When my husband Patrick van Ijzendoorn and I launched our Dubai-based interior design company Zen Interiors in 2003, we wanted to offer an affordable quality design service for residential clients. Our reputation for attention-to- detail and reliability resulted in many repeat clients requesting us to design their holiday homes all over the world and so an international side of our business was born and has steadily grown over the years.

We find it really interesting working in different countries as we need to adapt not only our design styles, but also the processes and logistics all have to be considered. We don’t have a signature style per se that we stick to, what we design very much depends on the client’s needs and tastes, but we do try to include a sense of place in all our designs, to ground each project in its context.

We were thrilled when a recent project of ours in Kihingo Village in Kenya won the award for Best Villa in the World at the International Property awards, and I believe this project stood out for the judges because of its subtle hints and influences of its African location. Too many times designers and homeowners fall into the trap of theming their interiors too much and it would have been very easy to make an ‘Out of Africa’ design with animal prints on every surface.

Instead, we looked at the local landscape for inspiration, seeking out the earthy colours and textures that we then introduced into the home through stucco wall effects, natural, sustainable materials and soft furnishings.

Similarly, we have just completed a very luxurious project in Uganda’s capital Kampala. This contemporary mansion is filled with high-end designer furniture and finishings, and yet still retains a sense of its location.

Our award- winning villa on the Palm Jumeirah was heavily influenced by the sweeping sea views that surround it on three sides, and so we introduced the outside in through enlarged concertina windows and a serene white and blue colour palette. Making the context of a property part of its design adds another dimension to it, and it’s often our starting point to base our designs around.

For our clients who have two, three and more properties around the world this is particularly welcome. They very rarely want exactly the same look and feel in each of their homes, so adding a wider sense of place to the design makes each one subtly different and perfect for its location.