Photo: Atul Pratap Chauhan
Interiors can work wonders, transforming even the most mundane space into something magnificent. In the latest issue of Vogue Living Arabia, we take a deep dive into hidden treasures in the region—and worldwide—where designers and homeowners have had free reign over their creativity, and have created one-of-a-kind havens.
In this issue’s cover story, we turn our lens towards India, just a little outside the Pink City of Jaipur. Here, at the foot of the Aravali Hills and near the banks of the glistening Lake Kanota, sits the newly opened Villa Palladio, an old haveli turned into an otherworldly nine-bedroom boutique hotel. A crimson fantasy come to life, this getaway fuses whimsy with Maharaja-esque decadence and a dose of Italian flair, courtesy Swiss Italian entrepreneur Barbara Miolini and former Dutch fashion designer Marie-Anne Oudejans.
Photo: Atul Pratap Chauhan
“When my business partner and I were first introduced to the haveli, I originally imagined it as a private country house. But how could I have kept such a beautiful place all to myself?” Miolini shares. “The floors were inspired by the Vatican. The marble was sourced throughout Rajasthan and was cut on site into the required sizes and placed manually. Design should make you dream – be it minimalist or maximal. We create a story, and the design follows from that initial fantasy.” And a truly fantastical creation it is, doused in a spectrum of reds, youthful chevron patterns, hand-painted walls, and tented daybeds.
Closer to home, Vogue Living Arabia’s pages invite you inside residences that challenge the norms of conventional design. In Downtown Dubai, Thafer Al Bazae, creative design director of Eva Interiors, shares some of the most beautiful corners of his not-so-basic one bedroom apartment, which takes inspiration from the Georgian period “between 1740-1830, when beautiful Palladian-style houses and interiors were created in London and other parts of England with references to ancient Greece and Rome,” he explains. Referencing Regency interiors, shades of powder blue dominate the space. As Bazae says, “No color combination seems to be more classic than blue and white.”
Step over to Milan, and the creatives behind Lebanese design studio David/Nicolas, David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, present to us their latest project—a reimagination of a two-bedroom Gio Ponti treasure in Milan. “Our task was to completely reimagine Casa di Fantasia, and we opted to do so by retaining the primary features of Gio Ponti’s original design and honoring his vision,” Moussallem reveals this month. The project posed several challenges, and one was critical: “How to maintain our identity while respecting the works of Gio Ponti and Fornasetti?” Raffoul elaborates. “To tackle this, we approached the project by focusing on the essence of the house, and the important perspectives Ponti emphasized in his drawings.” The result? A dreamy home replete with statement pieces, including artwork by Ettore Spalletti from the Galleria VistaMare in Milan.“We believe that Gio Ponti always intended this project to be an experimental space, and we are proud to be a part of that,” Raffoul and Moussallem agree.
Also in Milan, all eyes were on Italian luxury furniture manufacturer Flexform’s photography exhibit this season, where contemporary art expert Francesco Bonami took viewers on a journey through the company’s history, all the way from the 1980s to 2023. On display: black-and-white ad campaigns shot by master photographers, along with products that have played a big part in positioning Flexform among companies that project a courageous, unconventional narrative of their brand. A history lesson like no other.
Over in the South of France, Lebanese artist Nabil Nahas takes over the Château La Coste, a sprawling space that houses architecture and art from the world’s greatest contemporaries, with a solo exhibition, “Les Racines du ciel” (The roots of the sky). Based in New York, Nahas exhibits two series at the dreamy location: the first features various trees – olive, palm, and of course, the Lebanese cedar—and was made post the Beirut blasts, while the second echoes the aftereffects of Hurricane Bob. Surrounded by iconic works, from Hiroshi Sugimoto’s installation to Alexander Calder mobile in shades of yellow, black and red, the exhibit is a must-visit for anyone with a keen eye for art. Guests are encouraged to leave their mark on the property on their way out via the Yoko Ono installation featuring flowering trees with little papers tied to their branches. “I hope to regain my health,” reads one. “I want to be touched by beauty,” reads another. Here, one can see with their own eyes that wishes blossom.
Photo: Sylvie Becquet
In a flurry of beautiful homes, you will also find yourself falling in love this month with Iranian-French interior architect, designer, scenographer, and set designer Maryam Mahdavi’s private mansion in the Rue Royale in Paris. Nicknamed by her peers as the Marie-Antoinette of interior design, Mahdavi showcases her “royal eagle’s nest” with pride, sharing that “my interiors are also films in which the occupants feel like stars and imagine themselves in the middle of a scene from Paolo Sorrentino’s La grande bellezza or Blake Edwards’ The Party.” In her universe, furniture inspired by Jean Prouvé shares space with wooden offering boxes from Persia, and mismatched crockery from Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Copper lions roar beside quirky floor lamps, flea market finds, and a tapestry from the 1950s. You have to see it to believe it. 
We couldn’t have completed this issue of Vogue Living Arabia without throwing open the doors to Salone del Mobile. This year, Milan Design Week went above and beyond past editions, offering up an outstanding showcase for quality, innovation, and creativity. At Minotti’s 75thanniversary showcase, the new Sally armchair by Rodolfo Dordoni took the spotlight, while Masiero gave us a fresh lighting collection featuring delicate spiral engravings that created the illusion of lights rotating in mid-air.
With each year, the annual design event has also seen more fashion brands immersing interiors in their trademark aesthetics. This time around, Roberto Cavalli Home presented the outdoor-ready Dahlak sofa, and Loewe spotlighted new weaving techniques—using leather, raffia, and even foil from thermal blankets—via a range of statement chairs. Souffle d’Hermès lamps showcased the enchanting art of glassblowing, and Louis Vuitton offered up three distinct projects showcasing the savoir-faire and the beauty of the house.
Lastly, the latest issue of Vogue Living Arabia offers up a lesson on refreshing exteriors for the season with romantic al fresco areas that serve as the ultimate escape after long days. With each page, a new aesthetic jumps to the forefront. Which one do you choose?
