28,000 Hours to Craft a Palm Jumeirah Villa for Sale

Even by Palm Jumeirah standards, this six-bedroom beachfront villa is unparalleled. A staggering 28,000 hours have gone into conceptualising, designing and constructing a villa that exquisitely combines sumptuous European materials, a palatial layout and natural splendour. 

Chic rooms outfitted by Armani/Casa and other luxury brands, timeless gold leaf finishes, a bespoke spa, views of both Atlantis hotels, the Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab and the tranquil sea — this is undoubtedly the Palm’s most luxurious villa. 

We sat down with Melanie, the owner and creative force behind the home, to discuss the vision, design and artistry that went into crafting this extraordinary residence: 

CIRE DUBAI: When you first purchased the property, what was the overall aesthetic you were aiming for? Where did your inspiration come from? 

Melanie: When I enter a property, the first thing I have to see is the energy. Every property has a soul and you need to uplift that soul. 

We’re Europeans, so we wanted to bring that European aesthetic into Dubai. But, we can’t forget about Dubai as well. So, we chose many things that resemble Dubai but at the same time keep European standards. 

CIRE DUBAI: About 28,000 hours have gone into designing, sourcing all the materials from Europe, the site work and installations. What drew you to put that much work into this property? Can you tell us about the process itself and the level of craftsmanship involved? 

Melanie: In design, everything should be in harmony. You have to walk through the house and get that same feeling all over the place. Every square inch. You have to feel the excitement from room to room. 

When it came to choosing materials, flying to Europe several times, combining different factories — it was challenging. We’ve combined metals, marbles, onyx, gold leaf, different textures of materials, metal mesh. Every single thing had to blend together, otherwise there is no harmony. Without harmony, you have no soul in the house. 

Everything has been custom-made in this house. For example, we have a wallpaper in the powder room that took six months for production. They had to paint it by hand on silk tea paper. People will just see a wallpaper but it’s art on wall — literally. 

CIRE DUBAI: What were your key considerations when it came to choosing things like the colour palettes, materials, lighting and structural changes? 

Melanie: We are very lucky to have a lot of natural lighting, which works in our favour. You can really showcase the materials and feel the different emotions these materials give. I also always like to work with pops of colours but in an elegant and soft way. 

CIRE DUBAI: Although it’s very modern and stylish, this is also a family villa. 

Melanie: This was really important for me, when it came to practicality. Who said luxury shouldn’t be practical? The buyer is not buying a showroom. 

Everybody thinks luxury is about the furniture, the brands — what they can see. But how about the construction site? We have used the highest quality of pipes, cables and machinery. We wanted to have everything functioning perfectly. We didn’t want any natural disasters to break the house. 

To give you an example, last year when we had the heavy rains, we didn’t have a single drop of water in the house. That is because we invested so much in waterproofing. We also call this luxury. 

CIRE DUBAI: Let’s talk about brands because the combination of luxury brands this property features is truly unique. Can you name a few of the most important ones? Is there any piece of furniture that holds a special story? 

Melanie: We have used Armani/Casa, which has exquisite materials and finishes.

Another brand that we have used all around the house is Rimadesio, the Rolls-Royce of doors, wardrobes and wall panelling. They are meticulous and everything is made-to-measure. 

Bulthaup is the Bugatti of kitchens. All their doors are coated by paint seven times — like a car — and the production takes three months. Everything has to be installed piece-by-piece. 

For light fittings, I decided to use Baccarat to add luxury. Everybody knows Baccarat — they’re even doing some residences here and in the Maldives. 

The piece that resonates with me the most? We have a mother of pearl wall; to get all three slabs took nine months. 

We do also have authenticity certificates for everything, which I feel is really special. When we sell the property, this is our proof that all our materials are original. In design, you have a lot of fakes. If you keep certificates for a handbag, why not for furniture? 

CIRE DUBAI: Is there a particular room you love the most? 

Melanie: The spa. It is my special place here. It was truly exciting to see it come together. We combined pink onyx, gold leaf in the ceiling and rose gold metal in the faucets; we used pink Murano as well. It’s truly feminine. 

CIRE DUBAI: All these design choices have positioned your property at one of the highest values on the Palm Jumeirah. Is there a particular buyer you feel this home will resonate with? 

Melanie: There are so many different styles; you can never say everybody will like this style. But, when you like and understand luxury, this is when somebody will want to call this their home. 

*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.