Michele Atijas

“I love nothing more than to see the look of delight on a client’s face when they first see their staged or styled home, the surprise at how much better it looks than they imagined!”

Born in the UK unto an English father and Danish mother, Michele grew up in New Zealand with a deep appreciation of global design which ignited a passionate curiosity that led her to live in Australia, Thailand the UAE and finally to the UK. "I have always believed in the unparalleled education travel provides - from the food, smells and geographic nuances to the incredible artwork, interiors and vibrant cultural expressions," she says. Though she enjoyed the travel involved in managing the global graduate programmes at Deutsche Bank- she worked in London, Paris, Singapore and New York for over 4 years - she was acutely aware that her passion was in design. Thus, she left her corporate job to work in Interiors and co-founded Yohan May.

Michele's clients adore her bold-yet-sophisticated approach which use metallics and fierce contrasts of colour, pattern and texture. “I love to add a narrative to my designs, ensuring a buyer or homeowner feels an immediate connection to a space. It’s about making a lasting memory of the carefully-styled interiors we work on,” she says. Taking inspiration from her favourite designers, Kelly Wearstler, Joseph Dirand and Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

In her spare time, Michele continues to be inspired by travel, a pastime she now shares with her husband Darko and their two children Rafael and Aurora. "I still find so much inspiration in architecture and in nature itself. I love bringing all of these beautiful elements into people's homes."

Michele relocated to Dubai in the summer of 2022 to expand Yohan May Interiors offering to the Middle East region, where she sees staggering opportunity to continue creating beautiful homes for her clients.