The Eclectic Charm of a Penthouse

The main objective of great interior design is fulfilling both practical and expressive requirements. The functional side must not stand in the way of esthetics, and vice versa. Whether it’s a studio or a villa, your living space needs to reflect your personality enough to say: “I am home!”

There is a special kind of challenge in designing a penthouse. Before the 1920s in New York City, rooftop living quarters were reserved for servants or storage as they were usually additional spaces built without complying with any building code or regulation.  With the progress of the post-war period and the advent of the elevator, came the need for more rentable living space as well as the affluent society’s requirement for wonderful views. Fast forward 100 years and penthouses have become the most coveted segment of apartment living internationally. Even in the Doha interior design world, the rooftop gems are highly sought after.

In a modern language, the word penthouse is a synonym for power, success, and leadership. But for the residents of the penthouse, it is the first and foremost a synonym for a home. The best interior design solutions are a combination of all those elements, putting everything to work together in harmony.

Organizing the “Chaos”

How do you start setting up space for an active family with many interests and hobbies, especially when you have eight months to complete the design, procure, and execution phases?

Having a client who is open to even the most whimsical design ideas undoubtedly helps with such a task. “Organizing the chaos” was the simple project brief; taking into consideration the couples’ eclectic collection of art, furniture, and decorative objects, it was going to be no simple task. The young family was open to let the interior design team exercise a creative liberty to the level fairly uncommon in the region. In return, the final result was worthy of the trust bestowed.

When you start with a great space without too many preconceived notions on how things should look, engaging skilled professionals is the best move you can make. The right interior design company can improve every idea you have while providing solutions for those that you haven’t.

Start From Scratch

It was essential to start by identifying the needs and preferences of each member of the family, as well as the common ones. Since the children are teenagers, they needed some private space of their own. The parents wanted some personal areas to work, think, and relax.

As the clients love to entertain, they requested the space to be welcoming and relaxed. Additionally, cooking is one of the favorite activities for the whole family, so the particular focus was given to the design of the kitchen. The kitchen had to be functional as well as large enough to accommodate up to eight people when hosting “kitchen table dinner parties.”

A dazzling feature wall was created using motifs selected by the lady of the house and executed by a Mirabello special effects painter between the dining room and the kitchen. The father requested a BBQ station on the terrace, and the team created a space that was not only practical but also had stunning views.

The penthouse property features an 80 square meters terrace, overlooking fantastic Pearl Qatar views as well as sea views. In a city like Doha, it’s a great advantage, as the climate conditions allow using the outdoor spaces for eight months of the year. The terrace was a pleasure to work on and turn into an oasis for leisure and socializing. The ambient created on the terrace is similar to the luxurious spaces found on websites like Chairish.

Fine Tuning

The original space had a distribution of space that required some adjustments. All of the bathrooms of the residence had to be re-distributed to optimize space utilization. All bathtubs (except for one) were removed and replaced with large walk-in showers.

The local population’s appreciation for noble materials had a significant impact on the products used for the architectural finishes. Different types of high-quality marbles were chosen for all of the common areas, as well as bathrooms. These materials were selected in order to make a future sale of the property more fluid, as the product selection was universally acceptable and increased the value of the home itself.

The new space had to fit the couples’ carefully curated collection of art as well as several unique pieces of furniture. The design team treated the architectural finishes of the home as the canvas for the owner’s collection. All of the accompanying elements, such as case goods, cabinetry, wall coverings, were custom-designed and fabricated by the Mirabello Joinery.

Instead of competing, each of the elements supports the other; while being individually viable. Examples of some of the world’s most renowned furniture designs, like the UP6 Chair from B&B Italia and the red and blue Gerrit Rietveld chair, stand in harmony with the rest of the interior. The final space is welcoming rather than imposing and extends an invitation to guests to explore the stunning collection of objects in a relaxed atmosphere.

High ceilings, non-imposing symmetry, careful scaling, smart lighting, and just the right amount of patterns are the highlights of this eclectic and standout creation. It is a home that truly reflects the personality of the family for whom it was designed.

The Reflection

The ultimate design goal was to achieve the right balance of traditional and new, without clashing with each other. This penthouse tells a story of old and new, embracing history and welcoming the contemporary. It’s a reflection of Qatar itself.

Just like the country, the penthouse is adventuring into the future without forgetting about tradition. It is a perfect mix of old and new, modern and classical. A harmony of many cultures and backgrounds orchestrated to fit all in one space.

Qatari design and architectural trends are based on innovation, on the brave setting of new standards, and breaking of some of the old limitations. Eclectic crossovers, high-quality materials, and the structures built to last are becoming the leading example for the rest of the world. Investing for and into the future is a clear path towards remarkable outcomes. A clear symbol of growth and progress, the new architectural and interior designs being unveiled in Qatar are a clear representation of the Qatari National Vision. The results are quite impressive, just like the penthouse project.

If you want to explore more of the Doha luxury interior design, the articles on Mirabello blog are waiting for you.