Dubai’s dynamic design scene is home to a cadre of exceptional studios that are redefining luxury residential architecture and interiors.These studios share an unwavering commitment to crafting bespoke, high-end homes that transcend mere opulence. Their approaches are rooted in meticulous attention to detail, an obsession with materiality, and a profound understanding of the human experience. Blending global design sensibilities with the rich cultural context of the Middle East, they create environments characterized by precise proportions,refined aesthetics, enduring beauty, and a unique philosophy. From E Plus A’s quietly luxurious sensibility to ELE’s tailored environments and NIU’s fusion of Italian craftsmanship, each studio ensures every project is a deeply personal and sophisticated reflection of the client’s vision.
ELE Interior (on cover)
Founded in Dubai in 2017 by Leali Ezzat, ELE Interior is rooted in an obsession with materiality, detail, and the human experience of space. At the core of ELE’s ethos is a commitment to crafting tailored environments that honor both beauty and utility. The studio offers a full-spectrum service that bridges creative vision with technical execution. Led by Ezzat’s thoughtful direction, the international team brings diverse cultural perspectives to the table – an essential strength in creating spaces that resonate across contexts. Whether designing a private residence, a boutique commercial space, or a destination hospitality project, the studio’s language remains consistent: confident, human, and bespoke. The firm is currently working on a range of developments across Dubai while expanding its international portfolio through new partnerships and commercial ventures. A recent shift has seen the studio deepen its focus on the hospitality and commercial sectors, collaborating with developers on landmark projects that combine design intelligence with operational insight. With projects underway in the UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Congo, Tanzania, Pakistan, Spain, Portugal, Kenya, and Mauritius, ELE Interior is establishing itself as a global voice in luxury design.
E Plus A Atelier
E Plus A Atelier is a Dubai-based architecture and interior design studio led by founder and design director Ali Mohammadioun. The practice is defined by a precise, quietly luxurious sensibility: architecture and interiors composed through light, proportion, and a cultivated material intelligence. The studio’s work is recognizable for its calm orchestration of space – rooms that read as effortless yet are the result of rigorous editing and a collector’s eye brought to joinery, textiles, art and objects. The studio operates as an atelier in the truest sense: small enough for senior attention on every project, yet broad in capability. Concept and planning are developed alongside bespoke furniture, FF&E, and art curation to maintain a single, coherent narrative from first sketch to handover. While E Plus A’s portfolio is anchored in high-end residential work, the practice is increasingly active in hospitality and select commercial projects, carrying the same ethos – clarity, restraint, atmosphere – onto larger canvases. Programs are resolved with the same intimacy as a private residence: circulation guided by light, acoustics inherent to the geometry, technology concealed within clean lines, and comfort embedded in the grain of materials.
Etereo
Two designers and artists united by a single vision – this is how Etereo came to life: an architecture and interior design studio founded in Dubai in 2017 by Stefania Digregorio and Mirko Sala Tenna, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates with a second business division in Milan. Etereo, deeply connected to the meaning of its name, evokes a concept of spiritual essence. Attention to the human scale, in harmony with aesthetic beauty, is the core of every project signed by the atelier. The studio offers consultancy from architecture to interior design and collectible design pieces. Every creation is born from the interplay of engineering, art, craftsmanship and a fusion of influences rooted in Italian artistic heritage and enriched by the cultural depth of the Middle East. It’s a meticulous endeavor: the studio oversees the art direction of each project, from the selection of materials and finishes to sourcing from the finest suppliers, and executing every detail as an expression of pure virtuosity. Etereo creates bespoke projects for the luxury sector, with experience spanning high-end residential, hospitality and yachting. The studio works globally, with a particular focus on Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
GroundedDesign
GroundedDesign is a Dubai-based design studio specialising in contemporary residential architecture and interiors. The studio has built a reputation for creating high-end homes defined by a restrained, human-centred approach and a refined, enduring aesthetic. From its origins as a boutique practice focused on bespoke villas for private clients in Dubai, it has evolved into a multidisciplinary team. The studio’s expertise spans architecture, interior design, visualisation, technical documentation, project management, and procurement. This integrated structure enables the delivery of full-scope services – from initial concept through to construction oversight – ensuring that each project maintains consistency in design intent, execution quality, and client experience. Its core expertise lies in residences exceeding 1,000 square metres. In the UAE, the studio’s portfolio is particularly prominent in neighbourhoods such as Jumeirah Golf Estates, Emirates Hills, Arabian Ranches, and more recently Abu Dhabi. Internationally, the practice has completed projects in Geneva, St. Tropez, Sweden, New York, and Mumbai. In 2025, the firm launched Grounded Estates, a property development arm that unites design, real estate, and investment into a single, coordinated offering.
NIU Studio
Dubai-based NIU Studio, founded in 2001 by Italian architect Giorgio Palermo, is a multi-disciplinary, award-winning design practice known for its boutique, client-centred approach. Partner Elena Gregorutti joined in 2006, becoming integral to the studio’s growth and its signature fusion of Italian craftsmanship with Middle Eastern context. NIU delivers architecture, interiors, and product design across high-end private residences, luxury villas, commercial spaces, and hospitality projects. Its hallmark lies in a deeply collaborative process: each project responds to the client’s vision, lifestyle, and cultural setting, creating spaces that are both personal and enduring. Sustainability is embedded in material choices, passive design strategies, and long-term functionality, ensuring projects are responsible, elegant, and resilient. Recognised internationally with awards including INT Interior Design Awards and a place on Architectural Digest’s 50 Designers List, NIU is defined by meticulous attention to detail, bespoke furnishings, and innovative yet timeless solutions. Signature projects, such as The Family House in Dubai (2023), highlight the studio’s skill in combining thoughtful spatial planning with carefully curated artwork, materials, and furnishings to create a home that is uniquely lived-in and inviting.
