Interior Design in Aljada, Sharjah

Aljada as its developer describes it

Arada presents Aljada as the downtown of new Sharjah: a self-sustained community where living, working, entertainment, recreation, shopping and culture come together in one urban setting. The properties it lists there are largely apartment buildings, next to a hotel, the Madar leisure destination and a retail boulevard.

Arada's overview of the community also describes a central business district meant for firms of every size, from multinationals to start-ups, and an East Boulevard planned with shops and food and beverage outlets. For us, that mix means an Aljada enquiry could just as easily be a first home, a rental unit or new business premises.

Where a unit has only just been handed over, the job is rarely stripping out a tired interior. It is taking a developer-finished space and making it personal: better storage, lighting with more than one mood, joinery that fits the room, and furniture chosen for the real floor plan.

Making a new apartment your own

Developer-standard apartments are designed to suit everyone, which usually means they suit nobody in particular. Owners typically want to rethink the kitchen, add built-in wardrobes and a proper storage wall by the entrance, create a study corner or guest room that genuinely works, and replace a grid of ceiling lights with a layered scheme.

We fix the layout, storage and circulation first and the look second. Next come mood boards and 3D renders of every room, which means you settle joinery, stone, fabric and lighting while they are still pictures, not purchases. The stages are set out in full on our apartment interior design page.

Balconies and big windows deserve thought too. Blinds and curtains that tame the glare without losing the outlook, and a balcony finished so it reads as part of the living room, change how an apartment is used from morning to night. Tell us early whether you will live in the apartment or let it. A home can take softer finishes and more personal pieces; a rental needs surfaces that survive changing tenants and a look with wide appeal.

Shops, cafés and offices

Commercial premises in a new development often arrive as a shell, or with only basic services in place. That gives a business a clean start, but it also means every decision, from the ceiling and lighting to the counter, storage and signage zone, has to be drawn and specified.

Near Baniyas Square in Deira, the 3,100 sq ft MK Pay office we completed in 2023 pairs collaborative open desks with private cabins, a welcoming reception and meeting rooms fitted with audiovisual kit. Planning, 3D views, approvals, project management and the build itself were all ours.

Renting the unit? Include the tenancy agreement when you get in touch. Its terms decide what you may change and what must be put back later, which in turn shapes where the money is best spent.

Design only, or design and build

If you already have a contractor, or want to tender the works yourself, design only is the sensible route: we supply the concept, 3D visuals, material schedules and working drawings, and your builder prices and delivers from that package.

Either way, the drawings come from the same studio and the same designer, so switching routes part way through does not mean starting again. If you would rather deal with one team from sketch to handover, design and build covers the lot:

• Survey, layout and space planning
• Mood boards, 3D renders and specifications
• Procurement of materials, joinery and furniture
• Site supervision and coordination of trades
• Snagging and handover

Approvals in a master-planned community

An emirate other than Dubai means a different rulebook. Sharjah sets its own requirements through its own authorities, so nothing is assumed from our Dubai experience; the route for your address is checked and confirmed while the design can still change.

Inside a community like Aljada, the developer or community management and your building's management may each have requirements as well, covering what can be altered, when contractors can work and how materials are delivered. Cosmetic changes usually involve less; relocating walls or touching MEP involves more. We prepare the drawings each party needs and build that stage into the programme.

Our apartment work in Dubai

The Imperial Avenue Apartment in Downtown Dubai is a 5,500 sq ft home we designed and built in 2023. The owner asked for quiet comfort, so the palette keeps to creams, warm beiges and soft taupes, with bouclé upholstery, marble dining surfaces and softly lit arches carrying the detail.

Your apartment may be smaller, but the method scales: resolve how the rooms are used, keep the palette disciplined, and let lighting and texture do the work that ornament would otherwise do. If you own a villa elsewhere in the emirate, our Al Zahia page may be more relevant.

Budget and first steps

Our projects start from AED 150,000. Beyond that, cost depends on the floor area, how much bespoke joinery you want, the grade of materials, any MEP changes and the furniture specification, and we can shape the design around a budget you approve.

To begin, fill in our project estimate form with the building name, the unit size and a few photos or the developer's floor plan. Expect an indicative estimate, with a proposed timeline attached, inside one working day. For the wider emirate, see our Sharjah page.