Getting the best of everything for your villa

Every room in the house -- a rental that the family has lived in for four years -- has been painstakingly crafted, with Samantha taking every little detail into account, from the spacing between individual pieces of furniture to the artwork hanging on the walls.

Combining an array of vibrant hues, rich textures and furniture styles from around the world - without losing out on sophistication and style - is no easy task. Yet that's exactly what homeowner Samantha Deane has managed to pull off in her four-bedroom villa in Barsha.
"The space is eclectic, homely and relaxed and it perfectly reflects who my family is and how we live," Samantha - who shares her home with her husband Frederik and her three children, Georgia (9), Markus (7) and Laetitia (5) - begins. "I wasn't always as brave with colour, but that changed when I moved to the Middle East nine years ago. The sun always shines in Dubai so the light is warm and bright - perfect for a vibrant home. I find that colour makes me smile, and also makes a space more cozy and interesting to look at."
An interior designer and art consultant by trade, it's no surprise to hear that Samantha designed her home herself. What is surprising is the mother of three's revelation that she worked in finance for eight years before venturing into design.  
"I was born and lived in Argentina until I left to study law and economics at Durham University in the UK where I lived for 16 years," she reveals. "In London I worked for Merrill Lynch Bank as a broker for eight years before making the decision to study at the KLC School of Design, after which I worked for renowned European interior design company Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler (Colefax & Fowler) for five years."
Samantha's time spent at one of the world's most prestigious design firms is evident when strolling through her home. Every room in the house  - a rental that the family has lived in for four years - has been painstakingly crafted, with Samantha taking every little detail into account, from the spacing between individual pieces of furniture to the artwork hanging on the walls.
"I tried to decorate each area as ergonomically as possible so that the whole family could fully enjoy each space," she explains. "I work in my bedroom, the family eats together in the dining room, and the living room is where we converge when guests arrive."
As to what her favourite space is, Samantha says it's a tie between the living room and the outdoor eating and entertaining areas.
"The living room features large windows that look out onto the pool and garden and flood the space with natural light throughout the day," she says. "There's also this wonderful feeling of space because the room opens on to the dining area. With my Argentinian background, barbecues with lots of meat are a must, so we often entertain family friends outdoors, which is why our outdoor eating and entertaining areas are favourites too. We couldn't convince the landlord to put up a wooden pergola, so we decided to set up two canvas tents under which we can sit and eat. I've always liked sitting under some kind of a roof when I'm outside; it's much cozier and you can hang beautiful lights from the ceiling, like I did in the seating area using several pierced metal lanterns picked up Souk Madinat many years ago."
Samantha says that she "loves metal outdoor furniture as it does not deteriorate as quickly as wooden furniture. I also love the feel of marble, which is why I chose a marble-topped outdoor dinging table."
Back indoors, Samantha says that working as an art consultant means she gets to fill her personal space "with gorgeous paintings. I have a rule that I only buy art that I fall in love with. One of my favourite pieces is the brightly coloured calligraphy painting above the living room sofa. It's by Iranian artist Salar Ahmadian, whom I represent in the UAE. I also have pieces by Lili Derakhshani, Amir Ershadi, Paul Wadsworth and Rianne Smit." The Rianne Smit piece was given to her as a gift, she reveals.
"Rianne Smit is a Dutch artist whose style I love," Samantha explains. "My Dutch friends got together to contribute towards a painting - that features my eldest daughter Georgia when she was five years old - done by Smit for my 40th birthday. It was such a great present."
Aside from her enviable artwork collection, Samantha's love of ethnic rugs, fabrics and cozy lighting is apparent in almost every room.
"I have many lamps scattered throughout my home as they offer a sort of warm, diffused glow that I adore," she says. "Almost all of my rugs are Iranian, bought in my travels to Shiraz and Esfahan. The long rug with the bright squares under the wooden table was purchased in Esfahan a couple of years ago; I love its vivid colours. I also have an Indian dhurrie rug that I bought from my friend Osca Blom at Sofa Studio, which has now closed down, sadly. I think it's really fun and pulls the room together nicely."Unsurprisingly, finding a rug she can't put on the floor doesn't stop Samantha from using it elsewhere.
"The stripy red chairs in the entrance are covered with an Iranian kilim that was too damaged to use on the floor," she says. "I loved the texture though so I just had to use it somewhere."
Not every space in the house is bursting with colour, however, with the master bedroom boasting paler green hues. "I kept this space pale as I like to sleep and work in a calm atmosphere," Samantha says. "It's all about balance and finding what works best in each individual space."

• Inspired Living