Modern Family Living

Designing an open-plan kitchen and living space that's suitable for formal entertaining while also being family-friendly is no mean feat. Yet, Luxhabitat has achieved this and more for a busy family of five, originally from Pakistan, who now call Dubai home.

The client wanted a formal area to accommodate a high number of guests, as they regularly entertain friends and family," says Luxhabitat interior designer Sergi Comellas. 

"They also wanted a contemporary design that was different from what's currently available in Dubai, with open spaces and good communication between the indoor and outdoor spaces."

With this in mind, Luxhabitat has transformed the internal architecture of the Arabian Ranches villa by combining the kitchen, dining and living areas into a sleek and sophisticated space that can comfortably fit around five to 10 people. "This has been possible because we have allocated two kitchens in the ground floor: one kitchen has been integrated into the formal area for social cooking by the owners, while the back kitchen is for heavy cooking by the maids," says Comellas.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light and successfully blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. "Due to the orientation of the villa, it has been possible to include large windows without significantly impacting on the indoor temperature during the hot months," says the designer. "Thanks to these openings, the property gets a lot of natural light and flow of fresh air when the doors are open, which allows the family to enjoy the great weather Dubai offers during several months of the year and minimises the need for AC." A large window next to the library overlooks an outdoor area set aside for reading. "It is the most fresh and calm area of the villa," says Comellas.

The interior design features a colour palette of grey, brown and cream tones, with an emphasis on natural materials like wood. Creating a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor spaces was also key. "We have used the same large format grey porcelain tiles for both the indoor and outdoor flooring to achieve a full integration between the indoor and outdoor spaces," says Comellas.

"When it comes to furniture we tend to use top European brands, mainly Italian and German, and this project was no exception," says Comellas. The project features a Bulthaup kitchen with Gaggenau appliances, furniture from B&B Italia, Minotti, and Cassina, a high-tech Bang & Olufsen television and audio system, and lighting by Kreon and Flos.

The designer gave careful consideration to both natural and artificial lighting. "We observed the different tones the indoor space gets during the different hours of the day," he says. "The artificial lighting, meanwhile, helps to define the interior architecture of the property. At the same time, it supports the different service areas, such as the dining table, bar and the social kitchen working area. We've also used lighting to create different ambiences depending on the area's functionality with dimmers and different lighting modes." 

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