Homes

Anu Kewalram gives a new meaning to beauty, love and femininity with this Dubai holiday home

AUG 3, 2021 | By Kashish Kaushal

To balance off the Avant-garde forms and contemporary tonality, Anu Kewalram decided on implementing a neutral colour scheme and paired it with delicate details; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

The children’s bedroom was done entirely in green because the white beds were to be placed against the green wall. Overall, the colours were kept similar throughout the house in order to establish a strong cohesiveness; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

Designing a holiday home is an immersive experience that is aimed at making the space feel like a grand getaway. Anu Kewalram knows exactly how to execute the perfect vacation villa which is not just aesthetically beautiful but also functionally viable. To justify this statement, take a look at this 5,070 sq ft four bedroom villa in Nad Al Sheba, a community of villas in Dubai.

Leading her namesake practice Anu Kewalram Interiors—a Dubai based interior design studio, Anu has crafted a bespoke villa that effortlessly encapsulates her clients’ needs and desires. Putting social media to good use, the client, an Emirati lady, reached out via Instagram and entrusted her with the design.

This home belongs to a gated community where all the luxurious villas are built around Moroccan and Mediterranean style architectures, hence all the exterior surfaces are painted in pink and brown-beige. However, the interiors of the house were designed in a modern classic style imparting an elegant, sophisticated and chic aesthetic.

The cylindrical set of floor lamps light the dining area with their opulence, add layers of details and ornamentation to the space; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

Taking into account the client’s brief, Anu started conceptualising the 3,820 sq ft built area. “The Chinoiserie wallpaper I picked for the dining wall was something that the client loved and it gave me the option of working around the shades of green in the mural design. Contrasting the green with the blues, I worked on this theme of a classic modern styled home where the same colours flew across the house and bedrooms. Each space is connected to the other in colour and style and yet each is very different from the other,” points Anu.

The blue chinoiserie wallpaper was the focal point of the dining area, inspiring the entire design and colour scheme throughout the house; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

The vacation villa is predominantly fashioned with a green and blue colour palette that circulates tranquility throughout the house. Most of the time, Anu works around one focal point and in this house, it was the wallpaper. When she sourced the wallpaper, the rest of the walls were to be painted in Benjamin Moore’s Simply White shade so that the wallpaper would attract more attention. Additionally, focus has been placed on structural furniture for instance the walnut desk, mirror and small drinks table in the guest bedroom.

The envious curation of art and crafts, that pepper the walls, floors and furniture here, are simply resplendent; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

The entrance hallway opens into the spacious living and dining spaces with a stunning view of the garden outside through expansive glass doors. The entire design and colour scheme of the space revolved around the dining feature wall. A mirror is positioned in such a way that it reflects the chinoiserie wallpaper, shades of green on the artwork and in the entryway, giving a precap of the colour schemes ahead.

Some of the classic decor accessories here connect with the chinoiserie wallpaper across the room; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

A marble top dining table with a brushed gold base gives a regal touch while the chairs in olive green replicate the colours of the leaves in the mural. The sideboard in ash wood stays muted so that the chairs are highlighted and the florals on it bring all the colours of the wallpaper together. Similarly, the living area is balanced with an ash wood built in tv unit, sofas in ivory and armchairs that stand majestically in green, tactfully maintaining the connection with the dining space.

A grey bed bench adorns the primary bedroom refreshing the space with a flush of colour; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

The wallpaper story continues in the primary bedroom with murals that hang on either side of the bed. The bed is customised in ivory and a similar suede fabric to the one used in the chairs on the ground floor. Flooded with natural light, identical powder blue colours flow into the guest room balanced by dark walnut furniture. The Moroccan inspired artwork and rug, bring a little exterior inside the room.

The kids room combines modernism with elements of the quintessential Mediterranean look; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

Saving the best for the last, the children’s room is a paradise bathed in shades of sage green. Using Benjamin Moore’s Pinelands, a timeless and classy green that works well with light wood and whites, the walls were painted from the bottom up in green and then followed by white. “I enjoyed designing the children’s room the most. This room was designed for three little boys aged between two and six. Picking toys and books for this room was fun and I enjoyed every minute of it. The art prints were ordered from the UK and soft finishings were also a delight to shop for, from Ikea and Zara Home to H&M Home, appropriate cushions and accessories were picked to enhance this space”, reveals Anu.

Natural light is abundant in the guest bedroom as unhindered views of greenscapes ensure a strong connection with the outside world; Photographs by Larissa Goncalves

Anu’s design aesthetic oozes elegance, ease, sophistication and warmth. Simple yet uncluttered, the villa is warm and inviting with its rich fabrics, soft rugs and other luxe design elements. The understated elegance of this home is reflected in all the elements smartly used to paint a picture of harmony.

Scroll down to see more glimpses of this stunning holiday home!