Betterliving January/February 2019

e hand dug, which was no mean feat.”
It took around two to three weeks to
complete. In that time, Shireen was
busy falling in love with the tiles.
“I took a shine to the blue, white and
lemon Italian tiles that were shown to
us by our contractor,” she says. The
hitch? It would take five months to
ship them to Dubai. “It seemed like a
long time to wait but, for me, they were
integral to the design,” justifies Shireen.
“Plus, it allowed me to go ahead and
work on weaving in my accent colours
throughout the rest of the design.”
Using small blue-hued tiles for
the pool gives it a luxurious and
inviting edge while a transparent
safety screen means the space is
secure for little wanderers, without
compromising on its style credentials.
Another practical choice that has
paid dividends has been opting for
artificial grass. “There are so many
great options available nowadays in
terms of texture and colour and it
doesn’t get hot under foot. It has been
fantastic in terms of maintenance,”
she adds.
Most of the outdoor furniture was
bought from La Veranda, with the
concrete look dining table a savvy
choice. “The wicker look doesn’t work
for me as it can get burnt to a crisp
under the Dubai sun,” says Shireen.
“However, it’s so heavy that we had
to specify the exact spot that it was
placed upon delivery as it wouldn’t be
possible to move it again by hand.”
“We have Bose speakers situated
at various points around the garden
so we can create a party ambience
with music,” she says. “Lighting was
another important aspect for me – the
pergola is illuminated from within its
pillars, which is really pretty at night.”
The garden is lush with greenery
and with spotlights leading
guests along the winding garden
path edged by large tropical
plants, it’s clear to see that the
party is always at Shireen’s.
48 | bhomes.com