January 05, 2026 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
SOFT BRUTALISM, REIMAGINED
words YUZU Editorial
photos Walid Rashid
interior design Marie Claire Mrad
In a quiet enclave of Dubai’s Al Mahra, a 2007 villa originally shaped by traditional Arabic architecture has been reimagined through a bold yet carefully calibrated interior transformation. Led by interior architect Marie Claire Mrad, the project softens brutalist minimalism with warmth, craft, and a fully bespoke approach.
The home belongs to Christopher Hani, owner and CEO of Bull Contracting, who oversaw the villa’s general contracting and joinery works. Shared with his wife, Bridie Ellen, and their young daughter, the house reflects a dynamic lifestyle and a strong desire for spaces designed around hosting, openness, and daily life. For Hani, the project became a personal testing ground—one that allowed creative and technical boundaries to be pushed in tandem.
OPENING THE HOUSE TO LIGHT AND FLOW
All internal walls were removed to create a continuous open plan, organised around a dramatic double-height staircase and extending seamlessly toward the outdoor pool terrace. A skylight draws natural light deep into the interior, while subtle shifts in material and proportion define living, dining, and bar areas without interrupting flow.
“The concept itself was not typical of Dubai’s residential projects,” says Mrad. “We introduced elements such as brushed stainless steel wall cladding, a glowing bar made of Patagonia—a rare and luxurious natural stone—and fully customised furniture and lighting to create something truly bespoke for this villa.”
RAW MATERIALS, SOFTENED
Brushed stainless steel, lava stone, charcoal steel, dark mirrors, and custom-crafted furniture establish a strong architectural language. Yet restraint is key. “I wanted the home to feel bold, yet warm and livable,” Mrad explains. “The interplay of natural light through the skylight and the contrast between rough textures and softer elements guided many design decisions.”
A deep palette of charcoal, steel grey, and dark stone is offset by desaturated blues that introduce relief and depth. At the centre of the composition, a luminous 13-foot Patagonia stone bar—shipped from Lebanon—acts as both sculptural anchor and visual counterpoint. “Overall, the colour scheme reinforces the architectural strength of the design while ensuring the house still feels inviting,” she notes.
A FULLY BESPOKE INTERIOR
From the outset, the project was conceived as entirely custom. All furniture and lighting were designed and produced by Marie Claire Mrad’s Beirut studio. Technical ambition shaped the architecture too: instead of conventional sliding doors, a remote-controlled system allows all glass panels to stack to one side, opening the main living areas fully to the terrace.
Art and objects complete the narrative. A Spider chandelier by Mb-Designlab Paris anchors the living space, while a monumental face-mask sculpture by Marco Oliver dominates the double-height stair wall. Works from Bali and sculptural pieces from Thailand add rhythm and a subtle global layer.
The result is a home that reframes luxury through intention rather than excess—brutalist in its honesty, minimal in its clarity, and softened by colour, light, and craft.
