Summer Homes: Dar Al Masyaf at Madinat Jumeirah

BBC Good Homes hosted a bloggers bonding event at Bangalore yesterday.  It was a wonderful afternoon and I must say, it’s been a while since I’ve met so many lovely, talented ladies under one roof. More on that in an upcoming post…

It’s not even been two weeks since we got back from a holiday and I’m already looking forward to the next one. This is what happens when you look at exotic destinations and picturesque, pristine white beaches all day. So, I’m thinking I should stop posting for a while because gosh it’s so hard!

Just as one’s mood changes, there is a shift in design sensibilities too. Right now, it’s all living-only-with-the-essentials for us. Bare white walls, greens, open spaces, lots of sunlight and fresh air cheers us up.  So, when I’m in the mood for simplicity, I shift to either the Nordic region or zen living for inspiration; when color calls, nothing can beat India; when it’s rich colors with craftsmanship and a royal feel to it, Mediterranean comes to mind.  Today, home beckons.  So, let’s go to Dar Al Masyaf in Madinat Jumeirah (via June ’12 issue of Go Now). What I loved about these pictures was a brilliant design lesson…coming up next.

Dar Al Masyaf is a summer resort n Madinat Jumeirah. The property houses private two storeyed villas separated from each other through waterways and accessible through a dedicated abra.  And, then there’s the lush green landscape, to take you away from the concrete jungle of the urban living.

Now, here’s the interesting bit. Look at the two pictures below closely. It’s the same room decorated two ways. The first one is airy, spacious furnished in soothing whites and blues. The furnishings stand out and the background of the walls and floor tiles complement the lightness of the room. Nothing except the turquoise throw really comes out strong which is nice because nothing is very fiery. Just how I like it during the day.

Now, look at this one in stark comparison. It’s the same room but imagine the sea change that lighting has brought about. The orange light brings the focus to the red tiles and the patterned ones skirting along the sides of the room. The blue rug accentuates the darkness of the room, and There’s a certain element of passion and romanticism to it, as if everything in the room has come to life, don’t you think?

Oh well..time to shake myself, wake up from the dreamy dreams and get some real work done. The weekend is here, well almost! See you guys next week. Have a wonderful one.

Image courtesy:

Images 1,2,3 – Dar Al Masyaf