Have you ever wondered what makes a top floor penthouse so exquisite and sought after by entrepreneurs, investors and A-list celebrities? In a rare look inside this $5 million property developed by Select Group, we get to explore some of the refined offerings this level of luxury provides its niche owners in our first post in our Luxury Series. In this series, I will share with you design & build projects where we had to take a project from conception to handover. Through out the journey, I will share with you tricks of the design & build trade (based on a decade of experience in design & construction) so that you can use it in your own projects!
World Class Views
Located at the 56th floor of the JLMG (Jumeirah Living Marina Gate tower), this penthouse has uninterrupted spectacular world class views onto the Dubai marina waterfront. The Marina Gate Residences, were designed as a complex of 3 distinguished high-rise towers. They are viewed as a major architectural landmark with their floor to ceiling glass facades. The developer was adamant to provide maximum water views on all fronts for its residents, including the Palm Jumeirah, the Golf course and Dubai eye - Blue waters.
Palette & Hues
Given the maximum views and the superb location, this half floor penthouse had clients trying to beat each other to secure a deal. It is not everyday that you see a property, which is at this level of sophistication and grandeur, furnished from A-Z. As the interior designer for SG, we were focused on providing a product that will be one of its kind, not only in Dubai, but in the whole world.
The main flooring was all done with imported Italian "White Serppegiante Marble". With it's sophisticated vein characteristics, the marble's light tones highly complements the 4.5-5m ceiling heights and invites in the sunlight from all directions. The marble flooring was also extended in the primary hosting spaces where we have the formal living & dining rooms. All the joinery works were delicately designed and tailored to the high ceilings of this unit. With door heights ranging from 2.5m to 2.7m high. It is crucial that designers realize the importance of door heights in comparison to the existing ceilings. It is such a shame when people go big on ceiling heights and then you find the doors to be at a standard height of 2.1m. Seriously? in a $5 million property? I do not think so.
'Be our guest, Be our guest!'
Investors and customers, who look for properties with this level of luxury and leisure, are always looking for a term we like to call the 'bragging rights'. These rights come in many shapes and forms. It can be the fact your property is in one of the most exclusive locations in the world or it can be the fact that your guests will feel like they are dining in the sky at your dinner parties. In this scenario, it is definitely both!
A Kitchen for Life
Kitchens are the main space where people like to gather and spend time in a house. Given this, we decided to continue the marble flooring from the main living area to accentuate the show kitchen manufactured by the luxury Italian kitchen brand, 'Aran Cucine'. Featuring 'Miele', one of the world's re-known A-class Italian kitchen appliances, the show kitchen comes built in with an integrated coffee machine, fridge, freezer, oven, dishwasher and microwave. Furthermore adorned with the sleek Italian black and silver trims, the kitchen backsplash is all cladded in a matt Italian ceramic mosaic tile. Cladded in treated natural veneer, the full height cabinets were designed to cater to the spectacular high ceilings in this unit providing ample of storage spaces. As a designer it was tricky finding a kitchen supplier with a finish that can match our elaborated doors. Luckily, Aran Cucine had a various range of finishes were we found a finish that matched our joinery. However, if it happens that your kitchen supplier does not carry a finish similar to your joinery, the trick is choose a kitchen finish that would accentuate your interiors. Do not give in to a finish that is 'almost' the same as your joinery because you will then compromise your whole design.
In a penthouse with this magnitude, we had to consider the need for a grease kitchen where the main cooking stations will be provided. Whether your clientele is Asian, Russian or African, a 6,000 Sqft penthouse must cater for a fully equipped stainless steel kitchen. In this property we used German appliances so that the tenant can cater for all their needs when hosting gatherings and events.
'Wash your troubles away'
Staying within the lush grandeur of high end European brands, Villeroy & Boch wins the scene by their exclusive German sanitary ware fittings which were specially hand picked for this penthouse. The palette of finishes and scenery for the master bedroom stands out from the secondary bathrooms because of its light tones and full waterfront views. The jacuzzi supplied by V&B can be set to the required temperature and the required color hue. With an over the top extra long vanity, the elongated mirror reflects the full Dubai marina skyline right into your bathroom. Our bathrooms had high ceilings, which is rarely the case in construction in this region. However, we wanted to take full advantage, so we employed a slight trick where we used our Marazzi Italian tiles in a vertical design on the walls. This helps strengthen the perception of an even higher ceiling. Combining that trick with an elongated mirror, the result was an immense reflection of natural light in the bathroom which instantly gave the customers a feeling of 'lightness'.
'Art is Life'
"It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see." - Henry David Thoreau
Last but not least, we want to make sure we take you on the splendid journey of furnishing this magnificent property. We had to do a lot of research in order to find the right pieces which attract the same level of splendor executed in the refined details of the property. The artworks were a major feature in the penthouse. All the displayed artworks, were original pieces sourced from the French Dubai-based Art Gallery: 'Gallery27'. The artworks were handpicked in terms of sizes and context. It was one of the best collaborations we did to add value to the property.
Furniture: 'the soul of every room'
As a special treat, we have decided to share some of the major brand names which we collaborated with to source the furniture package:
Molteni & C - represented by Finasi
Armani Casa - represented by Finasi
Meridiani - represented by Caspaiou
Enne - represented by Caspaiou
Flou - represented by Finasi
Make sure to check out Select Group's Virtual tour of this stunning property and do not forget to book your viewings today straight with the developer's sales team.