Central American inspiration informs this tropical Sur La Mer garden
POOLSIDE
Designed with relaxation and entertaining front of mind, the pool and its harmonious surrounds evoke images of a luxury hotel retreat and escapist staycations. It leaves nothing to be desired in fulfilling Vera’s vision of a lush tropical paradise, and features in-house custom-made pool tiles, antique plant pots sourced from Al Warsan, and bold monochrome details offering a touch of playful sophistication.
“We envisioned a lush garden with character, textures and patterns, inspired by a trip to Guatemala“
The Guatemalan-Irish couple reached out to Nabil Sherif at NGS Architects (@ngsarchitects), after seeing another of his exterior projects featured in Better Living. “We envisioned a lush garden with character, textures and patterns and were inspired by a recent trip to Antigua, Guatemala, where the house we stayed in had a beautiful central patio that incorporated different surfaces, water features, tropical plants, and art,” says Vera.
The huge 273-square-metre L-shaped garden was a design blank canvas that needed zoning forethought, as Nabil explains: “With the villa entrance located on the side and flanked by a huge piece of land to the left, we divided the footprint into three distinct areas to create a series of spaces that would function differently but flow harmoniously together.”
An abundance of plants, water elements and spaces for relaxation, with an area where the couple’s children could play, anchored the design agenda.
From the dramatic harlequin floor tiling and coral walls of the main entrance, which the team dressed with luxuriant planter boxes and hidden step lighting, to the most functional garden spaces, such as the outdoor shower, the custom design is rooted in sustainable design principles.
A project that took just under a year to complete, the couple’s vision and Nabil’s exacting attention to detail have delivered a uniquely creative – and enjoyable – space. Says Vera: “The garden has been brought to life in such a way that every corner offers something interesting. I just wish I could sit in each of them every day to appreciate all the beauty.”
AL FRESCO LIVING
Dead space adjacent to the home’s main entrance, and handily connected to the kitchen, was reimagined as a tranquil al fresco coffee and breakfast spot, complete with a beautifully natural wooden table, chairs, and rustic, hand-laid paving featuring inlaid polished blue tile detailing.
“We also wanted there to be easy connectivity between the different areas so here, from the garage to the entrance to the breakfast area to the office, to the water features on the sides, everything was used.”
LANDSCAPING
“We did a lot of research to ensure we fulfilled the design brief, and that included selecting the right plants to create a tropical ambience.” The garden is a sea of verdant green and includes varieties native to Guatemala or from a similar genus to suit the Dubai climate, with banana palms, Washingtonia palms and coconut palms, along with grass and bamboo.
OFFICE
The first visual impression for visitors hints that there is much more to come, with a long, paved pathway a purposefully strong welcoming statement. A work-from-home setup was key to the brief and the adobe casita-style standalone office adds character and makes ample use of what was a naturally dark, unused space. “This was important, as in terms of space planning. we wanted to deliver extremely efficient design throughout.” Design details, such as the exterior paving with its abstract hand cut and hand laid limestone effect, are complemented by the use of natural stone on the planters, and a duo of water features. “We wanted the space to be raw, but have a modern twist, to accentuate the natural feel.”
KIDS’ PLAY AREA
“We created a dedicated, safe play area, anchored by a contemporary double-height wooden playhouse that Vera and Derek ordered independently. To make this a family-focused space we incorporated curved stone bench seating where everyone can come together to relax and hang out, as well as it being a spot where the adults can easily keep an eye on the kids.” Nabil also purposely designed the open spaces with slight slope to create different levels for the children to enjoy.
GARDEN ENTRANCE
“We wanted connectivity between the different areas to be easy and seamless. From the garage to the entrance, the breakfast area, office, and water features, we made sure to optimise the available space but without crowding any one section.” The stylised gates lead into the children’s play area, which sequentially connects to the pool and entertaining areas. “Up close, even the gate arch features intricate and unique design elements, with etched stone detailing using mashrabiya-styled motifs.
LIGHTING DESIGN
By night, the garden is transformed yet again with NGS’ signature lighting style used to full effect. “We sited small brown uplighters around the perimeter of the wall where there are pillars; planter boxes feature an inset strip light at the bottom that pools a warm ambient glow; and mood lighting illuminates arch details to pull the space together.” Sustainability is also a fundamental consideration with the reuse of materials and samples where possible, and watering systems operating on a winter-summer timing basis.
Want to know more? Reach out to Nabil at nsherif@ngsarchitects.com