Open House: DAMAC Hills

In this edition of 'Open House', we visit this airy and tasteful property overlooking the rolling green. In this feature, business partners at Rare Renovations, Kyle and Craig take us on a journey of the transformation of a standard Damac Hills villa. The result: a family home that provides a multitude of functions - from the open-plan entertainment living areas to offering a sanctuary for a health-conscious lifestyle.

Kyle: When we bought the property, we intended to take the building back to the bone and replace all of the existing fixtures and fittings. The property had 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, a maid's room, and a separate driver's room. The property, designed with the conventional and standard Damac finish, exhibited excellent construction and layout. It boasted spacious interiors - featuring a large enclosed kitchen, grand master suite, and adequate outdoor space. We aimed to cram in as many new and luxurious features as possible and make it as appealing as possible to as many people as possible. We positioned the house for a younger family who likes entertaining, open-plan living, and a healthy fitness-oriented lifestyle with a taste for the more pleasurable things in life.

We have added a home cinema, perfect for movies with family and friends, sports and gaming. A steam room, sauna, and walk-in shower with body jets for when you return home or want to start the day refreshed, open plan kitchen with lots of storage and all of the usual appliances and drinks chillers. 

Outdoors, we added a temperature-controlled pool, sunken seating area and firepit, BBQ, and swim-up bar with outdoor TV and dining. We also included an area/storage and seating for entertaining. 

The master suite is huge, after we combined two bedrooms, we now have a massive walk-in wardrobe, a bedroom with TV, separate dressing tables, and a bathroom with a large freestanding tub and TV. We have used natural stone, limestone, and travertine all from Petravia for the staircase and feature walls, giving a modern and contemporary design and feel, while retaining a comfortable and family-friendly living space.

The steam room and spa would be my favorite space in the villa - I start the day in a quiet space with the perfect ambiance. The calming effect of both the steam and sauna are extremely good for your health and leave you feeling calm, rejuvenated, and fresh - ready to face the day.

We worked with Interior lab, a very talented design studio based in D3, and the Loom collection for furniture. Our team at Rare Renovations carried out the full installation with the support of our esteemed suppliers. 

We chose Damac Hills for many reasons. The community is extremely well looked after and very green with great landscaping, palm trees, and foliage. Football pitches, tennis courts, basketball courts, paddle courts, and Malibu Bay which has a huge swimming pool make the community a pleasure to live in. Hotels, malls, coffee houses, and many more amenities including the Trump golf course and clubhouse have made our three years living here very enjoyable. The price per square foot and views give an unparalleled value for money. 

From a design aspect, we did face some challenges with the relocation of some air conditioning units, as well as a lot of plumbing and drainage relocation; however, the challenge was well received and the end product certainly made it worthwhile.