Total Turnkey Transformation

Most of us dream about being given almost completely free rein to design a luxurious villa. But what if it were for a client who was abroad and would be moving in with their family the moment they returned? And if the timescale for completion was just four months?

That was the challenge given to Sawsan Chammas Haber, founder and Creative Director of UAE-based studio Dipiugi. The brief was concise: “This had to be a fully turnkey project – even down to the last accessory – as the client made it clear they would not have time to do anything when they arrived in the country. Dipiugi did the interiors, the exteriors, the landscaping – everything!”

Chammas Haber describes the project as a “very tough challenge: a very short timescale, and with very high expectations” – but she has always been highly motivated, having begun her career in 1995 while still studying, aged just nineteen. She became Chief Designer at Robert Chouchani Interiors in Beirut and in 1999 graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Architecture from the Lebanese University of Fine Arts. Just one year later, she got married and moved to Dubai.

In 2003, she set up her own company: K-Kids. “Rather than competing with the big companies I decided to do something niche. I specialised in kids’ bedrooms, nurseries – all interior design relating to children – and created a furniture line.” Chammas Haber estimates the company had designed around 300 bedrooms by 2013. Dipiugi was set up at the end of 2004 and quickly established a reputation for outstanding design and exacting standards. “It has been a beautiful journey,” says the company founder, “because I started from scratch, on my own – I really had to believe that my capabilities, fresh ideas and passion would enable me to succeed.” She looks back on that time as a ‘golden era’, and recommendations from delighted clients kept the project pipeline flowing.

Today, Dipiugi has employees in Dubai and abroad and is, says Chammas Haber, “A couture studio for interior design. I want each client to have their own experience; a home that reflects their lifestyle – and I am humbled but also proud that people want my company to design their homes.”

Total transformation

Chammas Haber believes the personal approach taken by Dipiugi paid dividends during this project. “Every client is different – I might say that I’m not only a designer, but also a psychologist,” she says. “For every project, I get to know them and their personality, lifestyle, routines, demands, expectations and emotional attachments. This is the starting point for delivering homes that are personal, but also aesthetically and architecturally strong.”

Those values shine through in Sobha Villa, a large five-bedroom property in Dubai. Yet the villa that Chammas Haber saw when she met the client in person (the only time before the project began) was devoid of all character. “It was totally empty and everything was very rigid, very plain.”

The client asked that this lifeless shell be transformed by Dipiugi into a luxurious home for him and his young family. Within a month, the design work had been undertaken and the client’s go-ahead received, giving Chammas Haber and the Dipiugi team just four months to complete the project. “It was a crazy schedule – we worked day and night,” she says. “Each of us in the team working on this villa lost around six or seven kilograms!” With the client being abroad, they were kept informed of progress via reports and videos shared by WhatsApp.

Balance and proportion

Upon entering the villa, any visitor will be struck by the double-height volumes of the dining area and living area, complete with jaw-dropping chandeliers of impressive scale. These spaces were challenging, as Chammas Haber explains: “Balance and proportion were vital – the two areas are architectural features but are also warm and inviting. The extra height is celebrated, with the two libraries, tinted mirrors and high-reaching joinery and cladding giving an elongated feel to the wall, but low-level furniture produces a cosy feel to the living area. The skill is to blend what could be disproportionate elements into the volume.”

This skilful blending can be seen throughout the villa. “When I use any mixture of colour, I always go with colours that last – I use a lot of subtle green in my projects, such as that in the living area. There are strong browns, but not too much – it needs to pop out. It’s about how you balance homogeneity and contrast. Each room is like a painting – blended together but with something of interest that draws attention,” the designer states.

The villa also clearly reflects Chammas Haber’s approach for using lasting materials such as wood, marble, stones and metals. “I try not to go ‘crazy’ with fixed things, and I don’t follow trends – for example, if a certain wood or veneer is ‘trending’, then it’s likely to look old-fashioned in a few years when that trend is ‘dead’. The same is true for colours. If I go ‘crazy’, it’s with an item of furniture – such as a chair or a floor lamp – that can act as a statement element. This means that a client – or the new owner – can make changes without ripping it all down.”

The designer says she had a vivid validation of this approach recently: “I visited a project that we handed over in 2006. It still looks great – in fact, the client had a guest there who thought it has just been done!” That’s not to say that improvisation is not required sometimes: “The staircase of Sobha Villa was originally designed to be black marble, but as the project evolved and I saw the walls I realised it needed something different. So I went to the marble supplier and searched for the right stone – even though I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for. The staircase is now quartzite, and the combination of colours is beautiful.”

Embracing illumination

Lighting is found everywhere in the villa – from gentle background illumination around wall components and in storage areas to perfectly judged lighting either side of the lift, underneath each stair and within the brass stair handrails, which were electroplated to ensure a rich, sophisticated tone. The villa’s chandeliers are true statement pieces, which take time to perfect, as Chammas Haber explains: “The shape, size, location and height of each one is unique. I am always there when they’re being put in place – I fix them piece by piece – as that’s the only way I can judge how they look and feel, even if 3D models have been produced. I see it from every angle – just like occupants and visitors will. This is why a chandelier can take two full days to get right; I treat them like sculptures. But I enjoy it – it’s like creating art and putting my personal touch on the project.”

Attention to the smallest detail

One stand-out aspect of this project, Chammas Haber says, is how completely Dipiugi was involved. “This was not just about finishing the structure – we styled this villa! Everything in it – right down to the figurines and the accessories – was specified and sourced by us. Virtually all furniture came from abroad, with most pieces being produced in Portugal and Italy. There were many problems with shipping from Europe at the time – another challenge to overcome so that handover was not delayed.”

There were some stipulations, notably around technology and entertainment: “As the client trades and is online a lot, it was extremely important that his office [part of the master suite that also includes a bedroom, walk-in closet, sitting area and massage room] was designed in a certain way, to accommodate several screens and discreet electrical and data connections, which were also needed for entertainment and digital art. He also wanted a TV in each room, which is challenging to accommodate while creating a special appearance and ambiance, and for the specific surround sound system to reach every area of the home – including the bathrooms and the garden!” Throughout the home, the invisible inclusion of technology extends to the curtains and the lighting, which can all be controlled through the home automation system.

A compact space, a big challenge

Despite its relatively compact size, the garden was transformed into the ‘small Maldives’ that the client wanted, complete with a gazebo and a small beach. Here, there was a huge challenge: “To fully achieve the desired look and feel, we included palm trees and a huge olive tree; with the garden being at the back of the villa, this was a challenge; we had to use a crane to put everything in place,” recalls Chammas Haber.

The crane was also used to lift a single, large piece of precious marble into place in the first-floor office. “It was too large to go up the staircase or in the lift, and utilising the crane allowed us to keep a single piece, with no joins; we wanted to fix it as a single piece; we did not want to cut it.” The success of Dipiugi’s transformation of Sobha Villa was confirmed immediately at an emotional handover. “The clients said ‘Thank you for giving us our dream home’ – it was beautiful to see that level of satisfaction in their eyes,” reflects Chammas Haber.

Images: Dipiugi