We Take A Tour Of Interior designer Amna Chaudhry’s Latest Triumph

Interior designer Amna Chaudhry’s latest project, a stunning bungalow in Dubai’s Green Community, is inspired by Parisian elegance, Mediterranean ease and rooted in family life

Tell us about the house and its architectural style…

This home is in Green Community West – an upscale gated community loved for its lush greenery, expansive parks, cobblestone streets and large homes. Best described as a Spanish Revival-style bungalow, it was built in 2008 and features hallmark elements of the style, including a red terracotta-tiled roof, a stucco exterior and an arched front loggia that gives it a warm, timeless character. Spread over 4,300-square-foot, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, and we removed several walls to create a more expansive foyer and living room. We also added an extension off the kitchen to accommodate a dedicated dining room.

How did you design the house for your client?

It’s inhabited by a young couple – the husband is a management consultant and the wife is an early education teacher – along with their nine-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. Having moved to Dubai many years ago and living in a series of rental homes, they purchased this property as their first owned home in the city to lay down roots. This project was all about renovating the property to fit their family’s needs, making it uniquely theirs, and leaving them with a space that they could be proud of.

What was your initial vision?

The project was a full renovation and furnishing project – starting from scratch, bringing over little from their previous homes except for sentimental keepsakes – which gave us an amazing opportunity to design the house with little limitations. The client wholly trusted our vision and wanted to see this project executed as best as we could. While they gave input in the form of practical requirements and an initial aesthetic brief, they largely let us do what we felt was best for the home – a dream client.

Did you face any challenges when designing the home?

The renovation took about five months to complete and one big challenge we faced
early on was that we only had about eight weeks to hand over a full design package to
the contractor, as that was the only way the home would be ready for our client to move
in when their previous lease expired. This meant our team and our clients not only had
to be extremely quick in making decisions, but we also didn’t have the option to select
materials with long lead times.

Talk us through the colour palettes you used…

We initially started with a neutral colour scheme as per our brief, but quickly picked up
on our client’s appetite for colour and desire for wow-factor. They weren’t afraid of adding colour, so we stepped it up and started introducing dramatic tones – such as a deep earthy green for our kitchen cabinets and a Calacatta Verde marble to complement, and tones of burgundy from the living room couch and powder room wallpaper to the primary bedroom headboard.

What types of materials did you use throughout the project?

As a firm, we focus on natural materials that feel timeless and age beautifully. We used marble, linens, performance velvets for upholstery, unlacquered brass and wood. We chose a porcelain slab tile floor in most of the house, as it’s waterproof and indestructible – perfect for kids who love pool parties! We then did a custom marble checkerboard floor in the foyer and custom porcelain checkerboard floors in the main hallway of the house to switch it up and add some interest.

In terms of inspiration, what did you look to?

A variety of sources, as we didn’t stick to one particular style. We love a modern European aesthetic, which we thought would work well. And we know our clients live and entertain a lot around the pool and outdoor area, so that was a main focal point for us as we designed the interiors. Any window with a significant view was framed with furniture and accessories that would complement the view outside, not distract from it. We wanted to encapsulate the effortlessness and airiness of resort living with the drama and grandeur of a storied, more opinionated historical interior that is our signature.

What atmosphere did you want to create within
this home?

We wanted to create a beautiful and memorable space, to both live in and be experienced when you walk through the door. We prioritised these moments of impact during the interior architecture for the renovation – expanding and redefining the foyer footprint, adding dramatic archways in the formal living areas, designing show – stopping steel and glass doors to add contrast and light.

Were there any interesting anecdotes from the project?

Yes, we discovered that our client’s mother is an extremely talented fine artist, and he commissioned his mother to paint some pieces specifically for his new home. So she flew in and we worked with her to create two spectacular paintings – one for the foyer and one for the primary bedroom. It was a special way to bring a personal and meaningful touch to the home.

Lead Image Credits: Amna introduced dramatic archways in the formal living areas.

Photography by Casa Mia Visuals

From Harper’s Bazaar Interiors Autumn 2025 Issue