And all that is exactly what Sufian Ali Saeed Bin Suloom's Fujairah villa offers. It is an oasis of calm situated in a tranquil environment by the beautiful beaches of Fujairah.

The first thing to hit you about this stunning villa is the sea. Its extremely close proximity to the Indian Ocean permeates the interiors, and this is evident from the moment you cross the threshold.

Too often modern architecture ignores its surrounding environs, so it's refreshing to find a building that does not look out of place, not only from the outside but also in terms of its decor..

Walking through the spacious rooms, you can hear the gentle sound of the waves as they lap upon the shore, the far-off cry of seagulls and the singing of the wind as it wraps itself around this unique structure which, for Sufian, Chairman of the Bin Suloom Group, has been nothing less than a labour of love.

Bought two years ago, it is hard to believe that it was once little more than a rundown holiday home with crumbling walls, mildew and broken pipes. Even then, seeing its potential, Sufian was determined to make it his own.

“This villa was been built by a gentleman from Sharjah, but it had never been used,'' he tells InsideOut. At the time I was planning to buy a farm in the Northern Emirates. I wanted somewhere where I could bring my family and friends on the weekend and get away from the stress of Dubai – just leave the city behind and forget about everything.

“I saw an ad in the newspaper advertising a farm in Fujairah, but when I got there, the man showed me this villa located on the seafront. ‘Where is the farm?' I asked and he said there never was one, but if I really wanted a farm, he could show me one.''

Although Sufian agreed to see the farm, he couldn't get the seafront villa out of his head. “Driving there, I kept thinking about the place and its amazing view of the ocean. When you stand there and look out, the vista takes your breath away. The air is crisp and clean and there is nothing else for miles around. I thought to myself, ‘Hold on, why do I need a farm in the middle of the mountains?' I asked the man to take me back to the house. I had one more look and I decided to take it.''

That was just the beginning of Sufian's relationship with this villa. Today the elegant home, which stands proudly in front of the sea and the barren rocky landscape of Fujairah, has been completely gutted and rebuilt, but it still maintains its original structure.

According to Daousser Channoufi, Chief Architect and Chairman of the architectural firm Draw Link, this was a much harder task than building a place from scratch. “The main challenge lay in remaking this villa using the existing structure,'' he says.

“Before we began work, it had a very basic architectural style. Only the land had any real value because the house was so rundown. But by adding to the structure instead of demolishing it, we have managed to make it a contemporary and attractive weekend villa,'' he says.

The revamped building was raised a full metre above the ground and has underlit, terraced steps outside that lead straight to the water's edge.

The garden was replanted with a green lawn and statuesque palm trees. The swimming pool too was completely redone. When once it was an unattractive, open-air pool with Romanesque arches, not in keeping with scale, now it would fit quite well in a five-star hotel complete with its Jacuzzi, steam room and plunge pool, as well as comfortable seating and wooden doors.

Inside, the initial four bedrooms – two upstairs and two downstairs – have been extended to make five spacious bedrooms. The open-plan layout allows for high ceilings and plenty of light to pour in through the large windows.

The house faces northeast, which is perfect for the Fujairah climate, as this means that the only direct sunlight that hits the house is in the early morning.

Senior architect and designer Salma Adlou and interior designer Fahda Barrak, both of whom also work for Draw Link, played an integral part in the building's overhaul.

“The main idea was to convert this home into a place purely for relaxation. We wanted the architecture and interior design to reflect this, providing a total contrast to the stressful life of the city,'' explains Salma.

“The challenge was two-part. First we tackled the extension and attempted to make the best possible use of the space, and then we tried to make the interior reflect the surrounding area,'' says Salma. The end result beautifully mirrors its environment.

By Erin Mc Cafferty, Freelance Writer

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Holiday home in Fujairah