The Sculpted Abode, Part 10: Lighting as Architecture | Dubai Villa Renovation Week 7
- Dora Tokai
- Sep 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 14
The Sculpted Abode, Part 10: Lighting as Architecture | Dubai Villa Renovation Week 7
Week 6 was all about joinery.
By Week 7, the last of the dusty work is being wrapped — staircase marble is nearly done, wardrobes are installed, and floor levelling is complete ahead of final finishes. Bathrooms are taking shape with stone niches and fluted glass panels, and surfaces are being prepped for what comes next. The house feels steadier now. Every room is starting to carry the mood it was designed for.
Curious to follow the full journey?
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Lighting as Architecture
We considered lighting design from the start.
"Light creates ambience and feel of a place, as well as the expression of a structure."
— Le Corbusier
It develops hand in hand with the rest of the design — resolved alongside materials, finishes, and spatial planning to ensure coherence from the beginning. This week, we focused on closing out all remaining dusty works — including staircase marble installation, floor levelling in the bedrooms, and protecting finished surfaces. These steps are essential before we move into the finishing stage, which must happen in a dust-free environment. Only then can lighting and other final elements be installed with the care and precision they require.
A Philosophy of Light
We design lighting to enhance and highlight the spatial structure, finishes and statement pieces in the home.
Every fixture in this home — from the smallest recessed downlight to sculptural alabaster pendants — was selected to complement materials, echo geometry, and support the way the home will be used across the day. The goal is to ground spaces in proportion and experience.
Lighting as architecture is always layered:
Architectural downlights are recessed and discreet — aligned with ceiling geometry and never visually dominant
Wall lights and pendants are sculptural but softly diffused — placed to enhance atmosphere, not overpower space
Sensor-based lighting appears in the staircase and under vanities — to support safe night movement for our children, ourselves and even house guests.
Lighting temperature is key.
Generally, we categorise lighting as warm, neutral, or cold — and throughout this home, every fixture is set to either warm white or natural white. We never use cold tones. These choices are made to enhance the natural palette of wood, marble, and brushed steel — materials that rely on softness and clarity to come through. Cool light flattens texture. Ours brings it forward.
Just as important as colour temperature is control.
Every lighting layer — general, ambient, task — is independently switched. This allows each space to respond to different times of day, weather conditions, and household routines. A cloudy morning may need soft overhead light to gently lift the room. In the afternoon, natural light might be enough on its own. By evening, one person may be reading while another is putting a child to sleep — and both require different levels of lighting in connected spaces. This is where layering matters: it gives you the ability to light what’s needed, and nothing more.
This is what makes a home feel composed, not just completed. Lighting design should support how people actually live — without compromise.
Room by Room: Our Lighting Story
Kitchen & Dining room
Above the dining table, a pendant with a moulded 3D form and brushed stainless steel trim sets the tone. It has a retro shape from the 70s, yet feels contemporary, perfectly in line with the brushed stainless steel kitchen island behind it. On the adjacent wall, a second light echoes the same language: sculptural, softly shaped, with a nostalgic silhouette.
These lamps are conversation pieces; between past and present, between design and daily life. The balance they strike mirrors how we think about food in this home: comforting and familiar in feeling, but modern in execution. Healthy, clean, forward-looking, without losing a sense of memory.
My husband and I have lived in over a dozen countries, and the kitchen reflects that. It’s an essential part of our lifestyle; one that holds warmth and has to perform on many levels.
Recessed downlights are layered in for practical use: dimmable, discreet, and independently controlled.
Living Room
The TV wall opens into a series of arches facing a corridor: soft, sculptural, and symmetrical. Above, a composition of globe-like glass pendants floats in serene alignment, their rounded forms echoing the architecture below. Each pendant is frosted to diffuse the light, casting a soft, ambient glow.
Wall sconces in alabaster stone complete the rhythm. Capsule-shaped with arched top and bottom edges, they mirror the architectural forms of the room.
Bathrooms
Lighting here is emotional and an extension of the stone surfaces. Alabaster and arabescato wall sconces light up the vanities: diffused and gently luminous, casting a glow that supports the veining of Calacatta Paonazzo Verde and the tactility of matte porcelain tiles.
Sensor lighting is placed under each floating vanity, designed for nighttime movement: quiet, automatic, and child-safe.
Ceiling lights are recessed.
Staircase
The staircase has begun to reveal its final form. Carrara marble now covers the steps and landings, soft in tone, grounded in veining. White plastered balustrades and white walls keep the volume architectural. On the wall, Carrara-toned sconces will guide the eye upward.
Sensor-based LED lighting glides along the balustrade, activating automatically at night. It’s designed for safety, especially for children, guests, or older relatives.
Site Progress Snapshot
Wardrobe carcasses installed, doors to follow once all dusty works are complete
Concrete subfloor levelled in all bedrooms in preparation for final flooring
Staircase marble is almost complete
Marble niches are placed in all bathrooms
Fluted glass shower panels installed
Lighting fixtures, switches, and sockets are all on site, checked and ready to be installed
Do’s & Don’ts
Based on our minimal, architectural, and artistic design values
Do:
✓ Use warm or natural white lighting, never cold
✓ Recess downlights into ceiling lines, or instal sculptural ones
✓ Use sensors in key areas such as staircases and under bathroom vanities
✓ Separate general, ambient, and task lighting circuits
✓ Match fixtures with materiality, and the architecture of the home, not trends
Don’t:
✗ Use direct lighting near stone, glass or any other glossy or semi-glossy surfaces
✗ Install fixtures before all dust-generating works are complete
✗ Rely on a single lighting source per room
✗ Combine multiple lighting types on one control
✗ Select lighting without understanding how the space will be used
When the sun sets, the architecture begins to glow.
By day, our lighting hides in plain sight — subtle, sculptural, and understated.
By night, it takes the stage — dramatic, directional, and full of intent.
Closing
This is the point where the house starts to come together — not just technically, but emotionally. The structure is defined, the materials are in place, and the atmosphere we’ve been shaping from day one is now visible in every room.
Our children walk through with wide eyes. Friends and family are asking for photos and videos. But at this stage, we’ve stopped sharing. The details are settling, the character is showing, and it finally feels like our home. From here, we’ll keep the rest behind closed doors — until the final reveal.
Looking Ahead to Week 8
The dust is gone, the walls are closed, and the next layer begins. This week, our first custom furniture pieces move from concept into reality. From a sculptural sofa designed around our family rituals, to raised blinds with hidden guides fabricated overnight, we’ll share how furniture and soft fittings were planned from day one to complete the architecture, not just decorate it.
Experience the process. Watch how a vision becomes a home, week by week.
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