Open House: A sprawling villa in Jumeirah Golf Estates
Sarah shows us around her modern, sunlight-filled abode which is currently on the market
Words by Janice Rodrigues in Portfolio · Dec 20th, 2022
Nestled in the highly sought-after community of Redwood Avenue of Jumeirah Golf Estates is a luxurious six-bedroom mansion that's designed to impress. This extraordinary estate sits on a 16,000-square-foot plot with gorgeous views of the golf course. Within, it features everything one could possibly need, from a temperature-controlled swimming pool to a gym and eight-seater cinema. Owner Sarah walks us through the property to show us why it's as family-friendly as it is functional.
Sarah: The first thing to draw me to the place is how family-friendly it is. I've got three children and Jumeirah Golf Estates is great for families although, if you're a tourist, it feels very homely then too. There's a nice amount of security. You can also get into a golf cart, and you're minutes away from everything from the local Starbucks to the clubhouse, which is always having events. There are some great schools nearby as well. So, the location really is perfect.
But going beyond the location, the amount of space the property offers is incredible. The house is spread across a big, 16,000-square-feet plot, and it also comes with a basement which is rare. But because of that, we got to have the gym and the cinema.
There's also an internal courtyard of sorts, and the sixth bedroom is sort of like an annex for guests. It has a separate entrance, and its own kitchen area. So, if you have guests staying, they get to have their own space and that's obviously appealing. Especially, in a place like Dubai, when you often have friends and family visiting.
Sarah: We got the property as a shell and core concept from the guy before us. Basically, he built it to sell. So, we got all the top appliances put in and fittings done with the help of the design company Signature Living. This includes everything from the surround sound system to the Gaggenau appliances within the open-plan kitchen.
Regarding the furniture; a lot of it came from Marina Homes, like the sofa and the coffee table. Anything that wasn't Marina Homes, was custom-made for the space. There's also artwork that we got from a local graffiti artist. We liked it because it went with the modern aesthetic of the house. It's got some messages inside it, but it's modern and not too stylised.
Sarah: If I had to really describe the vibe of the place, I would say it's modern and functional. It's a very different aesthetic from what we're used to in the US. It's very clean-cut and some parts, like the kitchen, almost feel European, thanks to the appliances and fittings.
Coming from the US, we wanted to live in that open space. And with kids running in and out of the pool, we also wanted a place that's easy to clean and maintain. Aesthetically nice, but also easy to keep nice.
Regarding the colour scheme, there's a focus on neutrals. When you look at the furniture, the paint, it's very neutral and we've left it that way so that anyone who wants it can put their own stamp on it.
Sarah: One thing that does stand out is the amount of sunlight the house gets. The entire back of the property is windows. It's a very insulated, double-sealed glass and if you touch it during the summers, it's actually cold on the inside, which is hard to find when it's 50 C outside. So, it's energy-efficient while letting in a whole lot of light. That's also great because you get to enjoy the golf views outside.
Speaking of the outdoors area, there's just a lot to love. We have this stretch to the side of the house that has really come in handy as that's where my son would play football. There's also the pool, a Fontana pizza oven, a Zynq barbecue, a whole seating area, a firepit, and a retractable pergola. You really don't get a lot of these fixtures in the area, and all of this makes it great for entertaining.
Sarah: If I had to name my favourite thing about the house though, it would have to be the cinema. It seats eight. As soon as it gets to be November, we'd decorate the place and play Christmas movies. So, it was fun because you have that outdoor space for barbecues and outdoor activities. And then, there's this cosy indoor space where you can take your blankets down for a movie. And you really can enjoy this indoor space all year round.
Listed by Alex Stern