Interior Design in Sharjah: The Complete Guide for Villas and Apartments

Coral-stone wind towers along the old creek, carved arches and cool courtyards on one side, new master-planned communities among planted woodland and lagoons on the other: a complete guide to interior design in Sharjah, from the brief and the community to the majlis, materials, approvals and handover.

Sharjah has always carried its heritage in plain sight. The restored coral-stone houses of the Heart of Sharjah, the geometry of its mosques and souks and the emirate's long role as a centre of culture shape the way many families picture home, and they bring that sensibility to new villas across the emirate. At the same time, a generation of master-planned communities, from Aljada and Masaar to Al Zahia, Tilal City and Maryam Island, has given residents contemporary homes with parks, schools and waterfronts on their doorstep.

A strong Sharjah interior holds both: the warmth of the emirate's craft and its generous, family-centred way of living, finished to a thoroughly current standard. The guide below follows the order our designers work in, from reading the brief and the community to planning the reception rooms, choosing materials, securing approvals and handing over a finished home.

Families, Hospitality and the Sharjah Brief

A typical Sharjah villa brief starts with family and hospitality. Large households spanning several generations need bedroom suites for parents, children and grandparents, a family sitting room that holds everyone on a Friday afternoon and a kitchen arrangement that copes with cooking for a crowd. Guests receive the same care, with a men's majlis and a women's majlis, a guest dining room and separate routes so visitors and family each move through the house with ease.

Privacy shapes the plan as much as space does. Entrances for guests, family and staff stay distinct, windows facing the street take screens or frosted glazing at eye level, and the garden and courtyard become private outdoor rooms. Apartment briefs in the emirate's towers follow the same instincts at a smaller scale, with a living room planned to receive visitors and storage that keeps family life out of view.

From Heritage Districts to New Communities

Sharjah's homes span a wide range of settings, and each suggests a different interior. Established neighbourhoods such as Al Rahmaniya, Al Suyoh with its twelve sub-communities near the Dubai border, and the older villa districts of the city hold large family homes on individual plots, often built with classical or Islamic detailing. Arada's Aljada and Masaar bring contemporary villas and townhouses set among parks and planted woodland, Al Zahia and Tilal City add established family communities, and Maryam Island and Sharjah Waterfront City bring apartments and homes by the sea.

Ownership has opened up as well. Since a change in Sharjah's property law and an Executive Council decision in late 2022, buyers of any nationality can own homes outright inside approved development projects, which has drawn a broader mix of families to the emirate's newer communities. Each community runs its own design guidelines, which shape anything visible from outside.

Carrying Sharjah's Heritage Inside

Many Sharjah families ask for interiors that echo the emirate's traditional architecture. Carved gypsum and timber, arched doorways and niches, geometric mashrabiya screens, patterned marble floors with inlaid borders and the cool calm of a courtyard at the centre of the plan all translate well into a contemporary villa. Our article on Arabian sittings in modern Islamic styles explores how those traditions adapt to today's homes.

Our classic Islamic villa designed in Sharjah shows the approach in full, with arabesque cladding on the glass of the entrance door, a pillar-supported dome on the front facade, Arabic carvings and customised polished marbles inside, and large square and arched windows that fill the entrance with daylight.

Apartment Interiors in Sharjah's Towers

Apartments in Al Khan, Al Majaz, Al Mamsha, Aljada and on Maryam Island offer long views and compact plans, and they reward a calm palette with joinery that works hard. Full-height wardrobes, a continuous low console beneath the screen, a dining table that extends for visiting family and pale large-format porcelain underfoot keep the rooms open and practical. Waterfront apartments on Maryam Island and along the Al Khan lagoon suit a lighter coastal palette in white oak, linen and soft blue.

Tower apartments follow the building's own fit-out rules, with approved working hours, protected lift routes and a deposit held against damage, so the design team plans joinery in sections sized for the service lift from the first visit.

The Majlis at the Heart of the Home

The majlis remains the most important room in a Sharjah villa, and most homes keep two. The men's majlis sits near the main entrance with its own washroom, while the women's majlis takes a separate approach from inside the house. Perimeter seating along three walls, a feature wall in carved plaster, patterned marble or timber, a decorative ceiling with a concealed cove and a chandelier sized to the room give each its formality. Allow 1800 to 2200 mm between facing sofas, a seat height of around 420 mm and upholstery in performance velvet above 40,000 Martindale rubs.

A guest dining room beside the men's majlis, with a long table for twelve or more and a serving pantry linked to the kitchen, completes the reception wing for families who host often.

Family Rooms, Kitchens and Bedrooms

The family sitting room carries daily life and usually opens to the garden or a courtyard. A generous sectional, a media wall in stone or fluted timber, large rugs and storage for books and games create a relaxed room, kept apart from the guest wing. The show kitchen faces the family room with a stone island and a coffee station, while a working kitchen behind it takes heavy cooking with a powerful extraction hood, a large gas hob and a direct route to the service entrance.

Bedroom suites gain upholstered headboard walls, walk-in dressing rooms and en-suite bathrooms in marble or porcelain slab, and a ground-floor suite for an elderly parent suits many households. Children's rooms take built-in beds with storage, desks sized to each child and washable finishes.

Materials for Sharjah's Climate

Sharjah's heat, humidity near the coast and fine sand call for materials chosen to last. Honed marble, travertine and large-format porcelain keep floors cool and durable, engineered timber replaces solid boards beside large glazing, and performance fabrics and leather hold up to sun and family life. Carved gypsum, timber screens and brass or bronze details in PVD finishes bring the craft of the emirate indoors, and waterfront homes take 316 stainless steel fittings on terraces and balconies.

Lighting works in layers, with concealed coves for ambient light, recessed downlights over working surfaces and chandeliers or lanterns in the majlis and dining room, at 2700 to 3000 K for warm evenings.

Gardens, Courtyards and Outdoor Majlis

Gardens and courtyards carry much of Sharjah family life in the cooler months. A shaded outdoor majlis, a courtyard with a fountain and palms, a dining terrace with a grill and planting on drip irrigation extend the villa outdoors, with low-level lighting for evenings. Larger plots often add a pool and a play area for children.

Approvals for Interior Works in Sharjah

Interior works in Sharjah follow the emirate's own approval route. Sharjah Municipality issues building permits for structural changes, extensions and new services, Sharjah Civil Defence reviews fire safety provisions, and the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority approves new or increased connections. Villas and apartments in master-planned communities also need the developer's or building management's approval, which sets working hours, access and deposits. Our team prepares the drawings for each submission and runs them alongside detailed design.

From Concept to Handover

A Sharjah project moves through a survey and measured drawings, concept and 3D visuals, detailed design and material schedules, approvals, and then fit-out on site: first-fix services, ceilings and partitions, wet areas, stone and porcelain, joinery, painting, lighting and styling, ending with snagging and handover. The villas listed under our Sharjah fit-out projects show that journey carried through across the emirate, from classical and Islamic homes to contemporary villas.

Design Your Sharjah Home With Algedra

Plan the reception wing and family rooms around the household, carry the emirate's heritage inside with care, choose materials for the climate and bring approvals into the design stage, and a Sharjah home becomes as considered as the welcome it gives. Algedra's designers, architects and engineers carry villas and apartments across the emirate from concept to handover, and our interior design company in Sharjah page sets out the full service.

Fill out our design consultation form with your community, property type and the rooms you plan to design, and one of our senior designers will reply with the next steps and a realistic budget range.

Interior Design in Sharjah: Frequently Asked Questions

What makes interior design in Sharjah distinctive?

Sharjah interiors often draw on the emirate's heritage, with carved gypsum and timber, arches, mashrabiya screens and patterned marble, combined with generous family layouts built around two majlis rooms, a guest dining room and private family areas.

Can foreigners own property in Sharjah?

Since late 2022, buyers of any nationality can own homes outright inside approved development projects in Sharjah, while ownership outside those projects remains more limited. Buyers should confirm a project's status with the developer and the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department.

Which approvals do interior works in Sharjah need?

Structural changes, extensions and new services need a Sharjah Municipality permit, fire safety changes need Sharjah Civil Defence review, and new or increased utility connections need SEWA approval. Master-planned communities and towers add their own approvals.

How many majlis rooms does a Sharjah villa need?

Most family villas keep two: a men's majlis near the main entrance and a women's majlis with its own approach, often alongside a guest dining room for larger gatherings.

Which materials suit Sharjah homes?

Honed marble, travertine and large-format porcelain for floors, engineered timber beside large glazing, performance fabrics and leather for upholstery, carved gypsum and timber for heritage detail, and PVD-finished metalwork near the coast.

Does Algedra design homes in Sharjah?

Yes. Algedra designs and fits out villas and apartments across Sharjah, from concept and 3D visuals through approvals, fit-out, joinery, furniture and styling to handover.