Practical Makes Perfect
Engineer-turned-designer Maryam Alavinasab creates functional and fabulous custom spaces through her design, build and furniture company, M&M Interior Design.
By Alyssa Hirose
Maryam Alavinasab had all the education she needed to make it as an industrial mechanical engineer when she landed in Ontario seven years ago. She’d completed her master’s degree in Iran and was set to embark on a promising career in Canada. But as Alavinasab reflects on that time, she admits that her heart pulled her in another direction: “I decided to follow my real passion, design.”
Alavinasab was naturally design-minded (“As a child, I was always very sensitive to colour, shape and how space makes people feel,” she says), and rather than seeing her engineering degree as a detour, she used it to her advantage. “I have a good eye for beauty, and at the same time, a technical understanding,” she explains. After earning her design diploma, she collaborated with multiple business partners to found Richmond Hill-based M&M Interior Design in 2021.
M&M combines its founders’ practical education with long-lasting materials and gorgeous furnishings, creating spaces that are comfortable and customized, but never boring.
“Canada is an amazing country full of cultural diversity and creative potential, but I believe it’s still quite conservative when it comes to design,” Alavinasab says. “Many people are hesitant to take bold steps or try something new, and I want to change that.”
Each of the studio’s residential projects has stunning standout elements: think high-contrast glossy marble fireplaces, cozy oversized sofas, perfectly lit wine storage and eye-catching art. “My designs are always about what I call ‘bold serenity,’ ” Alavinasab says. “It feels powerful but never overwhelming; luxurious, but deeply personal.” She explains that luxury, to her, is more about a feeling than a price tag—her goal is to make luxury spaces that are warm, soulful and connected to who we are.
Lately, M&M has also been thriving in the commercial wellness space, completing projects for a local pain management clinic as well as a metabolic and wellness centre. These designs further bridge the gap between form and function, as the design team ensures that patients feel calm, safe and welcomed while the practitioners have all the tools they need to provide professional support.
The metabolic and wellness centre, for example, has bright lacquered millwork that keeps the space looking clean but is balanced with natural wood and gold hardware that create a warm, spa-like atmosphere. Custom shelving for medical products makes it easy for the team of 10 doctors to keep their space organized. “It’s not a typical clinic,” Alavinasab says. “It’s a very special place—calm, positive and healing.”
Like many trained engineers, the designer considers patience one of her greatest strengths. Instead of rushing clients through a process that she herself knows well, she takes time to listen and understand the specific needs of the families and businesses that she serves. Revealing the completed project is always the best part—“It makes all the late nights, sketches and decisions worth it,” she says—but Alavinasab also revels in the work. “Design has the power to change how people feel every day,” she says. “And being part of that transformation is what I love most.”