The perfect evening starts with soul
There are hosts who focus on the rules – the placement of cutlery, the height of the candle, the trend of the moment – and then there are those who understand that the real alchemy of gathering people is actually, emotional. Nour and Aya Abdo belong to the second camp. Listening to them speak about their style, it becomes impossible to see hosting as anything other than a deeply human act: a form of care disguised as design.
“For us, hosting is really about how you make people feel,” they say.
Palestinian by origin and the founders of By Nour & Aya, a luxury creative studio, the pair specialises in refined events, tablescapes, and immersive brand experiences across Dubai and London. Rooted in heritage, family, and the art of gathering, their work blends warmth with modern elegance, where emotion, memory, and design meet. Shaped by a life between cultures and constant travel, they create spaces and moments that feel effortless yet deeply intentional. Working as sisters lies at the heart of everything they do, infusing each project with intimacy, authenticity, and soul.
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With hosting, it’s in the small, thoughtful moments, the kind you barely notice but instantly soften into. The lighting, the atmosphere, the quiet sense that everything has been cared for with intention. That to them, is the science of hosting: warmth, ease, and those small details that make an evening feel natural.
Because they are sisters, the process carries an unspoken harmony. Aya brings her interior designer’s precision and spatial intelligence; Nour brings creativity that feels almost instinctive. Together, they balance practicality and emotion, meeting exactly where function becomes feeling.
When they start planning an event or table, they don’t begin with a theme or aesthetic anchor. They begin with a question: What should tonight feel like?
“The mood, always the mood,” they explain.
It’s not a palette or a plate; it’s an atmosphere, a softness. From there, they see the table from two intertwined perspectives: the flow, the way the setting moves with the space, and then the feeling, the small artistic touches that “give a table soul.”
Aesthetic ambition, they insist, must never surpass human comfort. “We never want anything to feel too precious.” Beauty without ease is brittle. A space should invite, not intimidate. So they edit, then edit again, until the layout feels natural, a space they themselves would happily sit in. Only then does the creativity come in, layering warmth, personality, and the finishing touches that tell a guest they are welcome.
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If there is a single thread running through their approach, it is intentionality. Their non-negotiable element in any hosting situation is a personal touch, something bespoke, something that acknowledges the people at the heart of the evening. “Our amazing clients return to us because they know they’re getting us, our attention, our eyes, not a template.” And being sisters gives their work a certain ease, a warmth that settles into the evening in a way you don’t have to name, you just feel.
That feeling has power. They recall a moment when a small, almost fragile gesture reshaped an entire evening. They had placed handwritten name cards at every setting, each with a tiny personal note. “It instantly shifted the mood of the table.” Before anyone had even sat down, the guests felt seen, and as if by consequence, they softened. A reminder that human beings bloom when acknowledged.
If they could correct one misconception about hosting, it would be the industry’s obsession with what is trending. Trends, after all, age. Feelings don’t. “The most memorable gatherings aren’t about what’s trending, they’re about how people feel.” For them, a table is not a performance; it’s a memory being made in real time. Nour and Aya’s work simply reflects who they are, thoughtful, warm, and honest in their approach.
In the end, the science of hosting isn’t about technique. It is about honesty. About creating a space where people can be fully themselves because they can sense the care behind it. Nour and Aya believe in that care so deeply that it becomes a signature.
“Be true to yourself, always,” they say.
People feel that truth. And long after the candles melt and the music quiets, it is the feeling they carry home.
Image credit: Pinterest
Thalia is obsessed with food and luxury travel, so much so that she basically lives on a plane. She’s always curious about the story behind what she’s tasting or where she’s going, and loves sharing those discoveries with the world… sharing is caring.
