Project Kiyovu

Project Overview

The Wellington building had been a soap factory before it was converted into residential lofts. The client — a single occupant buying for personal use — came to Mignon with a clear picture of how they wanted to live: calm, uncluttered, with nothing unnecessary. No bold colours, no layered decoration, no furniture that didn’t earn its place. The industrial character of the original building — exposed pipes, raw structural elements — was to stay exactly as found.

Mignon delivered the complete fit-out in two months. Total project value: AED 92,000.

Client Vision and Requirements

Neutral colour palette throughout — nothing that competes for attention

• Minimalist approach — only what the space needed, nothing more
• Peaceful, calm atmosphere suited to a single occupant living alone
• Industrial character of the converted factory preserved, not concealed
• Exposed pipework retained as a design feature, not hidden behind finishes
• A bachelor aesthetic — functional, considered, and free of ornament
• Entertainment space on the ground floor for hosting
• A proper workspace with an oversized desk positioned against the window

Concept and Design Direction

The brief was as much about restraint as it was about design. In a converted industrial building with existing character — exposed pipes, raw ceilings, the weight of a structure that was never built to be a home — the risk is overdesigning. Mignon held back. The palette stayed neutral. The furniture stayed minimal. The factory’s original pipes were left exactly where they were, finished in place rather than boxed out, because the client was right: they belonged there.

Asad oversaw the full project, with every decision filtered through the same question — does this add to the calm, or take from it.

Key Design Elements

Exposed industrial pipework retained and finished in place — a deliberate feature of the interior, not a compromise

• Two-level layout used to separate the occupant's private life from their social and working life: bedroom on the upper level, everything else below
• Entertainment area designed into the ground floor for hosting without the space feeling arranged around it
• Oversized desk positioned flush against the window — the primary workspace anchored to natural light
• Neutral colour palette applied consistently across both levels, with no accent colours breaking the calm
• Furniture selected for proportion and necessity — nothing added to fill space

Structural Scope and Material Sourcing

The scope covered the complete interior across both levels of the 1,400 square foot loft — furniture, lighting, fixtures, finishes, and accessories — delivered within a two-month programme. No structural changes were made to the building. The existing character was the brief.

Key Fit-Out Decisions

Ground floor configured to hold an entertainment area and main living space without visual clutter

• Back wall removed to extend the rear of the home and add usable space on every level
• Upper floor given over entirely to the bedroom — a clean separation of rest from everything else
• Oversized desk specified and positioned against the window wall, scaled to the room rather than pulled from a standard size
• All exposed building fabric — pipes, structural elements, raw surfaces — assessed, retained, and finished in keeping with the original industrial character
• Palette and material selections made to work with, not against, the converted factory aesthetic

Design Challenges

The two-month programme was the constraint. A 1,400 square foot two-level loft, complete fit-out, every decision made and every product placed inside eight weeks. The minimalist brief made the timeline harder, not easier — with so little in the space, every piece had to be exactly right. There was no decorative layering to absorb a wrong call.

Solution

Mignon moved fast and decided early. The neutral palette narrowed the selection process and kept procurement clean. The retained industrial elements — the pipes, the raw surfaces — removed a layer of finish decisions that would have added both time and cost. What remained was a tight, sequenced fit-out programme where every product was specified before anything arrived on site. The client moved into a calm, functional, well-proportioned home in two months, at a total project value of AED 92,000.