Inside Bureau Namas’ Approach to Homes Designed Beyond Aesthetics

Residential design has gravitated toward characteristics like neutral palettes, minimalist furnishings, and a “photogenic” quality over the past several years. While these elements can create beautiful and functional homes, homes that feel more specific are becoming increasingly desirable. The designs for such homes emphasize context, intention, and alignment with the lifestyles of the people who plan to live in them long after the first photographs are taken.

For Bureau Namas, the Los Angeles-based design studio led by founding principal Daniel Shurinov, that approach has been central from the beginning. Founded in 2021 and rooted in Pacific Palisades, the firm creates bespoke residential and boutique commercial spaces informed by classical architectural principles, international experience, and a contemporary California lens. Shurinov began his career on large-scale commercial projects in England and France before moving into high-end residential design in Los Angeles, a transition that sharpened his attention to how architecture is experienced at the scale of daily life.

When he arrived in Los Angeles, Shurinov noticed a divide. Estate-scale work still carried a level of care and detail he admired, but many smaller residential projects seemed to be missing something. “You look at the buildings from previous decades here in Los Angeles and you see, I would have to say, a bit more love and attention to details,” he said. “It felt like something had disappeared in between, and high-end homes—just homes in general—had sort of lost that love and attention to details.”

That observation inspired Shurinov to develop Bureau Namas. The studio does not approach longevity as a nostalgic return to old-world design. In Shurinov’s view, even styles often associated with current residential development, such as modern farmhouse, do not need to lack depth. “It’s more about how much more you put yourself into the project,” he said. “That’s what I felt was missing from projects here.”

When beginning a project, Bureau Namas meets with the client, prioritizing asking questions and listening to their perspective and ideas. Clients may come with images, or even AI-generated interpretations of what they think they want. “We start with simple things: how they live, how they wake up, and how they like to experience their day,” Shurinov said. 

“Ultimately, it’s about the clients and making that happen. Everything else comes next. If you work hard and put a lot of attention into it, any idea can be great.” 

– Daniel Shurinov, Principal, Bureau Namas 

Many clients, he said, are drawn to homes with a more traditional exterior presence, while wanting interiors that reflect contemporary life. The kitchen has emerged from a more utilitarian space into what many clients now see as the heart of the home, with other spaces connected to it in a more open and fluid way. The challenge is making those desires feel architecturally coherent. One way Shurinov works with this idea is by making the home seem as though it was built over a period of time, a concept he’s noticed over the past two years in home design. A traditional volume might be paired with a more modern sunroom, or a familiar façade might be balanced by steel windows or a contemporary canopy. “Most of the projects back in Europe, that’s how they’re done…It’s very interesting that this trend is now also happening here.” 

For Shurinov, the larger philosophy is all about the client. “You’re doing this for other people,” he said. “You’re not doing it for yourself or for your ego.” He designs homes with the hope that they can be kept and passed through generations, and he approaches client ideas with a willingness to study, refine, and make the best of them.

While Bureau Namas’ primary focus is in Los Angeles, plans are in the works to expand as the practice grows.