A Modern Marvel

In this apartment in Marina Arcade in Dubai, simplicity and sophistication coexist with functionality, colour and craft. Designed by Roar (formerly called Pallavi Dean Interiors), the space is a celebration of fuss-free, contemporary design.

- Pallavi Dean

When I was asked to create a show apartment with irresistible emotional appeal for the new Marina Arcade development in Dubai Marina, I designed it for Lara. She’s 36, married, and had just had her first child. Lara is a high achiever who is climbing the corporate ladder in a big media company, but she’s juggling that with being a hands-on mum. Lara loves high-design, high-fashion and high-society parties—but she and her husband are also acutely aware of the practicalities of family life. That’s the thing with show homes—they’ve got to be multi-functional, because people need wildly different things depending on their mood. A cosy retreat after a tough day at work; an Instagram-worthy party space; clever storage for suitcases and the ironing board; a place to do a couple of hours work after the kids have gone to bed.

So, for this home, inspiration was sought from a broad and eclectic crossover of design references and styles. This approach gave a wonderful depth, richness to spaces. So for this apartment, we didn’t just follow the principles of residential design—we were inspired by hotel design (the overall concept), museum design (the corridor), café design (the kitchen), school design (children’s bedroom) and office design (the intelligent use of zoning—albeit on a micro scale—in the layout of the living cum dining area).

DESIGN BRIEF