Interior designer Bonita O'Donnell, who has lived in the UAE for more than two decades, has a passion for texture and colour – something that is clearly evident in her most recent project, a Palm Jumeirah villa. She completely refurbished and reconfigured the villa for its British owners, who were set on a Palm Jumeirah address but could not find a property that fully reflected the way they wanted to live.
Very little of the original layout of the villa remains; walls were moved and windows enlarged to make the most of stunning views of The Palm’s fronds and beaches, and the Dubai Marina coast and skyline beyond. The property now boasts enviable indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces, made seamless by large aspect windows that fold back on themselves and throw abundant light into the open-plan interiors.
The interior colour palette is cool and calming, with a soothing assortment of creams, soft blues, light greys and neutrals, which complement the colours found outdoors, yet still leave the views as the star attraction.
An exterior lap pool is a key design feature, providing a visual runway that blends with the sea, as well as bouncing dappled shadows and light into the interior. O’Donnell is particularly pleased with the effect created by the pool’s subtly iridescent mosaic tiles, which evoke the light wings of a dragonfly. The patina of a grouping of large urns set to one side of the pool, which are spotlit at night to stunning effect, further reinforces the colour palette.
O’Donnell also managed all aspects of the villa’s lighting, bringing in pendant lights from Bali, a place that she admires for the creativity of its people. She and the villa owner travelled to the country to source pieces for the property. “Even at the back of the rice paddy fields, you find people doing different things in wood, or metal or upcycling,” she says.
Meanwhile, perforated pendant lamps hanging in a group in the corner of the living room and recessed lights set into a large feature wall in the entrance atrium were sourced locally from Zenza, and provide a modern interpretation of traditional Arabic lighting, while helping to bring the entrance atrium alive after dark.
The impressive kitchen is by luxury German brand Hacker, with appliances mostly by Miele. Their neutral tones mean they work well with the wider living area, creating an integrated space. A favourite feature (and an idea worth stealing) is a glass window splashback that brings colour and light in from the outdoors. This ensures that the interior and exterior remain connected, even at night when exterior lighting solutions highlight the abundant greenery of the garden beyond.
Much of the furniture in the villa is bespoke. O’Donnell commissioned Hennessy to create a low-key bar in the corner of the living room, which provides a place to congregate adjacent to the kitchen, but doesn’t dominate the space. With the man of the house in mind, the makers also supplied a recessed cabinet for a large flat-screen television, to allow technology to drop out of sight when not in use.
In case there is ever a requirement for a fifth bedroom at the property, the villa’s owners wanted to introduce versatility by building a shower room adjacent to the large downstairs dining room. As the room also opens off the hall and primarily functions as a powder room, O’Donnell has disguised that it is a functioning bathroom by placing a basin with an illuminated stand inset with an imposing sculpture in front of the glass shower screen, cleverly dividing the space.
A large and impressive oil painting of a tribesman dominates the entrance hall, and was a holiday purchase by the villa’s owner from a street artist in Thailand. “The eyes are amazing; I would love one,” says O’Donnell.
Large Philip Watts door handles moulded around a human hand elevate something you would ordinarily grasp without thinking into a piece of artwork, and are found both at the panelled entrance to the master bedroom and in the atrium on the oversized, pivoted front door. Walls of the entrance “are stucco, not polished concrete”, explains O’Donnell. “You can paint three or four layers and wax it, which gives a similar effect.” Honeycomb wallpaper in the hallway and the feature walls in the bedrooms are by Roche Bobois.
While O’Donnell boasts an enviable little black book of suppliers, trusted tradesmen and luxury brands that she has worked with for years, she relishes a hunt for finds at less conventional and non-branded locations, happily going to auctions to find pre-loved chairs to reupholster. For one client previously featured on these pages, whose apartment won a Home of the Year Award, she purchased a wooden floor from a retail outlet that was closing down and selling off its fixtures and fittings. The floor was a bargain and her delight at the memory of finding it is genuine – as was the opportunity to deliver something high-end at a budget price.
“I will shop from anywhere, going to the auction to see if there’s something I can strip and recover. You can get some really nice deals, and reupholstering here is inexpensive when compared to the UK and Europe.”
The designer says she’s never off-duty and finds inspiration everywhere – even at the beach, from something as simple as the colour of a rock. “We are very lucky to have so much design inspiration, from fashion to interiors, in the UAE. It’s grown immensely and there are real wow factors you see in some hotels and restaurants.”
Consultations with O’Donnell, whose design practice is fittingly called Chameleon Interiors, begin at Dh350 to Dh400 and if the project goes ahead, this is then deducted from the project fee. “I like to be accessible; thereafter it depends on the scope of the project and what is required,” she says. “Most people I work with end up being my friends; you get so involved in their lives that you get to know them pretty well by the time you’ve finished the project.”