2024 Emerging Designer Award: Studio Muka
Author:Lindsey ShookStudio Muka, which unites the shared vision of licensed architects and designers Zabie Mustafa and Neda Kakhsaz, is anchored by an enviable pedigree. After meeting at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, Mustafa came to Los Angeles to work for The Archers, with curatorial duties at the Guggenheim and the Whitney having further polished his well-trained aesthetic; Kakhsaz honed her skills working for Studio Shamshiri.
Photos by William Jess Laird.
Inevitably an opportunity to design a home in Northern California brought them to a crossroads. They combined the first two letters of their last names and leapt into a partnership that has seen them work together on spaces in Joshua Tree, San Francisco and Montauk. “Everything sort of snowballed from there,” says Kakhsaz.
Photos by William Jess Laird.
Their work, which seems to stretch across time and space and encompasses inspirations that range from ancient palanquin chairs to the work of Italian industrial designer Joe Colombo, is grounded in their respect for natural materials and the importance of place and the environment. “We often say we look to the past to look toward the future,” says Mustafa. That narrative is not confined to the history of interiors and architecture; it also encompasses their diverse backgrounds—while Mustafa grew up in New York, his family’s roots are in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan; Kakhsaz, born in Tehran, was raised in Los Angeles.
While navigating a romantic and professional partnership can be challenging, these two are energized by its advantages, finding strength in their unique yet complementary outlooks. “One of us will take the lead on architecture while the other steers interiors, but that invariably switches,” Kakhsaz explains. “The result is something beautiful, holistic and dynamic.” Perhaps that’s why their work often appeals to couples. “Our strength is in being able to communicate, collaborate and understand different viewpoints and bring them together in a cohesive and visionary whole,” says Mustafa. Truly, it takes two to make a thing go right.
