Photography by Natelee Cocks.
Rising above the reflective lakes and dense geometry of Jumeirah Lakes Towers, an apartment at TAJ Residences offers uninterrupted views across Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, and Downtown. Yet this home—designed by Masoomeh Hilal—is not defined by what it overlooks. Instead, it is shaped by what it holds: memory, intention, and a deeply considered response to a life lived across Mumbai, London, and Dubai.
Hilal approached the project as an exercise in calibrated restraint. The clients sought more than a polished urban residence; they envisioned a space that could absorb different generations, rhythms, and durations of stay without losing coherence. The resulting layout is lucid and flexible, allowing rooms to function independently while remaining visually and spatially connected. “Spaces work independently but connect easily,” Hilal explains, enabling the apartment to adapt fluidly as its inhabitants change.
The skyline—inescapable through floor-to-ceiling glazing—is treated not as spectacle but as landscape. Interiors are deliberately low-slung and tonally calm, framing the horizon rather than competing with it. Softly contoured seating, quiet textiles, and a disciplined palette allow the city to recede into the background, present but never overpowering. The effect is one of composure: the interior retains its own gravity.
Materiality becomes the primary narrative device. Oak joinery and bespoke storage are integrated architecturally, dissolving into walls and circulation lines. Custom design, Hilal notes, offers “control over proportion, materiality, and integration,” transforming joinery into a spatial anchor rather than a decorative afterthought. Against this restrained framework, moments of richness appear with precision: Rosso Levanto and Dark Emperador marble introduce depth and tactility without tipping into excess. Their impact is heightened precisely because they are used sparingly.
The living area unfolds as a sequence of calibrated gestures. A curved seating arrangement establishes intimacy, while a delicate Flamingo light by Vibia hovers overhead, casting a soft, shifting glow. Design pieces—ranging from sculptural armchairs to a statement mirror—are curated not as icons, but as elements in dialogue, allowing living, dining, and lounge zones to read as distinct yet continuous environments.
Art is embedded into this spatial conversation. Works by F. N. Souza one of India’s most celebrated Modernist artists from the clients’ personal collection punctuate the interior with emotional intensity. Rather than functioning as symbolic markers of heritage, they operate atmospherically. “Through mood rather than motifs,” Hilal explains, cultural identity is felt rather than declared.
The bedrooms continue this logic of quiet intelligence. The master suite is conceived as a restorative retreat, composed in soft sage greens with brushed gold accents—luxurious yet subdued. A second bedroom adopts a more elastic identity, designed to host both college-aged children and visiting parents, balancing adaptability with aesthetic continuity.
“Timeless design comes from intention and restraint,” Hilal reflects. Even with the curtains drawn, the apartment’s identity remains—rooted in material warmth, balance, and the enduring power of thoughtful design.
