Inside Aya Abdo Cotran’s Dubai Abode
Olive trees and oranges characterise the home of Aya Abdo Cotran, her Palestinian roots planted with pride in rooms drenched in culture and colour
The scent of oranges infuses the air outside Aya Abdo Cotran’s unassuming home in Umm Suqeim 2. An olive tree presides over the garden, as pink-and white candy-striped awnings shade an outdoor majlis area bordered by a potpourri of herbs and flowers.
Nature creeps from outdoors in, with orange trees making way for Cole&Son Orange Blossom wallpaper that drapes the entrance hall. An unexpected twist to a ‘lobby’, its botanical vibes more British country house than Dubai villa. “I love the entrance. Everyone comes in and is like ‘wow’. It’s not really expected in Dubai,” says Aya, a Palestinian interior designer, who studied at KLC School of Design in London. That element of surprise permeates every room in Aya’s home, each one different to the next: a living room that’s all London cool, a dining room that has Oriental-meets-African vibes, and an entrance hall that’s more countryside chic. “I wanted to create a warm feeling, but also for it to be a bit funky and different to every house you see,” she says. “When friends come over, they’re transported. They don’t feel like they’re in Dubai. Even in my garden, it’s very cosy.”
The house hasn’t always felt this way. Moving from London to Dubai in Spring 2023, Aya and her husband, property developer Anthony Cotran, wanted to find a project they could get their hands on. “We’re not the type to move into something ready-made. We always want to make a house our own.”
Despite the original villa feeling rundown and divided into different living quarters, Anthony saw potential. “It was a wreck and I walked out immediately,” Aya laughs recalling when they first viewed the villa. “I went back to London, he signed the papers… and then we started! It’s the biggest project I’ve done – from A to Z.”
Having a property developer as a husband paid dividends, with the couple doing the work themselves. They gutted the house completely, the only thing left standing is the spiral staircase and some cornicing. “I hated how it looked originally, but in new surroundings it looks lovely, and I like the mix of old and new.”
The renovation project took around seven months to completion, with Aya, Anthony and their three boys trading London for Dubai last August. There’s plenty of crossovers, however, from their London home, the living room – aka the Ralph Lauren room – most similar. It’s the most eclectic in style, too, with many pieces shipped over from London. The furniture is mostly Ralph Lauren – sofas, chairs and tables that aren’t made any more – fused with original pop-art by Joan Miró, a Palestine artwork entitled Peace by Italian street artist Alessio B, Canadian maple wood skateboards featuring René Magritte’s iconic Décalcomanie painting, a stack of trunks by Eichholtz, and piles of coffee table tomes. Their cat, Lucky, surveys the garden from the dresser, tucked between blue and white Chinese vases. “I love mixing prints and I love wallpaper, so I’m struggling with this blank white wall,” she says of one lone undecorated wall in the house. “I’m desperate to paint or wallpaper it.”
Black and white floor tiles flow from living room to entrance hall. “We used something similar in our London home,” says Aya. “This classic patterned look is uncommon in Dubai, which is another reason I chose it. I really wanted to create a London-looking home in the UAE. I love how it looks here.” The tiles riff beautifully off the botanical wallpaper, a set of rattan furniture from Dubai boutique Home and Soul creating a cosy corner with floral William Morris cushion covers.
When guests come over, candles are lit and a custom-made bar with handpicked marble top pulled out for parties. A bespoke console table adds a pop of sunflower yellow, drawing the eye to a book called The State of Mind Palestine by Nour Jarrar. A collection of vintage photographs of friends and their families living in Palestine, the book falls open to a beautiful black and white portrait of Aya’s grandparents on their wedding day in Jerusalem, 1946.
The commingling of textures, prints and patterns continues into the dining room. “Here you’re transported somewhere else,” explains Aya. The space is a melting pot of style: a hand-painted Chinese bench from Dao’s Den in Dubai; Ralph Lauren floral dining chairs; lights made from woven grass and recycled plastic bottles from PET Lamps in Ethiopia bought from her friend Arwa Hafiz’s boutique, The Odd Piece; and a huge acrylic artwork by Congolese artists Bikis & Alda, that Aya bought in Cape Town. “The painting depicts the people celebrating Mandela’s release from prison. It’s truly liberating.”
Her other sister, Hiba Abdo Galal, is a home renovations consultant. A triple-threat in the creative department. “When we’re together, my husband leaves the house!” Both sisters live just minutes away. “The best thing we did about moving [to Dubai], is that we’re next to family. The cousins are together almost every day – they can walk to each other’s houses. Family is the most important thing. And I love a full house.”
Aya’s parents split their time between London, Jordan and Dubai, giving Aya and Anthony an excuse to take on another project: transforming the ‘out house’ into a stunning two-bedroom haven. “It’s not finished yet, but it’s like my little cottage,” says Aya. “And my parents are in heaven!” The guesthouse is also home to a boys’ room kitted out with a cinema screen and floor-to-ceiling shelves displaying Anthony’s immaculate sneaker collection. “This is years’ worth of collecting,” Aya smiles. “They’re all limited edition. Never been worn.” Here you’ll also find Aya’s ‘secret room’ filled with interior paraphernalia. “Welcome to my shop!” she laughs. “Whenever I do a dinner, I bring my sister Nour here and we just take whatever we need to create an amazing tablescape.”
The house isn’t finished – but will it ever be? “I’m never done! I’m constantly looking,” Aya says. And what better opportunity to titivate than the next party? “It’s always an excuse!” she laughs. “Before any party, I get a hundred things done. The rest of the time? I can get a little lazy. But over time, I’m going to fill the walls with art, work on a few things… I’m always changing things, adding or taking away.”
While the future of the house interiors remain fluid, there’s one thing that remains enduring: Aya’s beloved olive tree. Bought from Warsan garden centre, it is one of the first and last things visitors see. “I have to have an olive tree,” smiles Aya. “I spent the whole day picking it from the thousands of olive trees [Warsan] had.” A symbol of Palestinian pride, she adds, “Whenever I meet someone, the first thing I say is that I’m Palestinian. We’re so proud to be Palestinian. It’s the best thing in the world.”
One of the side walls hangs a tapestry, a symbolic piece gifted to Aya’s parents, and then her. “It originally belonged to my grandmother in Jordan,” she explains. “It’s hundreds of years old.”
Another visual masterpiece is the blush-pink dining room table – made from Spanish Rosa Valencia marble by Dubai-based stone fabricators Prestige Stone. “We were told that nobody has ever really chosen this colour before,” she says. “I just love different.”
The marble stretches through to the guest bathroom – a custom-made wash basin designed by Aya, manufactured from russet-coloured Rosso Levanto marble. A pop-art print of Kate Moss from Andrew Martin frames the mirror, with two colourful works by Spanish artist Mercedes Lagunas – Kiss Me Baby and Angel of Joy – on the opposite wall.
Colour is everywhere, filling the house with an incredible energy. As does the cohesion of different cultures, often informed by Aya’s trips abroad. “I love to travel – Morocco, China, Italy… I buy a lot when I travel and ship it back.” Her most recent purchase, an array of linen bought during a trip to Jaipur for Art Salon.
The table linens are put to good use, as Aya is a consummate host. “We probably host once a month, but in between we do little things for friends and family,” she says. Anthony is the chef – “He’s an amazing cook, especially paella. He’s also the BBQ man,” – while Aya focuses on the decorative details. “I have two amazing sisters who are incredibly creative. They help with me with everything,” Aya explains. Nour Abdo – an events curator and founder of By Nour With Love – is ‘amazing’ with tablescapes, “So whenever we have a dinner party, I don’t have to worry about anything!” Aya laughs.
Photography by Efraim Evidor, Styling by Seher Khan, Makeup by Sarah Sequeira, Styling Assistant by Janhvi Kohl
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s June 2024 issue.