Made To Measure

The thoughtful, sophisticated design aesthetic of the Sajan family’s bespoke villa in Dubai’s Arabian Ranches is woven with a rich tapestry of travel stories and meaningful mementoes

- Eleanor Joslin

This sprawling Spanish-hacienda-style villa in Arabian Ranches is a statement of craftsmanship, luxurious natural materials and treasured pieces that take guests on a journey through the homeowners’ travel-adventures and periods living abroad. From Miami to Marrakesh to the Maldives, inspiration has been taken from many corners of the world, mixing with pieces from their previous residences and original custom-made furnishings and finishes, many of which have been crafted from a huge slab of quarried Calacatta marble that the Sajans’ invested in especially for their new home.

Rahim and Zahra bought the 25,000-square-foot plot of land fronting the polo field in April 2016 – choosing the location for the view and because their daughters Sufiyah and Zeynah-Jaide love to ride. Knowing what they wanted their perfect family home to look like, with space and the views taking precedence, they stripped the existing property right back to its shell and used the structure as a starting point. ‘We took the walls out, the floors, the plumbing– everything,’ says Canadian national Zahra. ‘We spent 17 months working with a variety of contractors and designers to develop a home that had lots of space, natural light and took advantage of the views of the polo field from every room.’