In Dubai, D’Ora Tokai Designs has completely transformed a Spanish-style villa into The White Arcade, a light-filled family home designed for a global executive and her three children. Originally filled with dark terracotta tiles, heavy timber beams, colorful surfaces, and enclosed rooms, the villa has been given an entirely new identity. The renovation introduces a palette of whites and warm neutrals, sculptural forms, and architectural details inspired by the home’s Mediterranean origins.
A Sculptural Introduction
Stepping inside, the entryway immediately introduces the softer shapes found throughout the renovated home. A sculptural cream console features a cylindrical top supported by three substantial legs, while an oversized mirror with an irregular, gently curved frame adds an organic element to the space. Underfoot, light oak herringbone flooring brings warmth to the predominantly white interior.
A Hidden Coat Room Behind Folding Doors
Just beyond the entryway, what initially appears to be a set of traditional paneled doors opens to reveal a practical coat room. The bifold doors sit flush with the surrounding wall detailing, concealing a compact space lined with warm wood. Inside, an L-shaped bench provides somewhere to sit while putting on shoes, with paneled drawers underneath for additional storage.
Simple brass hooks accommodate coats and bags, while open shelves make use of the available wall space. The sloping ceiling adds character to this otherwise straightforward storage area, showing how even the home’s functional spaces have been incorporated into the wider interior scheme.
The Heart of the Home
One of the biggest changes to the villa involved its central courtyard. Previously a sunken, tiled space that felt disconnected from the neighboring rooms, it was raised to align with the ground floor and transformed into a double-height living area. A large glazed roof brings natural light into the space, casting geometric shadows across the white walls. Arched openings on both levels introduce views between rooms, drawing on Moorish architecture, Mediterranean proportions, and the family’s Arabic heritage.
At the center sits a bespoke C-shaped sofa designed by DOT Objects, its sweeping form echoing the curves of the surrounding architecture. Two rounded armchairs and a circular stone coffee table complete the seating arrangement, while slender indoor trees add height and greenery. Above, a suspended installation of delicate leaf-like forms creates a beautiful focal point beneath the glass roof.
A Monumental Onyx Table
Through a broad archway, the formal dining room introduces one of the home’s most impressive pieces of custom furniture. Designed by DOT Objects, the enormous dining table is made from two slabs of white onyx supported by sculptural arched bases. Its size and weight made installation a major undertaking, requiring fifteen people to assemble it. The polished stone surface gives the room a sense of occasion, with its pale veining adding subtle movement to the design.
A collection of generously proportioned upholstered chairs wraps around the table, bringing a softer silhouette to the substantial stone furniture, while overhead, a cascading installation of delicate, gold-edged leaf forms appears to float above the dining area.
A Softer Space for Family Meals
Moving into the casual dining area, the furniture takes on a more playful character. A large white oval dining table is surrounded by sculptural chairs with flowing. Suspended above is a circular brass chandelier with disc-shaped details and soft white globes, providing a contrast to the furniture’s glossy surfaces.
Two tall arched windows frame views of the greenery outside, with built-in cabinetry beneath offering additional storage and a place to display decorative objects. Along the adjoining wall, sheer curtains allow sunlight to spread across the floor. The combination gives this family dining space a relaxed, informal atmosphere while retaining the elegant finishes found elsewhere in the house.
Curved Cabinetry and Warm Brass Details
The kitchen continues the home’s elegant white palette, introducing rounded cabinetry, decorative mouldings, and brass hardware. A large central island anchors the space, with curved ends, paneled cabinetry, and a white stone countertop featuring warm gold veining. Four white and timber bar stools provide casual seating along one side, while a pair of linear pendant lights combine slender black rods, brass cones, and small globe lights.
Along the perimeter, full-height cabinets provide generous storage, their curved corners helping soften the transition between different areas. Matching stone extends across the countertops and backsplash, while open shelves display ceramics and decorative accessories. Above the sink, a small arched window offers a glimpse of the greenery outside, bringing another architectural detail into this functional family space.
A Surprise in Sage Green
Hidden away from the main kitchen, the butler’s pantry introduces the home’s only significant departure from its monochromatic color scheme. Sage-green cabinetry covers the walls of this narrow preparation space, bringing a fresh, lively atmosphere to an area designed for everyday cooking. The U-shaped layout incorporates a gas cooktop, oven, generous drawers, and open shelving, making efficient use of the available space.
White stone countertops and matching backsplashes provide continuity with the adjoining kitchen, while warm under-cabinet lighting illuminates the work surfaces. Brass handles add a finishing touch, and a small circular window in the door allows visibility between spaces.
Comfortable Curves and Natural Textures
The media room provides a comfortable gathering space, with a large U-shaped sectional sofa upholstered in soft beige fabric. Its channeled design wraps around two low stone coffee tables, creating plenty of seating for the family. A pair of rounded bouclé armchairs faces the television, while a textured rug and an upholstered bench with a dark timber frame introduce different materials into the room.
A series of tall arched windows allows natural light to filter through sheer curtains, softening the appearance of the furniture and its neutral palette. Above the seating, a slender sculptural pendant adds an understated decorative element.
Simple Details with a Refined Finish
The powder room keeps things simple with a long floating vanity featuring a white countertop and vertically ribbed cabinet fronts. A broad rectangular mirror with a slim brass frame extends across the wall, reflecting the architectural detailing of the hallway outside. A matching brass tap and small marble-lined wall niches introduce just enough decorative detail without overcrowding the compact space.
A Sculptural Connection Between Floors
The original staircase was one of the villa’s heavier architectural features, with angular forms that no longer suited the new interior. D’Ora Tokai Designs reshaped the staircase, extending the first and last steps into gentle curves and introducing rounded transitions where the walls meet. Oak treads bring natural warmth to the predominantly white stairwell, while traditional wall mouldings follow the changing heights and angles of the space.
The transformation continues above, where the double-height ceiling was altered to complement the curved geometry below. These changes turn a functional staircase into an architectural feature that feels fully integrated with the rest of the home.
Arched Views Across the Courtyard
Arriving upstairs, a series of tall arched openings lines one wall, bringing daylight into the open corridor and creating framed views across the house. Slender brass wall lights sit between the openings, adding a subtle decorative detail without interrupting the simple arrangement.
The corridor’s pale timber flooring and paneled white walls create a light, open passage between the bedrooms. With its curved balustrade and generous proportions, the hallway feels like an extension of the architecture below, linking the private rooms without making the upper level feel enclosed.
A Spacious Bedroom Designed for Rest
The primary suite offers a generous bedroom with soft furnishings, warm neutral colors, and space for more than just sleeping. A bespoke DOT Objects bed features an upholstered headboard extending across the wall behind it, accompanied by rounded bedside tables and delicate wall lights. At the foot of the bed, a compact cream sofa creates an additional seating area, while a low upholstered lounge chair occupies one corner of the room.
A large patterned rug adds texture beneath the furniture, and a circular brass chandelier hangs from the gently curved ceiling. Floor-to-ceiling curtains frame tall glazed doors leading to the balcony, allowing natural light to fill the space.
Custom Storage and a Beautiful Vanity
Extensions to the upper floor allowed D’Ora Tokai Designs to create additional wardrobe space, giving the primary suite more generous storage and a dedicated dressing area. Full-height white cabinets line the walls, with traditional paneled fronts, brass handles, and curved corners that soften the appearance of the extensive joinery.
A custom dressing table sits between the wardrobes, featuring a pale stone top, rounded cabinetry, and a tall oval mirror suspended from the ceiling by a brass frame. Beneath it, a cylindrical upholstered stool with stacked, cushion-like sections adds a playful touch.
A Freestanding Tub Between Two Showers
The primary bathroom features a dramatic yet symmetrical arrangement, with a freestanding oval bathtub positioned against a bookmatched marble feature wall. On either side, walk-in showers are fitted with brass rainfall showerheads, handheld fixtures, and recessed marble niches. Slim brass-framed glass partitions separate the wet areas while keeping the space visually open.
The marble’s soft grey and warm gold veining adds natural pattern to the white surfaces, while the matching brass fixtures bring a refined finish.
A Playful Take on Neutral Interiors
The second bedroom introduces a more youthful character, with subtle pastel colors and playful decorative details. A low upholstered bed features a softly undulating headboard and rounded base, paired with pale lavender bedside tables. Above the bed, a collection of framed graphic prints in pink, lilac, and red adds personality to the otherwise neutral interior. A textured white rug with a flowing pattern brings another layer of softness beneath the furniture.
The adjoining dressing area includes tall white wardrobes with rounded edges and a brass-framed arched mirror. A decorative dress form and small personal accessories give the space an individual character, while the additional wardrobe space created during the renovation provides room for storage.
Understated Colors and Soft Textures
The remaining bedrooms continue the home’s relaxed aesthetic, introducing subtle variations in color and material. Upholstered beds with a rounded headboards are complemented by compact bedside tables featuring rounded corners, with simple marble wall lights mounted above.
Natural Stone and Brass Finishes
The guest bathroom introduces a slightly warmer palette, with a substantial stone vanity incorporating an integrated rectangular basin. Above it, a tall arched mirror with a thin brass frame complements a pair of brass taps, while the lower cabinetry features a finely ribbed finish. Recessed shelves provide storage for towels and toiletries without taking up additional floor space. A glass-enclosed shower sits at the end of the room, fitted with matching brass fixtures and illuminated by a small window.
Understanding the Two-Level Layout
The ground-floor plan reveals how the central courtyard organizes the villa’s main living areas. The formal dining room sits directly behind it, with the breakfast area and show kitchen arranged along one side. On the opposite side are the living room and a guest bedroom, while the family room sits closer to the entrance. Service areas, including the preparation kitchen, laundry, and additional storage, occupy a separate part of the plan, allowing the main rooms to remain open and welcoming.
Upstairs, the bedrooms and private spaces are arranged around the central double-height opening. The primary suite includes two walk-in wardrobes, a bathroom, and access to a balcony, while the remaining bedrooms are accompanied by additional wardrobes, bathrooms, and a study.
The White Arcade shows how an existing home can be completely transformed while retaining a connection to its architectural history. Through an extensive renovation, D’Ora Tokai Designs has created a family home that brings together Mediterranean influences, contemporary furniture, and elegant European detailing.