.
Realistic timelines
We don't quote timelines we can't keep. Lead times for furniture, trades availability, and decision rounds are factored in honestly from the start. You'll know what to expect and when.
Vetted contractor network
The contractors we work with have been assessed over multiple projects. We don't introduce someone new to your home without prior experience of their work, their communication, and their finish quality.
Site review before handover
For Pattern Completion projects, we carry out a structured site review before the final styling session. Any outstanding snags are documented and resolved before we consider the project closed.
Interior design in Kuala Lumpur — a studio that stays small on purpose
Rumi & Alder occupies a position that larger practices often find difficult to hold: close enough to the project to notice things, small enough to respond to what we notice. Kuala Lumpur has a rich and varied interior design market, with firms operating at every scale and price point. Our place in that market is deliberate — we work with a limited number of projects at any one time so that each one receives the kind of attention it deserves.
Residential design in Malaysia carries specific considerations that don't always appear in international design publications. Natural light behaves differently here — strong, lateral, often filtered through deep window reveals or neighbouring buildings. Ventilation requirements shape room planning in ways that colder climates don't face. Material selection needs to account for humidity, cleaning routines, and the long lifespan of certain built-in elements. These aren't obstacles. They're the conditions within which good local design is made.
Our approach to sourcing draws on both local suppliers — particularly for timber, rattan, and woven textiles — and carefully selected regional manufacturers for upholstered furniture and lighting. We keep procurement relationships current and transparent, so clients understand what they're paying for and where it comes from.
Come and see us
Our studio is in the Hang Jebat area of Kuala Lumpur. You're welcome to call ahead and arrange a visit, or simply send us a message and we'll go from there.
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