The White Arcade is the transformation of a Spanish-style villa in Dubai into a calm, sculptural family home designed for an Emirati family of fi ve.
The brief was to create a house that feels bright, uplifting, and emotionally grounding from the moment one enters, while supporting the practical realities of family life. The existing villa offered generous proportions and a central courtyard but felt visually heavy, fragmented, and disconnected in the way spaces related to one another. The homeowners were drawn to a softer, more refi ned atmosphere, seeking warmth, openness, and a stronger sense of cohesion throughout the home.
One of the key challenges was bringing together multiple architectural sensibilities into one coherent language. The villa carried a strong Mediterranean identity through its original Spanish architecture, while the family was naturally drawn to the warmth and softness often associated with homes in the region. As a European design studio working in Dubai, our approach is rooted in proportion, geometry, and architectural discipline. The challenge became identifying a language that could bring these sensibilities into alignment in a way that feels natural and deeply personal.
Arches became the organising principle of the project. Existing curves within the house became the point of departure and were expanded across openings, transitions, bespoke joinery, and ceiling geometries to create rhythm and continuity. Their softness recalls Arabic and Moorish architectural traditions, while picture-frame mouldings, symmetry, disciplined geometry, and herringbone fl ooring bring structure and composure to the home.
The courtyard, previously sunken and visually disconnected, was elevated and transformed into the central living space of the house, becoming both an architectural and emotional anchor for family life. Functionality was equally important throughout the project. A dedicated preparation kitchen was added to support the realities of everyday cooking, allowing the main kitchen to remain visually calm and operate as a social space for gathering, hosting, and daily family connection rather than intensive food preparation.
Materials were selected for longevity, tactility, and atmosphere. Light oak herringbone fl ooring creates warmth and continuity throughout the villa, while Carrara marble, travertine, white onyx, and quartz surfaces introduce depth through tonal variation. Brass detailing brings warmth and refi nement, while much of the joinery and furniture was custom designed specifi cally for the home. Major bespoke pieces were developed through DOT Objects, the studio’s bespoke furniture brand, ensuring continuity between architecture and furnishing.
Team:
Interior Designers: D’Ora Tokai Designs
Photographer: Casa Mia Visuals
Materials Used:
Facade cladding: Existing villa façade retained and architecturally refi ned
Flooring: Light oak herringbone wooden fl ooring, bespoke specifi cation
Doors: Bespoke painted timber doors and architraves, custom designed
Windows: Existing aluminium-framed glazing retained and refined
Interior lighting: Decorative lighting by Visual Comfort, AERIN, Eichholtz, and selected international suppliers
Interior furniture: Predominantly bespoke furniture by DOT Objects (D’Ora Tokai Designs’ bespoke furniture brand); selected pieces by CB2, Crate & Barrel, Vitra, and West Elm
Joinery: Bespoke painted joinery in white and sage green tones, custom designed
Natural stone: Carrara marble, travertine, white onyx, quartz surfaces
Bathroom fixtures: Sanipex Group
Bathroom tiles: Sanipex Group
Kitchen: Main kitchen and bespoke preparation kitchen, custom designed
Metal finishes: Warm brass detailing throughout
