Arakkal Jayan and his wife Lakshmi have been living in their three-bedroom villa in Mirdif for 15 years. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
The villa, near Mirdif City Centre Mall, is a short distance from the main roads and amenities.
The family is emotionally attached to the house as their two children grew up in the villa. The children are now abroad but the couple's empty nest holds many fond memories.
The spacious living room has a brown colour scheme and is the couple's favourite space in which to hang out.
The villa has three spacious bedrooms, all on the first floor.
The biggest plus point of living in an old villa is the plentiful space available.
The villa's spacious kitchen.
The villa is filled with the couple's decorations and ornaments.
The villa has a spacious garden and backyard where the couple love to host their friends.
Midrif Grand Mosque and many other facilities are nearby.
My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they pay each month, see who they live with and ask what they like and don't like
An Indian couple have lived in their spacious Dh100,000 three-bedroom villa in Mirdif for 15 years.
Arakkal Jayan, 55, and his wife Lakshmi, both from Kerala, say their home is “filled with memories of a lifetime”.
Their son, Sharath, 25, now lives in the UK and their daughter, Gauri, 21, is studying in India, but both grew up in the family home and went to school in Sharjah.
The couple say the villa is full of memories too precious to leave behind if they move elsewhere.
Why did you choose to live here?
This is a four-villa complex and we had a friend living here. My company was providing the accommodation and we could choose anything within a budget.
The rent was Dh145,000 for a single cheque payment 15 years ago. We loved the space and the area.
Now, the rent is on us and we are paying Dh100,000 in two cheques.
The spacious outdoor area allows the couple to host plenty of guests. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Why do you love it here?
This is home for the children. This is where they grew up. All our best memories are attached to this house.
Also, it is very quiet and easily accessible to any part of Dubai.
Our children were studying in Sharjah. My company is just a 30-minute drive away. Mirdif has great access to Emirates Road, the airport and Al Khail Road. All facilities, including City Centre Mirdif, are very close by.
Where were you living before?
We were in a two-bedroom apartment in Sharjah. It was small and the traffic was also bad. As the children got older, we wanted more space.
The best thing about this villa is that it is old and hence spacious. There is a big garden and a backyard where we can easily host 20 to 30 people.
What did you do to make it feel like home?
Everything that you see here is acquired over time. That happens when you live in the same house for 15 years. We chose brown as a colour scheme and everything fits into that.
Anything you wish to change in the house?
It is perfect as it is. Whenever our children visit us, we want them to feel like they are coming back home. So, we want to keep it as it is.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples. Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts. Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
