A Home For Everyone: The Danube Family Welcome Bazaar Into Their Extraordinary Mansion

Situated in the luxe Emirates Hills community, the villa portrays positivity, style and individuality

Designing your home is its own sort of artistic endeavour; from curating a clear floor plan that creates an easy flow to strategically picking each aspect of the decor to work in perfect harmony, the task is a true labour of love. That was the case for the Director of the American Aesthetic Medical Center of Danube Group, Sana Sajan. She worked on her dream house, along with her family and a team of creatives, for two years before moving into the mansion in 2018. “We wanted to ensure it captured everything we wanted our home to have. We initially lived on the Palm, and as beautiful as it was with the sea views and the whole atmosphere, we felt we wanted a bigger space to accommodate our growing family. And that’s where it all began,” said Sana.

Overlooking the spectacular Montgomerie Golf Course and featuring eight bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, and a lush green garden, this luxurious Emirates Hills villa is nothing short of a paradise within the concrete jungle. The multi-generational home of the Dubai-based family that founded Danube Group, has been designed to please everyone.

Living in a joint family dwelling with seven family members in the house, excluding the 12 staff members, the family wanted to ensure their home portrayed everyone’s personality and needs in the best way possible. “We as a family were confident that our house had to reflect our lifestyle. We all love hosting gatherings and have quite a big social circle; often we host approximately 250 to 300 people at a time, which is considered small for us,” mentioned Sana.

The 40,000 square-foot abode follows a unique colour palette of white, black, and gold hues that complement the bespoke furniture and decor. The central theme follows a minimalistic modern approach with statement elements that flawlessly reveal each family member’s individuality.

“We all love natural light. So when we created our final scheme, we all were on the same page. We incorporated this theme through the dominant use of white everywhere; it shows the purity of our hearts and who we are as people,” she shared.

“Living in Dubai, a fashion-forward city, you just cannot avoid gold; it’s infused in our DNA and blood. I keep joking about how there should be a new blood group called Type G because it’s used everywhere and symbolises the royal essence of the city and region”, said Sana with a smile.

The Danube house was also crafted to incorporate the family’s favourite designers, thus adding a very personal touch of style, character, and fashion to the overall aesthetic. “Our bedroom follows a Versace theme. It includes the essential black and gold elements that the Italian brand is known for and, of course, the signature Medusa emblem. Every home reflects your individual style and personality. Some people might find my bedroom to be over the top and flashy, I love it. I truly believe each to their own,” commented Sana.

The bespoke mansion includes various aquatic-themed pieces that add an interesting character to the space. Taking inspiration from one of the most iconic luxury hotels in the UAE, Atlantis Dubai, the villa includes multiple bodies of water with aquariums filled with exotic fish having pride of place in both the living and master room. The blue reflection adds a soothing and calm aura to the spaces that co-aligns with Sana’s vision to create a natural and well-lit home.

Then there is the statement chandelier, which is located in the main staircase and connects all the floors of the house together. The beautifully designed masterpiece has a poetic aura that acts as the backbone of the expansive home. “Our chandeliers have been designed by the same lighting architect as the Atlantis hotel. The warm crystal elements are shaped like shells, creating an extraordinary underwater theme that contrasts with the white elements, something unique and classic at the same time, definitely one of my favourite aspects in the whole house,” admitted Sana.

The contemporary haven also includes some playfully eccentric elements such as a multi-purpose entertainment room that serves as a place to spend weekend afternoons, birthday gatherings, and much more. The space consists of a Mustang car remodelled into a pool table, striking neon wall lights, and a ping pong table.

Across the hall on the ground floor resides the family’s 22-seater cinema, which includes comfortable recliner seats and a widescreen that is theatrical, to say the least. Both these rooms are quirky yet cosy spaces designed to effortlessly work for multiple family focused events.

With a medical and arts background, Sana had a growing affinity for interior design, a passion that was only fueled during the creation of her dream home. “I think every girl would have specific aspirations as to her dream house and the key features associated with it. For me, this was more like my passion project where I put my heart and soul into ensuring it was our version of perfect. The whole experience was quite emotional,” said Sana.

Behind every successful creation, there is an army of brilliant minds. So while designing their dream residence, Sana and her husband Adel Sajan documented their vision using mood boards and worked with key creative experts that assisted in the overall execution. “We had an entire team that worked on the development of the home, expertise from renowned Italian interior designers, local experts, along with the input from our family as well. Adel always jokes about it, but in Danube Home, there is a tagline ‘making your home so easy now,’ and he says, ‘Believe me, there is nothing easy about making our home. It’s a lot of work!’” she admitted.

The power couple worked together to ensure everything was in place and crafted to perfection. The combination of Sana’s style and Adel’s expertise in home building created the ideal ‘yin and yang’ situation. “To give you the bigger picture, Adel is a man of details. He will go check intricate details of the seam stitch of the leather and what kind of switch will be placed on which wall; he really completes my story,” remarked Sana.

But the highlight of this multi-storey mansion, along with being one of the Sajan’s favourite corners, would have to be the lush green garden space. The family often spends quality time over breakfast as they enjoy panoramic views of the golf course and skyline. “Each of us has our own favourite corner, but a mutual spot would be our backyard. During winters we like to spend time with the children as we relax and have our meals. It’s become a tradition,” she said.

Having described her villa in three words: positive, warm, and welcoming, the interior enthusiast shares some tips on the most critical factors to consider when starting the design process: “To anyone beginning this design journey, firstly you should consider your long term plans and your main themes and vision. Your long-term plan completely changes the direction and purpose of this process, so whether you’re residing in this space for a couple of years or just temporarily, it will practically decide the scale of your house. Secondly, a confirmed theme and vision in mind are essential; otherwise, you will be all over the place. Before building, we decided on the most important aspects as a family and then proceeded. And lastly, a house is the main core of your family; it’s where you create memories for life, so while it can be nerve-wracking and stressful, enjoy the process,” said the Creative Director.

In the end, the impressive Danube house is a perfect reflection of the family who built it. Full of love, vibrance, individuality and a style all its own, it is a house that is more than just a home, it’s a representation of a dream realised.

Photography by Fritz Asuro

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s December 2021 issue