Interior Design and Fit-Out in Al Raha Beach

Living in Al Raha Beach

Visit Abu Dhabi describes Al Raha as mostly residential at first glance, with low-rise apartments, schools and supermarkets, before it opens up at the water into marinas, boardwalks and the Al Muneera and Al Bandar waterfronts.

For the Al Raha Beach development, the same official site lists modern apartments and duplexes, loft-style residences and larger family apartments, all with balconies and waterside views. The typical project here is therefore an apartment, sometimes arranged over two levels, rather than a standalone villa.

Where buildings are low-rise, apartments sit nearer the ground and the water than a tower flat would, so privacy from the promenade, glare off the water and the outlook from each room shape the design in their own way.

Duplexes and loft-style homes

A duplex or loft raises questions that a single-level flat does not. The stair is a design feature and a safety detail at once, double-height spaces need lighting and acoustics suited to their volume, and upper-floor bedrooms often want more privacy and storage than the original layout provides.

We work these out on plan and in section before any finish is chosen, so balustrades, joinery and light fittings all belong to one idea instead of arriving piecemeal.

Double-height rooms can feel echoey and are hard to cool evenly. Rugs, upholstered pieces, acoustic panels disguised as joinery and careful placement of air conditioning grilles make them comfortable without losing the sense of height.

• Stairs and balustrades redesigned as a feature of the room
• Lighting for double-height living rooms and landings
• Dressing areas and bathroom refits on the upper floor
• Kitchens opened to the living space, or screened from it, to suit the household

Family apartments by the water

Larger apartments are often family homes, and the brief tends to centre on storage, durable surfaces and rooms that can change as children grow. We plan for school bags, sports kit and a quiet corner for homework as seriously as we plan the dining table. In a waterfront home it also pays to plan storage for bikes, beach kit and paddleboards, so a well-organised entrance or utility area keeps them out of the living space.

Balconies extend the living space, so we design them like any other room, choosing finishes, shade and lighting that stand up to sun and sea air. Our apartment interior design page covers the full approach, from layout and storage to furniture and styling.

If the apartment is an investment you plan to let, the balance shifts towards finishes that survive changing tenants and a neutral scheme that photographs well, with personality added through furniture and art that can be swapped easily.

Seeing it before you commit

Every scheme is presented as mood boards and 3D renders before orders are placed, so you can judge the stone, the joinery and the lighting in context, and ask for changes while they are still easy to make.

For a sense of a finished result, the Imperial Avenue Apartment in Downtown Dubai, 5,500 sq ft and handed over in 2023 after we designed and built it, pairs soft neutrals and bouclé textures with arched wall features and a marble dining surface. It is a large home, but its calm palette and integrated lighting translate well to a waterfront apartment.

Choosing design only or complete delivery

Design only suits owners who already have a contractor: you receive the concept, renders, material specifications and working drawings. Design and build puts procurement, fit-out and site supervision with us as well, and we stay accountable until handover. If you are unsure which suits you, tell us how much time you can give the project and we will say which route we would choose in your position.

Either way, the design is drawn and specified in enough detail to be priced accurately and built as agreed, which protects your budget when the tenders come back and keeps surprises on site to a minimum.

Approvals for an Al Raha Beach apartment

Abu Dhabi's approval processes run through its own authorities, separately from Dubai's. We confirm the route that applies to your building. In an apartment building, the building or community management will usually set requirements of its own for contractor access, deliveries and working hours.

We raise these at the first survey and plan the programme around them, so approvals and access are settled as part of the plan instead of surfacing halfway through the works.

If you intend to stay put, the rooms can be tackled one at a time with quieter hours agreed in advance, although a full refit normally runs more smoothly in an empty home.

What shapes the budget, and where to begin

Our projects start from AED 150,000. The floor area, bespoke joinery, the grade of finishes, any MEP changes and the furniture specification move the cost from there, and if you share a working budget early, we can design within it rather than trim afterwards. Balcony works, loose furniture and window treatments can also be moved into a second phase if you would rather spread the spend.

Use our estimate request to send the building, the unit type and some photos. Owners with a second home on nearby Yas Island can read our page on the townhouse, villa and apartment communities there.