Nestled in the lush heart of Dubai’s Al Barari community, this 150 sqm apartment was reimagined as a warm and soulful sanctuary. The brief was to create a home where mid-century influences and contemporary sensibilities coexist, and where natural light, flow, and materiality guide the design language.
Originally a one-bedroom apartment, the layout was reconfigured to introduce a second bedroom and a second full bathroom, all without compromising on openness or intimacy. The transformation centered around enhancing functionality and spatial coherence. This meant reducing oversized, underutilized areas and introducing a raised circulation path that now connects the entrance to the master suite. This intervention created subtle topography within the apartment, defining communal zones without enclosing them, and offering uninterrupted views across the space and out to the terrace.
At the heart of the apartment sits the kitchen—an intentional departure from conventional layouts. Positioned between the dining and living areas, it anchors the home as a central hub for both daily rituals and social gatherings. A handcrafted spinal joinery cabinet acts as the backbone of this open layout, tying together the main spaces while offering storage, display, and gentle separation. A lilac-toned curtain slides along its length, introducing lightness and flexibility.
Materiality played a central role in establishing mood and comfort. A tactile lime-based stucco envelopes the walls and ceilings, bringing warmth, texture, and acoustic softness. In contrast, handmade glazed green tiles punctuate the surfaces with depth and vibrancy. Kvadrat curtains in coral, green, and lilac tones add softness and chromatic rhythm, while rich nut-toned timber and cork floors ground the interior in a natural palette. The bedrooms are finished with cork—a forgiving, quiet material that enhances the sense of calm and comfort. The bathrooms showcase bold material juxtapositions: stainless steel cladding for the custom shower-bathtub enclosure contrasts with soft-hued Portuguese stone, playing with temperature and texture in a single, sculptural gesture.
Throughout, the design embraces contrasts—rough and smooth, matte and glazed, opaque and translucent—to craft a layered and sensorial living environment.
