Apartment and Penthouse Interior Design in Dubai

What apartment interior design includes

A well designed apartment gets the layout right first, then layers in materials, lighting and furniture so the rooms feel connected rather than decorated one at a time. Our apartment work typically covers the following.

Every element is shown in detailed 3D renders before execution, so you can see how the finishes, lighting and furniture work together before anything is ordered.

• Space planning and furniture layouts
• Mood boards and 3D visualisation
• Material, finish and colour specification
• Bespoke joinery such as kitchens, wardrobes, vanities, wall panelling and fitted furniture
• Lighting design, including feature and concealed lighting
• Furniture, textiles, artwork and accessories
• Procurement, installation and on-site supervision

Making a large apartment feel intimate: Imperial Avenue

The Imperial Avenue Apartment in Downtown Dubai is a 5,500 sq ft residence completed in 2023. The brief asked for a serene, uncomplicated home, so we worked around the idea of quiet luxury: a mild palette of creams, warm beiges and soft taupes, with clean geometries and no over-ornamentation.

The character comes from light and texture rather than decoration. Soft-lit arched wall features and recessed ceiling details create a gentle play of light and shadow, while boucle upholstery, textured accent walls and a polished marble dining surface add depth. The result turns a very large floor plate into a home that feels intimate and comfortable.

How approvals and building coordination work in an apartment

Apartment works often need permission before they start. Depending on the building and community, that can involve building management, the master developer and the relevant authority, and the requirements vary from one tower to the next.

We handle authority submissions and NOCs as part of the programme, including the drawings and compliance sign-off. We also plan deliveries and site work around the building's requirements. Our authority approvals page explains our role in more detail.

Getting more from every square metre

Even a generous apartment has fixed walls, risers and window positions, so good space planning makes a visible difference. We look at circulation, storage, where daylight falls and how open living, dining and kitchen zones connect, then plan furniture and joinery around them.

Concealed storage, integrated lighting and carefully sized furniture help rooms read as larger and calmer. We took the same approach on Emirates Hills Villa, where minimal furniture, clear circulation and refined detailing make each space appear larger than it is. Our space planning service covers this stage in depth, and our guide to small space luxury shares ideas for compact apartments.

Design-only or turnkey for your apartment

If you already have a contractor, design-only consultancy gives you the concept, renders, specifications and working drawings to build from. If you would rather have one team responsible from first sketch to handover, we deliver the full design and fit-out.

Turnkey projects cover procurement, installation, project management and on-site supervision, followed by inspections, snagging and handover. Read more on our turnkey fit-out page.

Where in Dubai we design apartments

Our studio is in Concorde Tower, Cluster H, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, and we design apartments and penthouses across the city. Imperial Avenue in Downtown Dubai is one example, and many of the communities where we work on villas, such as Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Hills Estate and MBR City, also have apartment buildings.

Every tower has its own management, rules and access arrangements, so we look at the building as well as the apartment when we plan the programme. That includes the approvals the building needs, how materials and furniture will reach the apartment, and when work can take place.

Whatever the location, the starting point is the same: a conversation about how you want to live in the space.

What affects the cost of an apartment interior

We do not quote standard prices, because apartments vary so much in size, condition and ambition. These are the main factors that shape the cost.

We can tailor the design and material selection to an approved budget. Send us the location, size and your vision, and we will provide an indicative project estimate and proposed timeline within one working day.

• The size of the apartment
• How much bespoke joinery is involved
• The grade of materials and finishes
• Any MEP works, such as lighting, power or air conditioning changes
• The furniture specification

Owners, tenants and who has to agree the works

Before the design goes too far, confirm who needs to agree to it. An owner can deal with the building and community directly. If you rent, talk to your landlord first, and agree in writing what may be changed and what has to be returned to its original condition when the lease ends.

Approval for apartment works may involve the master developer, community management, building management and the relevant authority. We prepare the drawings and submissions the building asks for, so you are not left to interpret its requirements on your own.

Designing around shared structure and services

An apartment layout is shaped by elements that cannot easily move. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually tied to existing drainage, and air conditioning follows set routes through the ceilings, so relocating any of them needs checking with the building before it is drawn.

We review these constraints during space planning, before layouts are presented to you, so the options you compare are ones the building is likely to accept. Where a larger change is worth pursuing, such as opening the kitchen to the living area, we explain what it involves before you commit. These are the points we check first.

• Structural walls and columns that have to stay
• Drainage positions for kitchens, bathrooms and utility areas
• Air conditioning units, ducts and access panels
• Ceiling heights and where false ceilings can sit
• Window positions, daylight and views
• Lift sizes and access routes for furniture and materials

Choosing materials for a tower apartment

Some finishes that suit a villa need more thought several floors up. Large stone slabs and oversized furniture must fit the service lift, and hard flooring can carry sound to the apartment below, so a building may ask about the floor build-up before it approves the works.

We weigh these points alongside the look you want, and where a material is hard to deliver or install in your building, we suggest an alternative with a similar character. Our pages on interior design in Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina cover two of the city's busiest apartment districts.

Living in the apartment while the work is done

Whether you can stay depends on the scope. New finishes, lighting and furniture in a few rooms can often be planned around the household. Works to the kitchen, bathrooms or air conditioning are much harder to live with, because they take everyday services out of use.

Neighbours are closer than in a villa, and most buildings set their own rules on working hours, noise and the use of lifts and loading areas. We plan the programme around those rules, and we will tell you early if staying in the apartment would slow the works or make finished areas harder to protect.

Your first step

Share the building name, the apartment size, a few photographs and what you would like to change through our estimate page. If you have the floor plan from the developer or a previous owner, include it, as it lets us look at the layout before we meet.

Guides from the studio

• Small Apartment Interior Design in Dubai: A Luxury Guide