Fit-Out Company in Dubai for Turnkey Design and Build

What a turnkey fit-out includes

On a full villa project the scope runs from concept to aftercare. For apartments and commercial spaces we shape the same scope around the property, leaving out what does not apply.

Everything is coordinated by one team, so design intent, specifications and site work stay aligned from start to finish.

• Concept design and 3D visualisation
• Architecture and space planning
• Interior design and material specification
• Exterior and landscape design
• Project management and site supervision
• MEP, lighting and smart home integration
• Fit-out and execution
• Bespoke joinery: kitchens, wardrobes, vanities, wall panelling and fitted furniture
• Furniture, lighting, artwork, textiles and accessories
• Inspections, snagging, handover and aftercare

How design and build works, from brief to handover

Each stage builds on the one before, so nothing is ordered or built until the design behind it has been agreed. This is the sequence we follow.

• Brief and predesign: we learn how you live or work and set out the programme for the space.
• Concept and 3D renders: mood boards, layouts and detailed renders for you to review before execution.
• Construction documents: working drawings and specifications for every trade.
• Approvals: authority submissions and NOCs, including drawings and compliance sign-off.
• Procurement: furniture, fixtures, equipment, finishes and bespoke joinery.
• Fit-out: execution on site under our project management and supervision.
• Handover: inspections, snagging, handover and post-completion support.

How approvals and site coordination are handled

Fit-out works in Dubai often need approval before they begin. Depending on the building and community, that can involve the master developer, building management and the relevant authority. We handle authority submissions and NOCs to the relevant authority or community developer as part of the programme, including drawings and compliance sign-off. Our authority approvals page explains more.

If you are living in the villa during the works, we can phase them room by room with dust screening and agreed working hours. On site, our project management and supervision keep suppliers and trades working to the approved drawings.

Design and build compared with a separate designer and contractor

The traditional route is to appoint a designer, then tender the drawings to a contractor. It works, but it splits responsibility: when something on site does not match the design, the owner is often left between two parties.

With design and build, one team is accountable for both. The designers who prepared the specifications stay involved through procurement and fit-out, and questions on site are resolved by the people who know the design best.

If you would rather keep the build separate, we also offer design-only consultancy. See our interior design service for how that works.

Three ways to engage us on a villa

Not every villa needs a full transformation, so we offer three levels of engagement. The villa interior design page covers villa projects in more detail.

• Renovation: selected rooms refreshed, with new finishes, joinery and lighting.
• Full Turnkey: the whole villa from design to handover, including MEP, joinery, fit-out and FF&E.
• Bespoke: ultra-luxury and structural works, with custom fabrication and imports.

What drives the cost of a fit-out in Dubai

Fit-out costs are set by scope, not by a standard rate, which is why we price each project individually. These are the factors that make the biggest difference.

We can tailor the design and material selection to an approved budget. Our turnkey interior design guide explains how scope decisions affect a project.

• The size of the property
• The extent of bespoke joinery
• The grade of materials and finishes
• MEP and structural works
• The furniture specification

Finished projects and where we work

For a sense of the finish we work to, look at Emirates Hills Villa, a 6,700 sq ft family home with a strict neutral palette and concealed kitchen storage, and MK Villa on Palm Jumeirah, with glossy finishes, golden accents, black marble dining, custom lighting and an infinity pool. In Downtown Dubai, the 5,500 sq ft Imperial Avenue Apartment shows the same care applied to a large apartment.

We work across Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Dubai Hills Estate, Jumeirah, Arabian Ranches, DAMAC Hills, Umm Suqeim, Al Barari, Tilal Al Ghaf, MBR City, Jumeirah Golf Estates and The Meadows, as well as apartment and commercial projects across the city.

What to have ready before you ask for a fit-out estimate

An estimate is only as useful as the information behind it. The more we know about the property at the outset, the closer the indicative figure will sit to the scope that is finally agreed.

You do not need drawings or a finished brief to start. A location, an approximate size and a few photographs are enough for a first conversation, and the rest is filled in during brief and predesign. You can send the basics through our estimate form. These are the details that help most.

• The location, community and approximate size of the property
• Whether you own or lease it, and who else has to agree to the works
• Any floor plans, drawings or handover documents from the developer
• Photographs of each room as it is today
• A working budget figure, even a broad one
• Any date you need to move in or open by
• Images of interiors you like, and notes on anything you already know you do not want

How a fit-out budget is structured

A fit-out budget is easier to control when it is divided the same way as the work. Seeing the cost of each package separately shows where the money sits and what changes if one part of the scope grows or shrinks.

Joinery, finishes and furniture carry the widest choice, so they also offer the most room to adjust. Hidden works such as MEP are far harder to change once the ceilings are closed, which is why they are best settled early. Seeing joinery and finishes in 3D renders before they are priced in detail helps you decide where to spend and where to save.

On any renovation it is sensible to hold a contingency for conditions that only become visible once walls, floors and ceilings are opened up.

• Design, working drawings and approvals
• Civil works, ceilings and flooring
• MEP, lighting and smart home systems
• Bespoke joinery
• Finishes, sanitaryware and fixtures
• Furniture, lighting, artwork and accessories
• A contingency for the unexpected

Comparing fit-out quotes like for like

Two quotes for the same property can be far apart, and the lower total is not always the lower cost once the work is finished. Before comparing figures, make sure each quote describes the same scope to the same standard. These questions expose most of the differences.

It is also worth asking each company who will answer questions once work starts on site. Under design and build, that should be the team that prepared the drawings.

• Is the design included, or is the quote pricing drawings produced by someone else?
• Are authority submissions and NOCs included, or left for you to arrange?
• Are materials named by grade and finish, or described only as allowances?
• Is the joinery drawn and specified, or priced as a single lump sum?
• Are furniture, lighting and accessories included, or quoted separately?
• What does handover include, and what defects liability period is written into the contract?

Handover, snagging and what happens afterwards

Before handover, the finished work is inspected against the approved drawings and specifications, and anything that falls short goes on a snagging list. Those items are put right before the keys come back to you, so you move into a finished space rather than a site that still needs attention.

At handover you receive the manufacturers' warranties for appliances, fixtures and equipment. From that point a 12-month defects liability period set out in your contract applies to the works, and our post-completion support remains available if anything needs adjusting once you have settled in.

Guides from the studio

• Turnkey Interior Design: What It Covers and What to Ask Before You Sign
• Interior Fit-Out Buyer's Guide: Quotes, Checks and Warning Signs