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Home extensions can be both exciting and daunting.

On one hand, you are adding to your villa. On the other hand, there are so many pieces of the puzzle to consider.

After building beautiful home extensions throughout Dubai and the UAE over the past two decades, there are a few things the experts at Milestone have learned along the way!

We’ve compiled the most important things you need to know before you embark on your home extension.

 

 

What’s Your Budget?

 

Determining your budget is one of the more fundamental aspects of your home extension projects.

 

Before you make any decisions (and ideally before you contact your design team), you should take a minute or two, and decide how much you would like to spend on your home extension project.

 

Once you’ve given yourself a budget, your design team will be able to stick to it. They’ll provide you with cost effective solutions and options that meet your project requirements and personal tastes.

 

 

 

What Do You Want to Achieve with Your Home Extension?

 

Before you invest in a villa extension, it’s important that you understand what you want to achieve with your new space.

 

Are you looking for a new living area that the entire family can enjoy? Do you envision an extra room for a home office or new addition to the family? Perhaps you want an expansive kitchen and dining area to entertain family and friends?

 

What you want to do your new space and what you want to use your extension for will determine what kind of alterations you need to make to your home.

 

 

 

How Long Will it Take?

 

House extensions don’t happen instantly or even overnight.

 

Setting aside the actual design and build processes, planning permissions and building permits take time. Keep this in mind and remain calm and patient.

 

When planning a home extension, we always recommend considering the time of year, factor in personal variables such as holidays, family events and other occasions to avoid any massive disruption to your routine.

Once you do decide the best time frame for your home extension, the secret is to plan as far ahead as possible.

Be sure to share your timeline with your design team from the start. This will help keep the project on time and ensures everyone is on the same page.

 

 

 

There are Rules and Permits Required

 

With local councils invested in the changes that happen in their local communities, there are rules and regulations that villa owners must comply with.

You may be surprised to discover that where you once had a window positioned in your existing villa, it’s no longer permissible in your new renovation.

The only solution is to work within the guidelines and to choose a design team who has experience in dealing with your local planning department and the residential regulations.

This ensures all permits are obtained and that all renovations meet local building guidelines.

 

 

 

 

Hire an Expert

 

If you’re like most people, you have neither to skills or time to complete your home extension on your own.

Like many other things in life, when in doubt you should hire a professional! It’s best to partner with design professionals to guarantee that your villa extension turns out exactly how you envision it.

When you’re planning a home extension, it’s essential that you hire the right people.
And the right people are professional designers and builders.

Before hiring a design and build team for your villa extension conduct a thorough background check on any company you are considering working with.

Take a look at their recently completed projects, client testimonials and their industry reputation.

 

 

 

At Milestone, we take pride in helping you transform your space.

Whether you want to add a single room or an entire wing, our team of professional designers and builders are excited to bring your vision to life.

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation to learn more about how we can get your project started off on the path to completion.

 

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Gardening is a rewarding pursuit. At Milestone, we are in love with the entire garden design process. However, there’s so much to learn, and only so much you can absorb in a single growing season.

 

So we’ve come up with a list of helpful tips to get you started towards designing and growing your lavish green garden!

 

 

 

Before You Start Digging, Make a Design Concept Plan

 

Before you get involved with the physical aspects of bringing your garden to life, such as sourcing, purchasing and installing your plants and accessories, you should have a clear and concise creative vision.

 

You need to invest as much time as possible into really knowing what you want from your garden in advance. Place your plan on paper to help you see how your design elements will work together. This also allows you to make changes as necessary.

 

Planning is essential to growing a lavish green garden. Even if you are just beginning with your garden, you should never “wing it.” Start by learning about your climate and seasons.

 

Even if you are only starting with a few pots of herbs or flowering plants, understanding your climate, rainfall, soil type, and sunlight exposure is very important. All of this will help you determine the types of plants you can grow and what supplies you’ll need.

 

A garden is more than just plants and flowers. It will serve as your backyard sanctuary. Be sure to consider the various areas you want to add to your backyard garden. How will you and your family be using your it?

 

Do you want a sitting area or an outdoor kitchen for entertaining? Will you add a pool or fire pit for late night fun? All of these elements must be considered in your garden design plan.

 

So make a comprehensive schematic layout with full measurements to visualise how you will plan all the spaces in hardscape and softscape in your garden along with irrigation and lighting with full details of materials to be used.

 

 

 

It’s All About the Plants

 

When it comes to a growing a lush green garden, it’s all about the plants. Deciding what you want to grow may feel overwhelming, but it’s also fun!

 

Are you looking to elevate your garden with lush seasonal flowers in Winter months of October to March in UAE or do you wish to supplement your grocery budget with homegrown fruits and vegetables?

 

In Dubai and UAE climate, growing vegetables may be a bit tough with extreme heat for 6 months of the year but growing herbs like Rosemary , Basil.

 

Lemongrass, Mint and having fruiting trees like Mango, Pomegranate, Date, Chikoo, Lemon, Orange, Papaya, and Fig are possible throughout the year.

 

Tomatoes, Aubergine, Chillies and Cucumbers are some of the other vegetables that can be home grown during the 6 months growing period in Dubai. It’s quite exciting to do your own organic farming and a great learning experience for kids.

 

Do you want an evergreen garden with perennial planting so you do not keep on changing the seasonal flowers all the time, increasing costs and budget?

 

Perennial does not mean that it will keep flowering and fruiting. All plants have their seasons. It will bear flowers and fruits as per their season but when they are not flowering or fruiting, they will not perish.

 

They will shed leaves in fall and will revive back lasting for many years unless attacked by disease and not taken care of.

 

For planting in Dubai and UAE, look for heat tolerant varieties that will thrive in this area and climate. Be sure to plant according to the season, as sunlight and rainfall can make or break a garden.

 

Dubai has negligible rainfall so you must consider adding an automatic watering system to ensure your plants receive the water they require to grow and thrive. No gardener will visit your house 3-4 times a day.

 

Whereas the automatic timer can be set as per need to water the plants 3-4 times in the summer and twice in Winter.

 

 

 

Shed Some Light on Your Garden Creation

 

If you are going to entertain in your garden throughout the seasons, it’s crucial you incorporate efficient and stylish lighting. Luckily, the broad range of fittings available for your backyard garden is incredibly diverse.

 

Whether you invest in small and flexible spotlights or wall mounted down lights, you can customize your lighting to create the desired shades and angles of light to illuminate your garden on even the darkest of nights.

 

During summer, the outdoor lighting will act as accents to highlight your garden so you can enjoy the views from indoor and in Winter, you will be able to entertain outside, enjoying the features and actually use the garden space effectively.

 

 

 

Incorporate Unique Outdoor Furniture & Sculptures

 

While the design and procurement of unique, custom made furniture are extremely popular in stylish luxury villas, it’s less common in outdoor and garden spaces.

 

Professional designers and carpenters can create one of a kind, bespoke garden furniture to help you cultivate an engaging environment for entertaining.

 

Custom furniture on your patio will add a ‘wow’ factor to your garden, and serve as a talking point for the friends and family you entertain in your new outdoor space.

 

 

 

Don’t Forget the Water Features and Living Walls

 

If you are short on space, you can still enjoy a lush green garden. Consider transforming your exterior villa wall into a lush living wall.

 

Complete with plants and water features, living walls add an element of natural elegance to your outdoor space, even when square footage is limited.

 

There are few things in life as soothing and naturally relaxing as the sight and sound of water. Outdoor gardens provide the perfect opportunity to add water features and waterfalls to your backyard.

 

 

 

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when creating an outdoor garden space. When in doubt, turn to the design professionals at Milestone.

 

Our team will help you transform your backyard into the oasis of your dreams. If you’ve created a beautiful garden, we’d love to see it.

 

Need a little inspiration, please check our latest design in the Milestone portfolio or visit our Show villa in Jumeira Park.

 

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Interior design comes naturally to some people.

 

For others, it takes an education and the help of a professional interior designer to be able to create beautiful spaces.

 

 

 

Whether you know what you want but are too busy to bring that vision to life, or you have no idea where to start, a professional interior designer will help you create your dream space.

Whether you are looking to decorate a single room or an entire house or office space, there are a few interior design tips you must know to help you conquer your next big design project:

 

 

 

 

Personalize Your Interior Design:

 

Your home or office is a reflection of your lifestyle and personality. In many ways, it’s an extension of yourself.

And like your own memories and experiences, decorating your villa takes thought and consideration.

From the door knobs and the wall art to unique sculptures and custom designed furniture, each aspect of your interior design scheme has the potential to tell your story.

Whether your taste is quirky, eclectic, traditional, modern, or minimalistic, surrounding yourself with things that inspire you will prove to be rejuvenating for your home and your spirit.

 

Create More Space:

 

Many people think they simply don’t have enough space to create a lovely, expansive interior.

Luckily, there are a few simple tricks that maximize every square foot of your villa or office:

1. Soft wall colors and comfortable furniture are simple solutions to create the illusion of expansive space for smaller rooms.

2. When you’re short on square footage, consider using floor length curtains. Even on small windows the right curtains will lend the the illusion of height.

 

3. Decorative wall mirrors not only make your room look and feel more expensive, but they also improve your natural lighting when placed opposite a window.

 

 

 

 

Make a Statement:

 

When it comes to creating a unique aesthetic, you simply can’t go wrong with a statement piece.

A well placed statement piece not only makes a big impact on your home, but it’s sure to leave a lasting impression on your guests.

From patterned walls and living walls, to a piece of custom made furniture or a unique a work of art, there are plenty of options to consider to make statement in your space.

 

 

 

 

Function is Key:

 

When it comes to interior design, making your space comfortable and cozy is a must! Your space should be inviting and functional.

When it comes to interior design, function and comfort go hand in hand. Combining form with function is the key to keeping a villa organized and aesthetically pleasing.

You can even get creative! Decorative baskets, beds with hidden storage spaces, custom built bookcases and unique hanging racks are perfect examples of finding the blend between function and personality.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget to Have Fun:

 

Decorating the interior of your villa or office space is a fun and exciting time.

Above all else, remember to have fun! Embrace the design process and work with your design team to bring your vision to life.

Whether you are deciding your color palette, selecting the perfect curtains or simply determining where you should place your furniture, this is a great opportunity for your family to come together to create something that you all share and love for years to come.

 

 

 

 

The professional interior design team at Milestone is looking forward to helping you bring your interior design vision to life. If you can dream it, we can help you create it!

Need a little inspiration? Check out our latest designs at the Milestone portfolio or visit our Show Villa in Jumeira Park.

We look forward to hearing from you!

 

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Have you been considering adding an indoor water feature to your home or office? There are so many reasons for adding a water feature to your interior design scheme, to include health benefits and general aesthetics. Here are a eight reasons to elevate your interior design with a unique water feature.

 

1. Sit Back and Relax:

 

Human beings have always been drawn to the natural healing power and calming effects of water. Indoor water features, such as fountains, provide the soothing sounds of flowing water.

 

The sounds of water have been reported to help people relax and can decrease stress in both personal and professional spaces.

 

 

2. Create an Interesting Focal Point:

 

An indoor water fountain or living wall will create a strong focal point to any room in your villa or office space. Water features can be incorporated for decorative purposes and are pleasing to anyone who sees them.

 

Regardless of how much space you have, a custom water feature will create an impressive focal point for your family, friends and clients.

 

 

3. Pleasant Background Noise:

 

An indoor water feature, such as a fountain of water wall, can be customized to be loud enough to drown out unpleasant background noise. However, the noise quality of water is never disruptive or disturbing.

 

The soothing sounds of water are often used to mask the unpleasant sounds of traffic or other minor annoying sounds.

 

 

4. Increase Negative Ions:

 

Indoor water features emit negative ions. These negative ions are the same ions found naturally around waterfalls and mountains. Research has shown that negative ions are released into the air as water evaporates from your water feature.

 

These negative ions cleanse the air you breathe. This clean air helps you focus and think more clearly. Improved air quality also helps the body reduce stress and fatigue.

 

 

5. Custom Made to Fit Your Space:

 

Whether you have a large space or are short on square footage, a custom designed water feature offers the perfect accent to elevate your interior design.

 

From small water fountains and waterfalls to large water walls, a professional interior designer can create the perfect water feature for you villa or office.

 

 

6. Add Life:

 

Water features provide the perfect foundation to incorporating plant life into your home or office. Whether you want to add a few plants around your water fountain, or want to design a full sized living wall with ornate waterfall, the only limitation is your imagination!

 

 

7. Visual Stimulation:

 

Not only does water produce a soothing and relaxing sound, it also produces a soothing visual stimulation. An indoor waterfall or fountain will transform your room or space into a tranquil oasis.

 

There are few things in life more beautiful to watch than water flowing down a natural slab of glass or stone. The attractive and peaceful appearance of an indoor waterfall or water feature will add natural beauty to your space.

 

 

There are many benefits to incorporating an element of water into your home or office. Among these benefits are the enjoyable and relaxing sound of trickling water, the attractive and peaceful appearance of a natural water and several health benefits directly related to indoor water features.

 

If you want to enjoy the peaceful, tranquil, beauty of an interior water feature, contact the design professionals at Milestone today. We’ll help you enhance your quality of life and visual aesthetics with the addition of a beautiful, custom designed indoor water fountain, water fall, or water wall. If you can dream it, the professionals at Milestone can design it!

 

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