You would be forgiven for thinking this gorgeous, airy Downtown Dubai apartment is a show home, but it isn’t! Today, we interview the lovely Shyrell, Founder and Chief photographer at Enchante Studios Dubai, whilst we tour her gorgeous ‘little white space’, as she affectionately calls it. Read on below to hear all about how Shyrell found her dream Dubai apartment and how she now mixes a little of her ‘business’ with the comforts of her pretty little home.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Shyrell Tamayo and I am the Creative Director and Founder of Enchante Studios – a boutique photography studio based here in Dubai. I also run an account dedicated to my home space @mylittlewhitespace where I sometimes collaborate with my clients and the brands that I love.

Who do you look up to (influencers, interior designers, etc.) when it comes to home interiors?

I am drawn to very relaxed, bright, open and minimalist spaces and I find that a lot of Australian homes embody the style that I like. There’s plenty to mention but a few notable ones that I follow on Instagram are the designers/architects/renovator’s trio from @threebirdsrenovations. I also love the minimalist vibe of Jet Juthamat’s (@juthamat_by_jem) home and the approach to styling by Tara Wokulski (@coco.camelia). There’s plenty of inspiration from the Nordic and Scandinavian home stylists and designers too.

Describe your home interior style?

I have always loved white and open spaces. My old studio is aesthetically very similar to my home and the most important thing for me is a space that allows for plenty of natural light; it just emits beautiful energy into the room. I don’t have a specific style, but I intend to keep it minimalist in approach as much as I can. I’m very purposeful when buying the furniture that I bring into my space, so I have to move slowly when it comes to my home decor purchases. I love that my house is an open-planned space, it affords me the benefit to compartmentalise its design, where I can play with different aesthetics from time to time, or by area. So, I have experimented with a little bit of boho-scandi, some very mono-minimalist black and white, feminine blush and cream and other (often) conflicting styles.

What UAE based stores or online retailers are your favourites?

I intend to keep my home styling within a budget. Ikea has always been a favourite, as their products are very minimalist in style. Jysk and Pan Emirates are also stores that have plenty of dirham friendly options. For home accessories and the little things, H&M home is where I’d usually go. I do love a good scent for the house though, and that’s my indulgence. They help me to feel a sense of calm and clean – my personal favourite scents for home sprays are from The White Company and Diptyque. But I also have plenty of candles from Lava, along with a few other collections from my travels.

What do you like to do during your ‘at home’ down time?

I love listening to music, audiobooks and podcasts. I also love waking up early to write in my journal, or just having a slow morning in the house. Music is a big part of my day, so it can be a mix of vintage, classical and French music in the mornings and will pick up tempo to a range of 60’s tracks by the afternoon, all the way to the very ‘dance-y’ pop of today’s hits during the day. Evening will simmer down to calmer lounge music, but it pretty much goes on and on the whole day.

For the longest time I have avoided TV and a subscription to Netflix, but recently I’ve been toying with the idea of maybe having a projector for movie nights with friends… still deciding on that one.

Do you have a ‘go to’ recipe when entertaining at home?

I’ve only been in this apartment three short months and I still don’t have a lot of the appliances needed, like a cooking range and washing machine. My housewarming party was literally a no-cook party, so I went with making a grazing table with light bites of fruits, meat and cheese platters. But, I’d like to think that I can whip-up a good selection of pasta recipes.

What is your most beloved item in the home?

Right now, I am really enjoying the DIY swing that I recently added to the space. Guests also love it and I am styling the living room more and more around it. I do love my wall art collections too and the space is only going to see more and more self-designed and photographed framed prints added to the space. This is a new service and product that we are adding to our offerings at Enchanté Studios.