Entrance and Foyer Design in Dubai: Halls, Hallways and Staircases

First impressions

A good entrance does three things in the first few steps. It gives a guest somewhere to pause, it shows them where to go, and it hints at the character of the rest of the home. A console with a mirror or an artwork on the facing wall, a change of floor finish at the threshold and one well lit focal point achieve more than a large empty hall.

In an apartment the entrance may be a short corridor, so the focus shifts to a single strong vignette. At Imperial Avenue Apartment in Downtown Dubai, a console table, a plant and a framed artwork make a composed welcome in a palette of creams and warm beiges.

Shoe, coat and bag storage

Many households in the UAE take shoes off at the door, and with a large family and regular guests the number of pairs adds up fast. Shoe storage belongs at the entrance rather than in the bedrooms, and it needs ventilation to stay fresh, shelves spaced for sandals as well as boots, and a bench for putting them on.

Guests' shoes need a place too, close to the door but out of the main line of sight. Coats are needed less often in Dubai, but abayas, handbags, keys, sunglasses, school bags and a steady stream of deliveries all need a home. A full height cupboard with drawers, hooks and a charging shelf keeps the hall calm.

• Ventilated shoe cupboards for the family
• A discreet spot for guests' shoes
• A bench or seat to sit on
• Hooks for bags, abayas and jackets
• A tray or drawer for keys and sunglasses
• Space for parcels and grocery deliveries

Separate guest and family routes

In many villas the front door is for guests, while the family comes and goes through the garage or a side entrance. Planning these as distinct routes lets visitors reach the majlis or formal reception without passing family rooms, and lets the family come home with shopping and school bags without crossing the formal hall. Where a household has domestic staff, a service entrance near the kitchen keeps deliveries and staff movement separate as well.

Privacy from the front door matters too. We check what a visitor sees straight ahead when the door opens, and use a screen, a turn in the hall or a feature wall so the family's living areas are not on view. Our majlis interior design page covers the reception rooms these routes lead to, and our space planning service is where the routes themselves are worked out.

Hallways and corridors

Hallways are easy to overlook because nobody stays in them, yet they connect every room and are walked all day. We give them enough width to pass comfortably, consistent door heights and finishes, and lighting that guides rather than glares: wall washers, concealed strips at ceiling or skirting level, or picture lights along a gallery wall. Timber doors, as in the hallway pictured below, bring warmth to a corridor lined with openings.

Long villa corridors benefit from a destination at the end, such as a window, a piece of art or a lit niche, so they never read as tunnels. Low level night lighting on sensors makes the route between bedrooms safe after dark.

Double-height entrance halls

A double-height hall is one of the most striking features a villa can have, and one of the hardest to get right. The volume needs something to hold it: a tall feature wall in stone or panelling, a large artwork, or a chandelier scaled to the space rather than to an ordinary room. At MK Villa on Palm Jumeirah, part of our design and build work, the entrance hall pictured at the top of this page pairs marble with a glass artwork wall, and the grand entrance was designed to make a strong first impression.

Tall spaces raise practical questions. Warm air rises and gathers at the top, so the air conditioning has to be designed for the full height, not just the floor. Chandeliers need a way to be cleaned and relamped, whether a winch, a planned scaffold or a fitting chosen for easy access. Hard surfaces all the way up can make a hall echo, so we look at acoustic finishes where voices carry to the rooms above.

Staircases

In a villa the staircase is often the largest single piece of design in the house, seen from the entrance, the landing and the living areas. The choice between an enclosed stair, an open stair with solid risers and a floating stair with open treads shapes the whole hall. Our interior design and space planning for Palm Jumeirah Villa features a floating timber staircase with a glass balustrade, which keeps the space open and lets light through.

Whatever the style, a stair has to be comfortable and safe. We check the rise and going of each step, continuous handrails, balustrade heights and gaps, and light on every tread, from step lights or a concealed strip. Open treads and glass need extra thought in homes with young children. Changing a staircase's structure, or adding a new one, can involve approvals, which our authority approvals service handles.

Floors, finishes and the climate

The entrance floor takes the most wear in the house, and in Dubai it also takes the sand carried in from outside. We choose stone or porcelain that resists scratching, avoid high polish finishes that show every grain and turn slippery when wet, and plan a recessed mat just inside the door to catch sand before it spreads. Marble inlays and borders can mark out the hall as a special space without adding upkeep across the whole floor.

Villa front doors often face strong sun, so the door, its seals and any glazing have to cope with heat, and a hall behind a sunny glazed entrance can warm up quickly. Shading, the choice of glass and a small lobby where the door is opened often all help keep the inside cool.

What shapes the cost of an entrance

The main drivers are the size and height of the space, whether walls or the staircase change, the stone or timber chosen, the extent of joinery for storage and feature walls, and the lighting, including any chandelier and the means to reach it. Work on stairs and structure costs more than finishes alone. Projects start from AED 150,000; share your plans through our estimate page to see how the entrance fits into yours.