Creating Interiors That Connect Emotion, Space Across Shanghai and Global Clients

From fashion runways to refined interiors, Yulia Klyueva has built a career shaped by a deep appreciation for beauty, detail and global perspective.

Now based in Shanghai, she works as an interior designer and stylist, specializing in both local projects and remote residential projects around the world – bringing together custom-made pieces from China with highly personalized design concepts.

Her work goes beyond visuals, delivering fully realized spaces that reflect both aesthetic harmony and emotional resonance.

CNS: Before we talk about business, would you please introduce yourself?

My name is Yulia Klyueva, and I am an interior designer and stylist. I specialize in styling both commercial and residential spaces locally, as well as providing remote design services for residential projects around the world.

A key part of my work involves sourcing and handpicking custom-made furniture directly from Chinese manufacturers, which I deliver to clients globally. With me, clients receive more than just beautiful concepts – they gain access to fully customized furniture and décor pieces tailored to their needs, transforming design visions into tangible, lived experiences.

CNS: Why, after living in China for a few years, did you decide to strike out on your own to build up a business?

My first encounter with Shanghai was in 2006, when I arrived on a three-month contract as a fashion model. I instantly fell in love with the city and decided to stay as long as possible.

After several years in modeling, I joined a company specializing in black caviar, where our business partner was also involved in luxury cigar accessories and unique home décor. Both experiences gave me the opportunity to travel extensively, explore architecture, discover art, and refine my visual sensibility.

I was constantly surrounded by beauty – and one day I realized I wanted to share that feeling with others. I wanted not only to create beautiful spaces, but also to help people appreciate them. That realization led me to study interior design and begin working as an interior stylist.

Today, I collaborate with design and construction companies that seek a strong aesthetic vision and attention to detail. However, my greatest passion is working with private clients. I believe that a home is a place of power – a deeply personal space where people can recharge, feel inspired, and truly be themselves. Helping clients create that environment is what I love most.

CNS: What makes Shanghai's business environment so remarkable?

Not only Shanghai, but China as a whole, offers incredible business opportunities. What stands out is that people focus less on degrees or diplomas and more on your actual skills and the results you can deliver. I find that incredibly refreshing and motivating.

CNS: What were you trying to bring to the local community?

China is developing at an extraordinary speed, with new buildings appearing every day. In such rapid growth, details are often overlooked – but they are, in fact, the most important element.

My work focuses on the power of detail. I design spaces where materials, furniture, and carefully curated objects come together to create a rich sensory experience. When people enter these spaces, they immediately feel the difference – and that emotional response influences their mood, their outlook, and even how they see themselves.

CNS: What are the biggest challenges of setting up a business here? How do you stay motivated?

One of the biggest challenges today is the global uncertainty that affects every industry and every country, including China.

What keeps me motivated, however, is my clients. I know that my work makes people's lives not only easier through my professional service, but also more beautiful. Seeing my clients' eyes light up when their home is transformed – and the pleasure they feel as they begin a new life in a space I've created – brings me incredible pleasure.

When I receive positive feedback, I'm reminded of the meaning and impact of what I do. It fills me with tremendous energy, so I never feel tired and truly enjoy every moment of the process.

CNS: What moment made you most proud?

In 2019, I had the opportunity to style two flagship showrooms for Emaar Properties in Beijing and Shanghai. Emaar is the developer behind iconic projects such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

They were looking for someone who could seamlessly blend Chinese cultural elements with a Western design perspective. Thanks to my experience living in China and my strong attention to detail, I was selected as the lead stylist.

Through a carefully curated mix of furniture, textiles, art, decorative elements, and botanical compositions, I created spaces that balanced Western luxury with the depth and warmth of Chinese culture.

It was a defining moment for me – both professionally and personally – and I felt incredibly proud to meet the standards of such a globally renowned client.

CNS: What are you currently working on?

At the moment, I am working on two projects. One is the digital design of a private house in Qingdao, Shandong Province, in a Hollywood Glam style. The other is staging a glass house in Russia.

For the latter, I am customizing a kitchen with a Chinese factory and overseeing the production of all indoor and outdoor furniture, which will then be shipped to my client in Russia.

CNS: Who is a female role model who inspires you?

Zaha Hadid has always been a great source of inspiration for me. Early in her career, critics dismissed her work as impossible, calling her ideas unrealistic. Yet she completely transformed the world of architecture.

Her designs challenged gravity, broke conventions, and introduced a new vision of fluid, dynamic structures. Her buildings feel alive – almost as if they are moving.

Despite the challenges she faced, she remained strong and persistent. Her journey reminds me that true innovation often requires resilience, courage, and unwavering belief in one's vision.

CNS: Do you have any advice for women entrepreneurs?

Believe in yourself and follow your heart. Never forget who you are, and never compromise your true self.

At the same time, embrace the unique strength that many women possess – the ability to be both soft and strong. That balance is a powerful asset in both life and business.