The Secret Mansion - Dubai's Most Exquisite Home

Written by Arpan Ghosh

The very best homes in the world never come to market, with sellers preferring a private transfer over something that is widely publicised. This unique off-market approach, known in the industry as a ‘pocket listing’, is the prestige marketing of the 21st century. In a world where luxury real estate enjoys constant visibility courtesy of online property portals, magazines and social media, the thought of a home being hidden away and only accessible by the discerning few gives it an added sheen of exclusivity.

We are beyond delighted to be marketing what is one of the most remarkable new homes in Dubai, but of course, we cannot disclose its location. The villa is spread over a lavish 38,000 sq ft and set on a plot of more than 41,000 sq ft. Architecturally, it is absolutely stunning, with clean contemporary lines in warm colours that are complemented by an abundance of full-height glass.

The front gate of the mansion is relatively nondescript by comparison, but once you walk inside it, you get a true sense of the visual treat that is about to greet your senses. The front facade of the home is a picture out of a magazine, comprising a lovely water feature with a full-size bonsai tree at its centre, metallic animal sculptures, and beautiful shrubbery that has been specially brought in from countries such as Thailand and the Netherlands. A square arch rising the full-height of the villa, at about 30 feet and topped with patterned glass, guides you into the main doors which are topped by a tall transom window.

One cannot truly describe the sense of grandeur that is experienced upon entering this home. The hallway is not just wide, it is open above all the way to the topmost ceiling, and continues receding into the distance courtesy of glass doors and full-height windows set along the back wall. Marble covers the floors and the walls are adorned with the most incredible artwork and sculptural pieces. In fact, there are approximately 33 varieties of marble used across the home, and you will find a different type in the floors, along some of the walls, on countertops, and along the stairs.

As for the art, it all belongs to the homeowner’s private collection, picked up along his travels across the word. From loosely done sketches to intricately painted masterworks, each piece adds a distinct touch of character to the room that it’s in. For example, there is the main lounge, which has a distinctly Middle Eastern/North African ambience. It features two glass walls, one of which leads out to the front terrace, while the remaining two walls are covered in ornate picture frames. Or there is the European-style formal dining room, which has a hand-painted wall mural. Wherever you turn, your eyes will be drawn to an exceptional work of craftsmanship.

Indeed, a novella might be written describing every element in each room down to the barest detail. One could perhaps list the dozen or so tile brands from Italy, or the 20-odd European brands that have provided accent lights. And that doesn’t even cover the furniture, made up of more than 500 pieces in total and imported from across Europe and Asia, or sanitary fittings from yet another dozen highly renowned European brands.

In the western wing is a relaxed lounge accompanied by a sleekly designed presentation kitchen. It features a marble island that doubles as a breakfast table, stainless steel appliances and stark white cabinets. One of Germany’s finest kitchen brands, Goettling, is responsible for the design - but it has perhaps reserved its best work for the main kitchen. A far cry from the strictly functional service kitchens that you typically find in Dubai homes, this kitchen looks like it could host the next season of Masterchef. Marble surfaces abound, from the counters to the backsplash, you have beautiful soft-touch cabinets in warm grey, and the use of fluorescent underlighting creates a very stylish and elegant effect. Appliances are by Miele, Siemens and Quooker, with refrigeration units courtesy of SubZero. You almost expect Gordon Ramsay to come charging through the door, ready to unleash his wrath on a team of young cooks.

It’s not just celebrity chefs who would feel at ease in his house - the home office, with its somber gray walls, marble floors, rich cherry wood accents, and cherry-hued Chesterfield sofas in polished leather is worthy of a world leader or statesman. There is yet another living room located in the western wing of the home, featuring an impressive marble bar.

All this and we haven’t even gotten to the centrepiece of the ground floor - a three-storey-high cantilevered staircase, the largest of its kind you will find anywhere in the world. This magnificent structure of stone, marble, glass and gold winds its way up from the main hallway, fully supported on just one side so that the bulk of the staircase hangs free. As you make your way up to the first floor, you will undoubtedly be wowed by the skill and craftsmanship that has gone into its making. At the same time, your eyes will be drawn upward, to the artwork that frames the staircase, leading you to a landing that is in effect a miniature art gallery.

The gallery branches out to the bedrooms (there is an additional guest room downstairs as well). Each room is distinct in its design, featuring a completely different set of materials in its finishes - you will find a different variety of marble in each of the en-suite bathrooms, and no two walk-in closets are exactly the same. Yes, that’s right. This is the sort of home that has a walk-in close in every single bedroom. There are effectively two master suites, one in each wing of the house. The primary master, which takes up most of the western wing, includes its own sitting room and two balconies, one of which has a Jacuzzi installed in it. Though surprisingly, the master suite is not the most unique room in the house - that honor belongs to one of the secondary bedrooms, which has a professional studio inside it complete with a soundproofed recording booth and equipment.

Rising above it all is a beautifully landscaped rooftop terrace from where you can enjoy the most incredible 360-degree views. What are those views? Well, that would be telling. Though it is perhaps no spoiler to mention that the view does include the Burj Khalifa soaring over the horizon. It’s a shame we cannot say more as you really do get a marvellous eyeful.

From the rooftop and its secretive panoramas, let us head much further down and take a walk in the basement, which is divided into three sections. In the western wing, you have a game room and lounge that has the look and feel of an upscale casual dining restaurant. It has a bar at one corner, cafe-style seating and a foosball table. As an added touch, it even features separate his and hers bathrooms. From the lounge, you can access a very comfortable private cinema. Limited to just 7 seats, it is the ultimate boutique viewing experience, with 9.1 Dolby Atmos surround sound. The central area of the basement is occupied by an immense garage that can accommodate a small fleet of cars and when not used for parking, can be easily converted into a nightclub. When you’re done lounging and partying, you can head over to the eastern wing, which is the home’s designated wellness area. You will be welcomed into this space courtesy of a vaulted stone passageway that evokes a traditional bathhouse, complete with a beautiful water feature under your feet. You also have two gyms stocked with equipment from well-known American fitness brands such as Preccour and TKO. Alongside the gyms is a massage room with a Thai/Malay aesthetic, and the very end of the wing is a wood-finished spa room with an elevated Jacuzzi and an Indian design aesthetic. A skylight tops this room, which feels more like a natural retreat in the mountains rather than a basement spa.

Once you have been sufficiently awed by the indoor spaces, you can venture outdoors, either via a staircase from the basement, or through glass doors along the ground level. You have much of the usual setup you would expect of a backyard here, with an in-ground pool, a lawn, a patio deck and a water feature. You also have a skylight-topped gazebo with a marble cooking/BBQ station and a dining setup, and a little promenade with benches running along one side of the house. In one corner is the piece de resistance - an amphitheatre that is perfectly suited for hosting a lavish soiree, an outdoor concert, or an incredibly lavish backyard wedding with plenty of room for seating a fair number of guests.

The sheer quality of the build, the extensive list of materials, the incredible craftsmanship, not to mention all of the imported furniture and fittings, come together to make this a truly spectacular home in one of the world’s finest cities. If this is the sort of house you could envision yourself living in, or enjoying as a vacation home, then please get in touch. We would love to show you around in person, and finally answer the burning question of just what those spectacular views involve.

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