Design for the Cultured,
the Curious, the Uncompromising
Merite Design Studio is a boutique maximalist interior styling and bespoke furniture design studio based in Kuala Lumpur.
Our clients appreciate that a beautiful space is about creating an environment that tells a vivid story. For the homeowner who loves the idea of a personalized, bespoke design that fuses old-world charm with contemporary flair, Merite Design is the ultimate destination. For commercial clients, Merite Design understands the importance of creating an atmosphere that stands out, attracts attention, and delivers on both aesthetic appeal and functionality.
Every project is a curated dialogue between eras and influences, where richness is balanced by nuance and detail.
A Studio of Many Possibilities
Merite brings its distinctive maximalist point of view to every scale of design — from curated furniture and the renewal of existing pieces, to interior styling and design, art curation and advisory, and statement furniture for shoots, events and temporary settings. Whether shaping an entire interior or introducing a single defining element, each studio offering is considered in relation to the atmosphere, identity and character of the space as a whole.
We approach every space as a form of storytelling, bringing together colour, pattern, craft, art and objects confidently to build a richer visual narrative. Each studio offering becomes part of that story, creating spaces that feel distinctive, memorable and unmistakably their own.
Old Forms, New Stories
Merite was founded on the principle of creating beauty where others see waste. This act of reclaiming and renewing, taking what was overlooked and giving it new life, is the beating heart of our sustainability philosophy. Every piece is stripped, cleaned, treated, and lovingly restored or reimagined – often transformed into one-of-a-kind artworks with hand-painted motifs and bespoke detailing.
Our clients are encouraged to think differently about consumption. Rather than always beginning anew, we look to what already exists – discarded furniture frames and forgotten pieces whose craftsmanship deserves another chapter. Reimagined through new upholstery, finishes and details, they return with a new identity, reducing waste while adding character, history and a richer story to the spaces they inhabit.
The Story that Became Merite
Merite began with founder Nabila Nasir’s own search for a home that felt expressive, layered and entirely her own. After more than 15 years living and working across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the nonprofit and humanitarian sector, she returned to Malaysia with a visual sensibility shaped by the places, cultures and aesthetics she had encountered along the way.
Finding little that reflected her instinct for colour, print and unexpected combinations, Nabila began designing pieces for her own 3,800-square-foot home. What started as a personal pursuit soon drew the interest of others and gradually evolved into Merite — a design studio and showroom defined by a worldly perspective, a love of storytelling and a distinctly maximalist point of view.