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Landscaping in Dubai can be challenging if you reside in the city limits. Luckily you have options! Rooftop gardens aren’t a new concept.

 

City residents have been transforming the sky-high city landscape by tucking plants and flowers away on fire escapes and roofs for generations.

 

With even the smallest of rooftop spaces, you can plant a garden and create an outdoor living space where you can bask in the sun and enjoy the rooftop views. Rooftop gardens of all sizes are growing in popularity in both commercial and residential sites.

 

Whether you already have a rooftop garden or in the early stages of planning one, we’ve compiled a few design ideas and tips to help you create one of most beautiful rooftop garden designs on the block.

 

1. Plan an open design.

 

When you plan an open design, even the smallest of rooftops appear spacious. Consider incorporating transparent glass instead of a wall to maintain the view. You can add hedges instead of fences to create separate areas.

 

Worried about privacy? Adding curtains around your seating area allows you to shield your space whenever you want a little more seclusion.

 

 

 

 

2. Plant tall trees and plants.

 

If you have a spacious rooftop, want to mask a poor view, or you want to create the illusion of a traditional garden, using tall vegetation around the walls will maximize greenery while simultaneously separating your space from the rest of the city.

 

The combination of tall grasses and bamboo is an excellent low maintenance option to create a private rooftop garden. Grow trees, shrubs, foliage plant, flowering plants and annuals for a burst of color.

 

You can even grow edibles to take your culinary arts to the next level. Mixing in shrubs and small potted trees will add to the lush look of your rooftop terrace.

 

 

 

 

3. Incorporate raised garden beds.

 

If your roof provides enough space, consider creating raised beds adjacent to the walls for planting flowers, vegetables, and/or herbs. Depending on your design scheme, you can add metal or wooden raised flower beds.

 

If you decide to add raised beds, be sure to incorporate a waterproofing membrane and add a thick root barrier to prevent root damage to the roof. When it comes time to decide which plants to add to your rooftop terrace, keep it diverse.

 

Add a combination of large plants, small trees, ground covers, annuals, and shrubs. You can even get creative with colorful pots and plant stands.

 

 

 

 

4. Add comfortable and practical furniture.

 

When it comes to planning your rooftop garden, every inch of space counts. It’s important to decide the type of furniture you want to incorporate into your design scheme.

 

Start by determining how you want to use your rooftop garden? Do you want to create an outdoor living space to relax and lounge or do you plan on dining al fresco under the stars?

 

Once you determine how you will use your rooftop space, you can select furniture that fits the style, theme, and purpose of your garden. If you are tight on space, keep it simple with a small bistro table or a few comfy chairs with decorative end tables.

 

 

 

 

5. Create a mood.

 

You’ll be spending a lot of time on your new rooftop garden. Incorporating a custom water feature, water wall, or water fountain will add the soothing sights and sounds of water to your space.

 

Lighting is also a great way to enhance your rooftop ambiance. Not only will lighting create a mood, but it also keeps your space safe for visitors when night falls. Lighting your roof will also make it look larger at dusk.

 

 

 

 

6. Top to bottom.

 

When you transform your rooftop into an outdoor living space be sure to design from the ground up. Make use of your vertical space to create the illusion of more space to your rooftop garden.

 

Hang planters on the walls, add railing planters, and grow plant foliage that climbs. And don’t forget the flooring! Choose a flooring type that fits your budget, suits the climate you live in, and accommodates the theme of the rooftop garden.

 

Depending on your budget and design scheme, you can add artificial grass, pebbles or outdoor rugs to enhance your new rooftop space from the ground up.

 

 

 

 

7. Shade structure:

 

Sometimes a pergola, sail shade or an aluminum canopy may help to create shade and a nice elevation. An elevation is one way to get lights and fan too into your terrace and makes it feel defined and cosy.

 

 

 

 

When it comes time to design your rooftop garden stay true to your personal tastes. Your rooftop terrace is an extension of your interior space. With a well planned urban rooftop garden, anything is possible.

 

Are you considering adding a rooftop garden or rooftop living space to your home? Contact the design experts at Milestone; we’d love to help!

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As a premier interior design company in Dubai we know the ins and out of all the things in interior design. Many things come instinctively to certain people, such as painting, sculpting, or composing music.

 

For the design team at Milestone, our talents lie in transforming your home interior to your dream space. While many people know what they want from their home, they simply have difficulty realizing their vision.

 

The daunting responsibility of pulling together a space can become overwhelming. Whether you are designing a single room, renovating an entire villa, or want to give your office a facelift, here are a few tips we’ve learned about interior design to help you conquer your design dreams.

 

Personalize your space

 

Your room, home or office can exhibit who you are. If someone were to wander into your villa, they should instantly know that it’s yours.

 

The easiest way to accomplish this is by including accessories and decor that resonates with your personal hobbies, interests, and travel experiences. Try to include pieces that commemorate your individual style and unique tastes.

 

Take it one step at a time. Try thinking of your space as an outfit you’re going to wear (you’d be surprised to realize personal styling is very similar decorating a room). Start by taking a look in your closet. What colors stand out?

 

Do you prefer modern or traditional styles? Are you drawn to lacy ruffles or clean cut, tailored lined? Use your taste in clothing as a style guide for your office or villa.  It’s a great first step towards ensuring your space is authentic to your style. 

 

I was in Mumbai for the Kala Ghoda festival in February of 2015. I bought original prints of artist Paul Fernandes who had brought Mumbai to life in a beautiful caricature format.

 

It was so nice to see all those spaces in which i was brought up and visited often. Strong memories were attached to those spaces. We made a whole gallery of the same in our bar in the living room and called it Mumbai Meri Jaan!

 

Anyone who lives in Mumbai and has visited often, stands by this gallery each time they visit our home and cherishes those memories!

 

 

 

Don’t forget comfort

 

Have you ever purchased an item of furniture because it looked fantastic, only to get home and discover that it’s very uncomfortable, or worse yet: it’s useless?

 

When you think of “home sweet home,” the first words that spring to mind are comfortable and cozy. Making your villa comfy and cozy is a must! Your space should be inviting and comfortable.

 

I love sitting on these comfortable rocking chairs in my library!

 

 

 

Work with your surroundings

 

Before tackling an interior design project, it’s essential to know your design constraints and restrictions. For example, can you fit a full sized sofa in your home office? Become familiar with the scope and scale of the room or rooms you are decorating.

 

Consider your environment and respond to it. Whether you’re in the secluded countryside or the bustling city, it’s wise to take a hint from your environment.

 

Environmental awareness will help you narrow down your decisions based on the details of your location and space.

 

 

 

 

Less is always more

 

When it comes to interior design, less is always more. When in doubt, keep it simple. You don’t want to overcrowd your room. If you limit the items you incorporate in each room; the area will appear to be larger and cleaner.

 

Just remember, you can always add more if you need to! We hope you find the Milestone design team’s interior design tips helpful.

 

The next time you find yourself face-to-face with an interior design project, don’t hesitate to contact Dubai’s interior design experts. We are always thrilled to help you bring your vision to life!

 

If you have any additional suggestions, please share them in the comments below!

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Landscaping in Dubai with color doesn’t have to be difficult, and it certainly doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Color comes from a variety of sources and can easily transform your landscape design.

 

By incorporating colorful accent furniture, garden art, sculptures, pots, tiles, paint and colorful plants and flowers, you can make a huge impact on the ambiance of your outdoor sanctuary.

 

Here are a few simple ways to you add refreshing tones and colors to your outdoor landscape and garden.

 

1. Choose colorful outdoor furniture.

 

Tables and sitting areas often create focal points in your landscape design, which makes them the perfect place to inject color. If you have a large budget, consider adding colorful tables, chairs, and end tables to your outdoor entertainment area.

 

For those operating on a tight budget, try trading out those old tan and brown cushions for attention-grabbing bold colors or add colorful pillows to your existing seat cushions.

 

Don’t miss the chance to add intrigue from the ground up by placing in a rug with a pleasing design in shades that will enhance your outdoor dining or entertainment areas.

 

 

 

2.  Add colorful pots and plant stands.

 

One of the simplest ways to conceive a more colorful garden design is to include vibrant and intriguing pots and plant stands. Adding shades of blue, orange, purple, yellow, electric pink or even red will transform your backyard into a vibrant wonderland.

 

This is also the perfect opportunity to create a stunning variation in color. Pairing colorful containers with plants cherished for their colorful foliage, such as hostas and succulents, is an straightforward way to create vibrant visual interest in your landscape design.

 

 

 

3. Incorporate colorful outdoor decor and decorative tiles.

 

When it comes to outdoor decor, the sky’s the limit! Whether you want to add colorful stepping stones, intriguing mosaic art, or eye-catching pottery and water features.

 

Outdoor garden decor can withstand the extremes of the outdoor weather while simultaneously adding interest to your landscape design.

 

Tile comes in many different designs and colors, making it the ideal material to add color to outdoor structures such as stairs, outdoor kitchen countertops, and water features.

 

If you are feeling extra creative, you can even use tile to create a colorful garden mural.

 

 

 

4.  Paint a wall an attention-grabbing color.

 

You’d be surprised what you can accomplish with a few hours and a can of paint. Painting an exterior wall or garden instantly creates a colorful, dramatic contrast.

 

When choosing your paint color, choose a shade that complements the surrounding area, including plants and outdoor furniture. The best part? You can change it whenever you want to!

 

 

 

5. Plants, plants and more plants!

 

Flowering plants provide a natural pop of color to your outdoors. Consider adding flowering plants such as Petunia, Chrysanthemums and Marigolds.

 

These colorful flowering plants not only add a kaleidoscopic splash of color to your outdoor garden but they also attract pollinators! You can also look beyond flowers to plants and shrubs with energetic foliage.

 

Many plants produce color all year with their foliage adding dramatic interest long after their flowers have wilted. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to add color to your landscape design is to include flowering plants in containers.

 

These miniature gardens not only enhance their surroundings, but they can also be changed out seasonally and moved to whatever area suits you at the moment.

 

Hanging flower baskets intensify color at higher levels and provide a great opportunity to frame a specific view from a window.

 

 

 

Adding color to your landscape is an easy way to reinvent and reinvigorate your outdoor space. If you are limited on time contact the landscape design experts at Milestone, and together we will liven up your landscape design!

 

 

 

 

 

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Summer is on our doorsteps and it’s officially the time of year to spruce up your home interior design.

 

From seasonal cleaning and decluttering to refurbishing your décor and refreshing your villa, here are a few quick and easy tricks of the trade to lend your villa a new “springtime” feel to chase away the winter blues.

 

Add some pastel color

 

Summer heat in Dubai is sizzling hot! The good news is that winter is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to freshen up your interior design for all of those up coming celebrations and gatherings with family and friends.

 

It’s time to give your walls a coat of refreshing, light, bright paint. This season gray is topping the interior décor color list.

 

If you’re looking to incorporate this shade into your house interior be sure to select a light gray with a slight springy tint, such as lilac or light blue. Or you could ditch the gray and opt for an all-out springy color with some vibrant pastels.

 

Think yellow, lilac, greens, and blues. These colors provide a great alternative to gray and simultaneously help make small spaces feel larger. Another bold option is Pantone’s color of the year, ‘Greenery.’ This vibrant yellow-green looks amazing!

 

 

 

Keep it bright, light, and airy

 

Spring may have just left, but chances are you’re already dreaming of your next family holiday. Why wait? White cotton sheets will instantly lighten up your master bedroom suite while simultaneously adding a splash of chic boutique resort style.

 

Consider adding some flowing white drapes to your living room, a crisp white tablecloth to your dining table accented with fresh flowers, or vibrant throw pillows to add some color to your sofa.

 

 

 

Bring the outdoors inside

 

Whether you’re staging your villa for a viewing or simply wish to inject a pop of color to your interior, fresh cut flowers are sure to do the trick! Adding a few vases of colorful flowers to a couple of rooms is sure to liven up your space.

 

You can even get creative, adding decorative accents of fresh fruit, such as oranges, lemons, and limes. Fresh-cut flowers and fresh fruit add a pop of spring color to your design scheme and a subtle fresh, fragrant aroma. Add indoor plants to bring the outdoors in.

 

 

 

Have fun with your furniture

 

Adding bright, colorful cushions to your furniture will immediately add new life to your space. Injecting light green, light blue, yellow and pink cushions create an energetic and fun feeling which is positively refreshing!

 

What about rearranging your furniture? You’d be surprised at what a huge difference a simple reshuffle of your current sofa and chairs will make. Consider switching around your couch or moving your bed to a different location in the room.

 

Doing so will dramatically change the look and feel of any room. It also grants your old furniture a new lease of life!

 

 

 

 

Accessorize your walls

 

Make use of your wall space by adding a mirror. Not only does it add new intrigue to your space, but it can also lend the illusion of expansive space to an otherwise small room.

 

Nature inspired designs are perfect for creating a spring feeling; they’re stylish, minimalist and look fantastic on any wall. Add a vertical garden on your wall and it will come to life.

 

 

Allow natural light to come in

 

Creating a light and airy atmosphere brings life to any interior. The summer heat in Dubai is blazing and we are all forced to sit inside with the windows closed tight in our comfortable air-conditioned spaces.

 

Some offices and homes lack natural light. If you have curtains, this is the perfect opportunity to take them down and have them dry cleaned and pressed for the coming winter.

 

On the other hand, switching out your traditional curtains for colorful sheer ones can instantly liven up a room. They allow natural light to enter the room and create the feeling of more open space.

 

Nude and pastel colors are perfect for brightening up your interiors. You can mix and match them to correspond with the color of your colorful cushions. Bright colored walls too add a charm to your interiors and work wonder for your state of mind!

 

 

 

While there is no “A” perfect time to liven up your space, summer is the perfect time to start! Adding light, airy and subtle accents won’t break the bank and these little changes are easily switched out when winter rolls around!

 

What are you waiting for? It’s time to get started!