Dubai Dream: Check out the chic and quirky Victory Heights villa with Dalia El Ali
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00:00Today, I'm having a walking tour with Dahlia and her beautiful home.
00:05It's a part of our Dubai Dream Home series.
00:07Dahlia, thank you so much for taking us by the pool.
00:10Thank you so much for coming.
00:12Yes, we really wanted to enjoy the sun and please come in.
00:17Wow, this is beautiful.
00:19Is this your layout?
00:21I love it.
00:21Thank you so much for coming.
00:23I love the colors, Dahlia.
00:25Is this how you wanted the vibe to be?
00:28It's like being on a Greek holiday.
00:29Yes, I wanted it to be very colorful and easy and just fun.
00:34Excellent.
00:34Now she's going to take us on a tour and I'm so excited.
00:52Hi everyone, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan.
00:54Welcome back to the Dubai Dream Home series.
00:57Trust me when I tell you this is an utopian paradise in Victory Heights.
01:02I am in fashion designer Dahlia's home and I can't tell you God is in the details.
01:08If you look around and I will take you on a tour of this beautiful home, every piece has been so carefully curated and it's so artistic.
01:16It's like an artist's paradise, Dahlia.
01:19So I guess my passion to art and colors comes from mainly being a designer and that career helped me a lot to diverse my interests.
01:32And one of the new interests in my life for the past seven years, I would say, is interior design and art.
01:41And I do love collecting pieces, whether it's from international artists or regional artists or Arab artists.
01:48But also it's not only about art.
01:50I also like nice furniture pieces that are done by designers also.
01:55So I do have a lot of that around the house.
02:00I've done my house from scratch.
02:03So when we bought this house, we decided to break it down and rebuild it the way we like.
02:10And that's why there's a lot of art.
02:12There's a lot of character in the house.
02:14That's true.
02:16And that's it about me and the house.
02:19I used to be an investment banker.
02:22And I moved from investment banking to becoming a proper mother.
02:29Because at the beginning, I tried to keep both lives.
02:32It was a bit hard and challenging.
02:34So I decided to choose being a mom for a while until I started my passion with fashion design.
02:41And then that passion took me into art.
02:44And now I'm like an entrepreneur in Dubai that has more than one business.
02:48Dalia, when I see this house, it takes me back to my honeymoon days in Greece, Santarini.
02:52Oh, wow.
02:53You won't believe it.
02:53That's lovely.
02:54Yes, I remember going to Greece and thinking, this is how if I had a dream home, I would do it in these colors.
03:01And colors is what kind of pops out here.
03:03I love the way you've blended, say, mustard with teal, etc.
03:07Is color very important?
03:09Yes, I do love colors a lot.
03:11Even though today I'm wearing black, which is not usually my color.
03:14But I want it to change.
03:16But I love colors so much.
03:18First of all, it gives me happiness.
03:20And I'm someone who enjoys day outings more than night outings.
03:24Right.
03:24So I just enjoy the color of the sky, the nature.
03:28I go every day out for a walk.
03:29And that's why we picked this community.
03:31Yes.
03:32Because it has one of the most comfortable nature and very, with the golf courses, very pretty.
03:40And it's very kids friendly.
03:41There's a lot of dogs always.
03:43So that was one of the reasons we picked this, that I go for a walk every day, morning and afternoon.
03:48I just love to see colors and nature.
03:50It makes my eyes happy.
03:52It opens up my brains.
03:54It relaxes me.
03:55Especially we live in Dubai, which is beautiful, but it's busy.
03:58And there's a lot happening on the whole time.
04:01Lots of work, lots of events, lots of social events.
04:05And because of my work, I do host events for luxury brands.
04:09So I end up doing PR a lot of events.
04:11So it does drain me.
04:13So I need that balance of nature and colors all around me, even in my house.
04:18And that's why when you do the tour now, you'll notice there's a lot of windows, a lot of big windows.
04:22I actually did that.
04:23I broke all the walls and added windows everywhere in the house.
04:26That's beautiful, yes.
04:27With big, big glass.
04:30And mainly to see the outdoors because I just love the view so much that I wanted that the whole time.
04:37I love that.
04:38I love that.
04:38And I like the fact that you say you love the outdoors because we live in a city where it's mostly hot, right?
04:43If you look at it.
04:44Yeah, most of it.
04:45This, you can be inside, but it makes you feel like you're outdoors, but you're not.
04:50Yeah, and that was the main point of doing that.
04:54That we knew that the country is very hot.
04:57And especially this house in particular has a beautiful sunset view.
05:01But at the same time, we have very strong sun because it's the sunset side.
05:07So that's why we knew that being indoor will be more comfortable than being outdoor.
05:12But we wanted both, I guess.
05:14I love it.
05:14And even your furniture, I feel it's like White Lotus has just been invited home.
05:20Trust me, White Lotus.
05:21We don't want to invite White Lotus.
05:24No, without the drama, without the murder, without any of the girls.
05:27Without anyone of us getting murdered.
05:29But it does feel like White Lotus.
05:32You know, this is something I think White Lotus would love to pull me up.
05:35Yeah, yeah.
05:35True.
05:36If you think about that, it's like being on a holiday.
05:38It is.
05:39What kind of vibe do you want to want your guests to have?
05:40So when we moved to this house, I remember it was like five years ago.
05:45We were just in Mykonos at that time.
05:48It was the post-COVID trip.
05:50Our first post-COVID trip for our friend's 40th birthday.
05:54And I remember I just bought that house and I was renovating it and working on it.
05:58And I did get inspired a lot with Mykonos.
06:01And that's why there's a lot of White.
06:02I knew it.
06:03I would find everything is White, whether interior and exterior.
06:07There's a lot of White.
06:08So that was mainly Mykonos.
06:10And especially even the cactus and the choices in the garden and the landscaping was very Mykonos-inspired.
06:17You know, White is a very tough color.
06:19Many people call it bland.
06:21They call it boring.
06:22And what do you do with White?
06:24It's like, but here is an example of how you made White work.
06:27Yeah, so I made White as the base because I do love colors.
06:31And I do have a lot of colorful pieces.
06:33So I needed to have something that is very quiet and calm as a base so that we can add as many colorful pieces without feeling overwhelmed.
06:43Right.
06:44You know what?
06:44I've been to many homes in Dubai.
06:46And often what happens is they love to have logos, familiar designs, etc.
06:52And not shaming any of the designers.
06:54They're doing an amazing job.
06:55When do you know like less is more?
06:57You know?
06:58How do you tell them?
06:59Like for those who are doing up their homes perhaps.
07:01Hala, it's honestly, it's a personal taste.
07:04It's a personal journey also.
07:07What you've been through.
07:07Where did you travel?
07:08Where do you grow up?
07:09What?
07:10How's your parents?
07:12I'm originally Palestinian, but born and raised in the UAE.
07:16And I am Emirati by passport.
07:18I think the idea that I come back, I come from the Middle East and from somewhere as simple as Palestine and going to university to Lebanon gave me a lot of my personality and my taste.
07:32And that's what's beautiful about the Middle East.
07:35They have amazing taste, amazing art, but they're very simple.
07:39I think taste is changing.
07:41I see now more and more, even people who used to do very branded house, they're moving from it a bit.
07:48Like as I'm going to new houses for my girlfriend that used to have that and now they're changing.
07:53So I think that region is opening up more and more, especially with the entrance of Art Dubai and Art Abu Dhabi and all that being in Dubai now as one of the biggest events of the year.
08:07It helped people open up and design week for furniture.
08:13So it helped people open up and explore.
08:16So as I was seeing, everyone is exploring.
08:18So my advice will be maybe go attend these events more.
08:22It helps you to learn.
08:23It helps you to get out of your comfort zone.
08:26It helps you to explore another part of your style that you didn't know.
08:31Right.
08:32Is there any part of the house that's least used but is just there for vanity purpose?
08:36Ah, unfortunately, it's sad to say it.
08:39It's the sun moon and the reason is that everything is white and that's the disadvantage of having white.
08:45I wanted to ask you, I have three kids, twin boys.
08:48Trust me when I tell you white is not like, I'm not even thinking it till they go to college.
08:52How, and I know you have kids, you have boys, rowdy boys, I'm assuming.
08:55And I have two dogs.
08:57Two dogs, two kids, two boys.
08:59Great, how do you keep them so white?
09:01So that's the thing.
09:01What's the thing?
09:02What's the rule?
09:02Nobody sits on it.
09:03Nobody sits except guests, which is the only sad thing of having a nice house.
09:08So that's the only thing that I wish we can start using it more.
09:12But we're deciding that we have to start using it more.
09:16Now the kids are getting older.
09:18How old are they?
09:19I have a 16-year-old and I'm 14.
09:21I think they've grown up now.
09:23So I think this year we can easily add a TV in the saloon and start enjoying it a bit
09:28more with the kids.
09:29Can I just tell you, the first thing that I have a rule in my home, no TV in the living
09:34room.
09:34Same.
09:35And I just feel it just kind of kills the mood.
09:37Same.
09:38Do you believe that?
09:39Same.
09:39I've always believed that.
09:40But now with my kids being teenagers, I started noticing that they like to sit with
09:44their friends in a bigger space.
09:46Yes.
09:46So they need either the saloon or if you have a very big living room.
09:51Oh, that's great.
09:52Okay.
09:52Like a lot of my friends have big houses, so they were able to afford to do a second living
09:57room.
09:58That's right.
09:58Mainly for entertainment and kids.
10:00So if you have the space, that's perfect.
10:03You have both.
10:04Right.
10:05Of course.
10:05May I just ask how large is this?
10:07Because I feel the entire home has been reconstructed, upgraded.
10:12With the garden, I think it's 10,800.
10:15That's beautiful space, right?
10:18For a family of two and two dogs.
10:19And I think the built-in is around 5,800.
10:23So I love the fact that there's a lot of outdoor space as well, right?
10:27So I think, was that important for you as well?
10:28Because I look at the pool, it's beautiful.
10:30It's gorgeous blue with white couches.
10:33It's like Santorini just said hello.
10:35So my husband loves big gardens and that's why it was a formula between both of us.
10:40We did have a very nice house before this one in Motor City that we used to love in Green
10:45Community.
10:45We loved it.
10:46Oh, the Green Community, yes.
10:47We stayed there for 12 years.
10:49We loved it.
10:50It was a bit smaller and we didn't have a pool.
10:53So we always wanted a pool.
10:55Yes.
10:56Unfortunately, you don't use it as much as you think you would.
10:58I wanted to ask you that.
10:59How many people really?
11:00It's like having the treadmill at home.
11:02I use it as a clothes hanger.
11:03Unfortunately, maybe I'm the only one who uses it at home to tan.
11:08Not really properly use it.
11:10Not really swimming, are we?
11:12No.
11:12So that's the sad part because of Dubai life that you're always out and you have beautiful
11:16beaches in Dubai.
11:18And on the weekend, you want to go enjoy the sea.
11:20Right.
11:21I get that.
11:21I get that totally.
11:23How about hosting?
11:24Do you host a lot?
11:24Because I love even the accent pieces that you have.
11:30It's not the usual.
11:30No, I do love hosting.
11:32That's something I enjoy a lot.
11:33So yes, I do have friends over a lot, whether it's during Ramadan or during the year.
11:40I'm a very easy host and it's part of how my job came that I'm good at just inviting
11:46people and welcoming people.
11:48So it happens with me naturally and I love it.
11:52So I always have friends over, yes.
11:54So you're a fashion designer, you have an eye for color.
11:57Did that really help you set up this home?
11:59Yes, a lot.
11:59So most of my attention comes to 3D pieces because of my passion to fabrics.
12:08So I do have a lot of 3D.
12:10So whether it's art pieces that have a bit of beading or art pieces that are a bit embroidered
12:17or art pieces that just have threads or even just like, for example, this is a piece that
12:25is made out of resin and it's like a Polaroid for a sunset.
12:30And the reason I bought it, I fell in love with it, was the sunset idea.
12:33And I love Polaroid pictures.
12:36So it was just a nice meaning.
12:38And I love that it's done with hands.
12:40The artist did it with her own hands and it's made out of resin.
12:44And I do have a bit of a love relationship with this material.
12:48I actually used it for my flooring and it's not as practical and a lot of people don't
12:53I love the flooring though.
12:54It's not tiles.
12:55What is it?
12:55No, it's resin.
12:56Resin.
12:57Oh.
12:57It's like a material.
12:58It's the same material of the art piece.
12:59Is that usually used for flooring though?
13:01Yes, but mainly in workshops and in hotels and in nice like art galleries.
13:08Yes.
13:09And abroad it's used a lot.
13:10And there's no lines to demarket.
13:12It's just like one.
13:13So it's one of the very famous flooring abroad because it works better with colder weather
13:20because heat and sun can make the color change.
13:23Oh, I see.
13:24But it's a lovely material.
13:25Very hard to work with but it's a very nice material.
13:28Oh, I love it.
13:29And tell me about your art pieces.
13:31I have to tell you they're modern.
13:33They're abstract.
13:34Some of I go to art galleries.
13:35I don't understand modern at all.
13:37But this is artwork I think I could get.
13:40Did you want it to be accessible?
13:42Be honest.
13:43It's a mix.
13:43It's a mix.
13:44So I have a lot of Iranian artists.
13:47I do love Iranian artists a lot.
13:49I do a lot.
13:49I do have a lot of Lebanese artists because I went to university to Lebanon and my mom
13:54is half Lebanese so I relate to Lebanon a lot.
13:58And then I have a lot of international names that I collected through art exhibitions.
14:04So there isn't one kind of region.
14:07I do only like contemporary art.
14:09That's for sure.
14:10Oh, really?
14:11I'm more into contemporary art than into classic or old.
14:15I do get attracted to material art more than hand-painted but I do love hand-painted.
14:22So I have both.
14:23So when you travel, I think you as a family, you must be traveling a lot.
14:26Yeah.
14:26Do you pick up pieces?
14:27Because look at the one that you've served your coffee.
14:31So these were from Cape Town.
14:33Ah, I knew it.
14:34There's a story behind everything.
14:35So we got them on our trip from Cape Town.
14:37Yes.
14:37I love it.
14:37So yes, I do collect items when I'm traveling and I do carry things and ship things and I love it.
14:44Like my lights are Murano.
14:46They're vintage from Italy.
14:48Oh, I see.
14:49So a lot of things that are around the house are either like vintage or I could say I've designed a few pieces also.
14:58Could you just like...
14:59Like the table, I've designed it a long time ago actually, 10 years ago with line concept.
15:04So this design wasn't existing with them.
15:07It was my own design.
15:08Same, the console, it was their own design.
15:11I just changed the color and I picked it from Dubai Design Days.
15:14So there are some pieces I've designed but most of the pieces are either Italian-made designers that are quite famous
15:21or upcoming unique Lebanese and Iranian artists.
15:27Oh, I love that.
15:28I feel every piece in this house has a story to tell.
15:31Did you want that?
15:31Because it could easily be a showpiece.
15:33You know, like a showroom.
15:35My personality, I like to be always wearing something or having something that no one has.
15:41It's just my personality.
15:42Really?
15:42I know it's bad.
15:43No, it's good.
15:44It's good.
15:44I just like to be a bit unique.
15:47I like to be asked from where is that.
15:49I don't like to just follow the trend.
15:52So I always try to pick something that no one has.
15:55And at the same time, try to be the first to get it.
15:58Of course, with social media, this is getting harder and harder to be different and unique.
16:03Yeah, I know.
16:04But my character is definitely in my house.
16:07Whoever comes over tells me that.
16:09So yes, I pick the piece because I love the piece.
16:11So I don't pick the piece if it matches the house or not.
16:14So because I've been traveling for so long and I've been collecting for so long, now I'm much more picky.
16:19Yes.
16:19So I do think 10 times before I buy the piece if I love it and if I think it will go somewhere in the house and add character.
16:28Right.
16:29So if I feel it's just I'm getting anything extra that doesn't really need to be there, I don't.
16:35Maria, what's your pet peeve?
16:36And be honest.
16:38I'm sure you're a designer.
16:40You have lots of it because you have an opinion.
16:43Also, it's an informed opinion because you've learned it.
16:46You know it.
16:46Do you have that or don't mix these colors or anything?
16:50You know, some rule book.
16:51No, my main rule is your house needs to be you.
16:55It can't be copied from a magazine.
16:58It can't be copied from a friend's house.
17:00It can't be an interior design full taste.
17:03An interior design helps you for measurements and for doing the whole selection of furniture.
17:11But your personality has to be in your house.
17:14And that's the only thing that doesn't attract me in some houses.
17:19And it's the only thing that attracts me in houses.
17:22So I fall in love with the house more and more when I walk in and find it extremely unique and her.
17:30More than a beautiful house that is a copy paste of a magazine or a hotel or someone else.
17:36Right, I love it.
17:38And I love the fact that even every bit, including, say, the lightings, I think you, how long did you take to get this entire dream home together?
17:48It took us six months to finish the renovation and a year to get the pieces.
17:53But, of course, I didn't perfect it except by time.
17:56So that you can never collect because you're collecting in a year because you might not see the right pieces.
18:02So by time, I would say.
18:04But definitely, I was one of the quick ones.
18:07A year isn't much.
18:08So I was lucky enough that I found the pieces I like directly.
18:12And I was able to order them and get them on time.
18:15Right.
18:15From what I understand, you have a very functional family where the kitchen is used.
18:19I'm sure every part of the house is used.
18:21Do you have a show kitchen with lemons in it, etc.?
18:25No.
18:25And pretzels in organic bags.
18:27No, we are basically, we have one kitchen.
18:29We don't have a dirty kitchen.
18:31We use it as our main kitchen.
18:32Come on.
18:33That's so Dubai.
18:34It's so pretty.
18:35It looks pretty.
18:36We try to keep it pretty.
18:38But that's the only kitchen we use.
18:39Excellent.
18:40And I would say the only disadvantage of that, that I made it an open kitchen.
18:45Oh, you did.
18:46So it has to be clean.
18:47So I'm going with the food and the cleaning.
18:50So do you tell your kids, listen, you know, where do they eat?
18:53Are they allowed to eat on the kitchen island?
18:55Of course.
18:55Where do they eat?
18:56No, no.
18:56The kids can eat in the kitchen.
18:58Everyone can eat in the kitchen.
18:59It's just that when we have guests, the kitchen gets messy and there is no door.
19:03So you always forget these details when you're designing.
19:06Right.
19:06Last question.
19:07The house is so open.
19:08I feel it has no boundaries in a weird way.
19:11Does that make sense?
19:12Like even the doors, everything is seamless.
19:14Yeah, and that represents my personality.
19:16So I wanted that.
19:18Brilliant.
19:18On that note, I really hope you make amazing memories in your home.
19:22And this is one of the most, I have to tell you, gorgeous homes.
19:24And it's art friendly and the colors.
19:27You have to see it to believe it.
19:29Well done, Dalia.
19:31Thank you for inviting us into your home.
19:33Thank you so much.