Open House: Abhishek's bespoke Palm home

A Palm Jumeirah villa configured to offer an intimate connection to the sea. The Dubai Marina and sea vistas unite living spaces. Inside, clean lines and a rich material palette - glass, marble, and metal - contribute to a sophisticated yet contemporary aesthetic. Monochrome interior elements are uplifted by flashes of gold while abundant plant life and elegant outdoor dining areas overlooking the shore mark this address as an exceptional place to entertain. Abhishek Kumar takes us on a tour of his bespoke abode and explains how his international experiences have contributed to a home with a global soul.

Abhishek: I grew up in India and studied engineering before going on to pursue my MBA at Harvard University. I first arrived in Dubai in 2012 and had previously lived and worked in several countries including France, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, USA, and Singapore. 

Despite having lived around the world, Dubai remains home for me. I can say that it's currently one of the best cities to live in globally if we take into consideration the overall quality of life. The future looks just as bright for the UAE with the country's focus on a new economy and infrastructure. 

In my view, living next to the water is always the best option! For this reason, I picked Palm Jumeirah Frond N as the location for my bespoke super-sized villa.

The Palm was always fascinating to me. I can't think of anywhere else in the world that has such a beautifully designed ecosystem cultivated around water and beach living. The Dubai Marina and JBR skyline, the beach, the beautiful sunsets and the calmness in the air are unmatched. It's truly a magical place to live.

My design sensibilities were shaped by a mixture of travelling to and living in various cities. I have travelled to over 70 countries, these dynamic experiences have undoubtedly contributed to my inspirations, world views and immense appreciation of nature. 

My global adventures have also exposed me to diverse approaches to design. Living in South Korea exposed me to the value of efficiency and reliability within the home. Brazilians love their beaches and while I was there I realised that Brazilian homes are specifically designed to maximise beach and sea views. 

I'm a lover of art and have collected works by Indian masters over the years. My favourite piece is an artwork by Manu Parekh entitled Benaras. It's a vast 14 feet long abstract painting that depicts Hinduism's holiest site, the work reveals the striking temple skyline overlooking the river Ganges on an overcast monsoon day.

Thanks to my background in oil and gas safety and efficiency were of central concern when designing the villa. As such the villa is extremely power efficient and electro-mechanically reliable. 

 Beyond efficiency, my secondary concern was upon designing an environment that had an intimate connection with the surrounding seas and made the most of the surrounding Dubai Marina and JBR skyline views wherever possible. The villa is structurally separated into three different sections with the centre part pivoted towards the water revealing expansive open views.

Due to the structure every room has an open view of the skyline and sea which established continuity between spaces. Water is celebrated as a source of eternal energy in almost every culture in the world. When faced with the question of whether to introduce a basement or not, I felt that it was easier to spend the Floor a Space Index (FSI) above the ground to ensure that water and skyline views were maximized. Even the gym offers an open water view.

The ground floor is dedicated to family time and entertainment. It was designed to strike a balance between privacy and connectivity to the rest of the home,  and of course, features amazing water and skyline vistas.  

The villa is ideal for all kinds of entertainment thanks to the space and surroundings - it's a place that everyone loves to be in. Some of my favourite moments in the home have been spent relaxing with the sunset or practising yoga at sunrise. I grew up in an environment where the garden was central to family life, and as such gardening remains my hobby. I love to tend to my fruits and vegetables in the kitchen garden. It's a house that's truly in sync with nature. 

Listed by Benjamin Keith