This apartment sits in one of Abu Dhabi's beachfront residential towers, with sweeping views over the coastline, and it gave ARH STUDIO the chance to design a home that moves between two distinct moods: calm, tactile warmth in the shared spaces, and bold, playful energy in the private ones.

The kitchen sets the tone for the main living areas. Rich walnut veneer cabinetry runs floor to ceiling, its natural grain doing most of the talking, while a fluted upper cabinet in soft greige and a book-matched marble backsplash — lit from below by a discreet LED strip — add texture without competing for attention. A honed stone countertop, integrated black fixtures, and a built-in Siemens oven keep the look clean and functional, with matte black hardware pulling the whole palette together.

The living room continues that same material language. Herringbone oak flooring in a warm honey tone anchors the space, while a floor-to-ceiling marble feature wall frames the television and grounds the room visually. A floating walnut console echoes the kitchen cabinetry, and a ribbed fabric-wrapped panel on the adjacent wall adds softness and acoustic warmth. Full-height sliding glass doors open onto a private balcony with an uninterrupted sea view, dressed simply in flowing taupe curtains that let the daylight — and the view — take center stage. In the adjoining hallway, a second color-blocked wall in dusty blue and greige, with a built-in lacquered-red bookshelf niche, hints at the bolder palette waiting in the bedroom beyond.

The primary bedroom is where the project's personality fully comes through. A tropical palm-print mural in soft charcoal tones covers the accent wall, paired with a mustard-yellow upholstered headboard wall that runs the full width of the room and doubles as a subtle sound buffer. Sculptural tiered pendant lights in warm wood tones hang on either side of the bed, and a rust-red door frame — carried through to a matching built-in wardrobe with mirrored sliding doors — turns the entryway itself into a design statement. Dusty blue walls tie the room back to the more restrained palette of the living areas, so the space feels bold without feeling disconnected from the rest of the home. Here too, floor-to-ceiling glass opens onto a private balcony facing the water.

The bathroom rounds out the material story: walnut paneling continues from the kitchen and living room, paired with a large-format stone-look tile, a floating solid-surface vanity, and a backlit round mirror that makes the compact space feel considerably larger. A single lacquered-red niche echoes the color accents used throughout the apartment, tying the whole project together — a home that reads as calm and cohesive at first glance, with playful, personal details revealing themselves room by room.

Project team: Art Director — Elina Steinberg Project Designer — Liliya Kalinicheva