Rumah Interiors have been shortlisted for Residential Project Value £1-2.5 Million Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2020.
Undergoing a complete renovation by Rumah Interiors, Acacia Avenues Villa is a home designed for modern, suburban living, and for an expatriate family of 5 in the heart of Dubai. The task at hand was a major transformation of an empty and neglected building, with the overriding brief to breathe life into the property that the owner purchased with a vision and determination to make this his future family home. To Rumah Interiors, this property not only reflects the personality of the family who reside in it, but perseverance, and represents what can be achieved by determination and hard work.
The starting point of this particular development defied the typical ‘Mediterranean’ style that is often associated with Dubai Villas. The bright white facades with straight edges and generously sized glazing were enhanced by one of Rumah Interiors’ proposed upgrades, to replace the thick white mullions in the windows with curtain wall glazing, which immediately opened up the property to it’s surrounding area with tremendous impact. As designers, Rumah Interiors appreciate that ‘design’ is not just about aesthetics – it is also materiality and function. The harsh climate of the Middle East makes durability important to withstand the temperatures. This informed many of their decisions with regard to materials.
The final outcome of the home is almost unrecognisable to what Rumah Interiors faced on their first site visit. The designers started by establishing the base material palette, which consisted of a limited set of standard finishes that appear in every space. From the natural oak used in the joinery and wood flooring, matt black metal accents, grey concrete floor and wall features in various forms, and the designer’s favourite aspect of the house; the entrance hall and staircase which punctures through all four floors, entirely clad in locally sourced silver travertine with the exception of an illuminated handrail. The individual spaces were then given their own personality to reflect the main user of each space, through careful curation of furniture, joinery works and accent pieces.
The client wanted to maintain a consistent identity throughout the interior space, which aligned with Rumah Interiors way of working. The reason this design works so well was due to the meticulous devotion to the base material palette all through the property to achieve the client’s vision. Every decision was taken with patience and respect for the principal to connect the various levels and rooms by not drifting away from the established intentions. With a nod to the owner’s childhood home, where the door was inscribed with a hand carved Arabic saying translating to “In the name of God, God has willed, there is no power but with God”, Rumah Interiors worked with local furniture manufacturer City Palace LLC to design a custom main door that fuses the modern sleek aesthetic in keeping with the house design, with a bespoke part of their history.
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