Even today, a year after working on the house, when Louis Wehbe walks into Soha Nashaat and Javier Fernandez's Palm Jumeirah villa, the Lebanese interior designer exclaims, "Wow!" And I guess that just about sums it up in a nutshell, for this signature villa certainly does have the wow factor and, I suppose you could say, its very own signature, which is what makes it vastly different from every other home on the Palm.
Naturally, the entrance of any home gives that crucial first impression and this home isa good example of getting that right. This is also Wehbe's favourite part of the home. "The main entrance, when you come in and see the water features, the view all the way outside, how you can see the sky, the trees - to this day I say, ‘wow'," he explains.
In pictures: Inside a Palm Jumeirah villa
You see, when you walk in through the large front door of this generously sized villa, you are greeted with a view all the way out to the garden, with its stunning views of palm trees and the water straight ahead. It is a clear expanse of space and this was one of the core design ideas.
"The main design idea was to feel that outside and inside feels like one space," explains Wehbe. "The space makes you feel that you are free. You know that you like it in here, but you don't know why - it is because of this feeling of space and freedom as there are no walls blocking the way."
In fact, major renovation work took place to allow this liberal amount of space, with many of the original walls having been knocked down to make the property open-plan.
The exterior walls were also extended intothe garden, allowing for more space insidethe property.
The colour schemes add to this feeling of spaciousness with white walls allowing the colourful pieces of furniture to grab the attention that they deserve.
One such piece is a red sinuous Zaha Hadid pony-skin sofa. "We don't have a lot of colour on the walls," admits Wehbe. "The wall is one colour, with the contrast being the dark flooring. If the walls weren't white, nobody would notice the sofa. This is the main concept of the colour scheme."
If the walls had been painted a different colour the ubiquitous paintings also wouldn't have the opportunity to stand out, which would certainly be very unfortunate. There are paintings on every wall, the majority of which came from the Art Space Gallery whose artists include Aziza Alaoui and Sabhan Adam. Chandeliers are also other focal points in this home and, while the dining room boasts Sawaya lighting above the dining table, the stairway offers a truly outstanding work of art.
Wehbe explains, "Soha saw the staircase chandelier in a lighting exhibition in Milan. It is a slightly different colour to what we thought it would be, but it works well." We discuss the dynamics of this large and unusual creation and we both begin to wonder whether it is inspired by the ocean.
One thing is sure and that is that it is certainly eye-catching as you walk up to the bedrooms, office areas and the rather enviable walk-in wardrobe upstairs. For any female, or particularly a fashionista, the walk-in wardrobe is truly inspiring. Rows upon rows of shoes are neatly lined up and you genuinely feel like you could spend the day in here.
But there are other rooms to inspect and in the master bedroom there is more evidence of what I begin to suspect is a shoe fetish. While the bedroom is roomy and once again has fabulous views, which seems to be a common theme throughout the house, in a smaller area towards the bathroom is a dressing area. This area comes as a surprise as it is complete with the most delightful works of art, courtesy of Argentinian artist, Kuki Benski. Her delicate shoe designs, which are assiduously displayed along the wall, make a highly colourful decoration on neutrally shaded walls.
The master bathroom, meanwhile, complete with a Jacuzzi and various carefully placed niches, complements the house with its option to look out onto the views of the garden from the privacy of this delightful home.
But while the interior with its contemporary look impresses even the most fastidious visitor, I suppose that what also makes this home feel so fantastic is the fact that it is lived in. With a stunning Persian cat sat happily on the designer sofa downstairs and an adorable collection of pug dogs happily playing on magnificent tiles, this house certainly stands apart from the crowd.
In addition to this human element, the villa is also testimony to what can be achieved when the client and interior designer work well together and Wehbe concludes, "Not everybody is like Soha - it isn't easy to find a client like her. She knows what she wants and has great taste and that helped a lot!"
