Meet the studio, understand our process and discover how we move from first conversation to finished space.
Upgrade the Cabin Without Compromising the Lift
An elevator cabin is one of the smallest interiors in a building, but every surface affects weight, clearance, accessibility, maintenance and passenger perception. Bella develops the cab as an extension of the lobby, hotel, office, residence or healthcare environment while coordinating the wall panels, ceiling, floor, mirror, handrail, car operating panel, indicators and lighting with the lift contractor so the design does not interfere with doors, ventilation, controls or certified equipment.
We design new elevator cabin finishes, cosmetic refreshes, full cab-interior refurbishments, premium villa lifts, hotel and residential cabins, commercial high-traffic lifts and panoramic elevator interiors. Depending on the brief, the scope can include wall cladding, ceiling and lighting, flooring, mirrors, handrails, COP surrounds, door and architrave finishes, material weight review, accessibility coordination and phased installation planning.
Start With the Existing Lift
A cab refresh is not ordinary wall cladding. The elevator is certified moving equipment, so the first design task is to establish the existing manufacturer, rated load, cabin construction, door arrangement, current finishes, accessibility features and what the maintenance / lift contractor will permit us to modify.
We separate cosmetic refurbishment from mechanical modernization. Where the existing panels are suitable, architectural film or new lightweight decorative skins can refresh the cabin quickly. Where panels, ceiling, floor or fixtures are damaged, a more complete interior replacement may be the better long-term solution.
Cab deadweight matters. Thick slab stone, heavy steel canopies and dense decorative panels can consume capacity or alter the assumptions of the lift system. We develop lightweight stone, honeycomb-backed panels, thin porcelain or engineered finishes where the design calls for premium materials, then coordinate the final weights with the lift contractor.
Layering new panels over old ones reduces internal width and depth. We measure the existing build-up, reveals, skirting, handrails and control panel before deciding whether to overlay, strip back or replace the panel system.
Reflective finishes can visually enlarge a small cab, but they also repeat light sources, scratches and smudges. We control where reflection is useful and favour anti-fingerprint, hairline, textured or matte finishes where maintenance matters more than maximum shine.
We carry the architectural language through the threshold without copying the lobby literally. Floor tone, metal finish, wall rhythm and lighting can connect the spaces while using lighter and more durable materials suited to elevator duty.
In towers, hotels and hospitals, installation sequencing matters as much as the finish. We develop repeatable cabin details and coordinate one-car-at-a-time installation, protection, cure time and handover with the building and lift contractor.
What We Resolve First
The visual concept comes after we understand the equipment, load and passenger requirements.
We document the car shell, existing panel system, door arrangement, ceiling, COP, indicators, handrails, floor build-up and maintenance access so decorative work stays outside the lift’s safety-critical systems.
Cabin design is a millimetre-and-kilogram exercise. The material must be thin enough to protect usable space, light enough for the equipment strategy and durable enough for trolleys, luggage, cleaning and thousands of touches.
The car operating panel, handrail, mirror, clear floor area, doors, tactile information, indicators and lighting form one passenger interface. We retain or improve accessibility while the specialist lift contractor remains responsible for the compliant lift system.
Choose the Elevator Environment
The correct interior is driven by building use and duty cycle rather than one universal luxury specification.
Warm metal, lightweight stone, timber-look panels, full mirrors and diffused lighting can create a refined extension of the lobby while weight, scratch resistance and serviceability remain controlled.
Hairline or textured stainless steel, HPL, durable lower panels, cleanable ceilings and resilient floors suit cabins exposed to daily office traffic, deliveries and frequent cleaning.
The interior prioritises easy cleaning, robust wall protection, impact resistance, clear controls and reliable lighting. Decorative joints and projecting trim are kept controlled so beds, trolleys and cleaning equipment do not damage the finish quickly.
In a panoramic lift, the view is the main material. Floors, frames, ceiling, control interfaces and lighting should remain visually quiet while glare, solar exposure, fingerprints and the relationship with the atrium or façade are carefully controlled.
What Elevator Interior Design Can Include
Bella can develop the decorative cabin package while the licensed lift contractor remains responsible for the lift’s certified mechanical, electrical and safety systems.
Establish what exists before adding any finish.
Create a durable visual system without excessive thickness.
Improve perceived height and light quality while preserving ventilation and service access.
Keep the entrance level, durable and weight-conscious.
Coordinate the parts people touch and read.
Make repeatable details practical across a lift bank.
Bella does not modify safety gears, brakes, controllers, ropes, door operators, interlocks, load-weighing systems, overspeed governors or other safety-critical lift equipment. Mechanical modernization, testing, rebalancing, certification and return-to-service approval remain with the licensed elevator contractor and relevant inspection / authority process.
From Survey to Return to Service
A successful elevator-interior project gives the lift contractor enough information to confirm that the design can be installed without compromising certified clearances, rated load, access or equipment.
We record cabin dimensions, openings, wall and ceiling modules, floor build-up, COP, indicators, mirror, handrail, ventilation and visible equipment together with the building’s finish requirements.
Measured interior + photographic surveyThe maintenance / elevator contractor confirms what can be removed or reclad, any maximum additional weight, restricted zones, required access panels and testing / sign-off implications.
Technical constraint scheduleWe compare wall grids, mirror positions, floor materials, lighting and ceiling approaches while tracking panel thickness and likely material weight.
Cabin concept optionsThe preferred design is checked around clear floor space, handrails, COP, indicators, doors, threshold, emergency lighting, communication and ventilation.
Coordinated cabin designPanel joints, fixings, trims, kickplates, floor transitions and ceiling details are developed and material data / fire documentation is assembled as required by the project team.
Detailed design + sample boardFor multiple elevators, one cabin can be used as the prototype before repeating the design. The lift contractor reviews final weights and installation interfaces before production.
Approved prototype + fabrication packageCabin work is sequenced around building operations. The licensed lift contractor carries out or supervises required safety checks, testing and return-to-service procedures; Bella reviews the decorative finish within the agreed scope.
Completed cabin + finish snaggingTechnical Constraints That Change the Interior
The references below separate Abu Dhabi accessibility requirements from European and North American elevator standards so the page does not mix jurisdictions.
DMT’s Abu Dhabi International Accessibility Standards require accessible elevator cars to meet Section 407 requirements. They specify horizontal sliding car / hoistway doors, automatic operation, door reopening protection and car dimensions according to the prescribed configurations. Existing cars can use an exception only where the stated minimum clear floor area and dimensions are met.
DMT’s published exception for certain existing accessible cars requires at least 1.5 m² clear floor area, with a clear inside dimension of at least 915 mm wide and 1,350 mm deep. That is not a universal new-build car size; it illustrates why even 20–30 mm of unnecessary build-up can matter in an existing small cab.
KONE UAE describes EN 81-70 as the accessibility standard for car size and accessories, EN 81-71 for vandal-resistant elevator solutions and EN 81-72 for firefighter elevators. A decorative refurbishment should not block or invalidate features required by the applicable lift type.
MoIAT’s current ENAS accreditation scopes include initial and in-service elevator inspection against BS EN 81-20 and BS EN 81-50. This is another reason cabin refurbishment should be coordinated through competent elevator specialists instead of treated as conventional joinery work.
Replacing a lightweight floor or wall package with dense stone or thick metal adds permanent car weight. The licensed lift contractor should review the additional mass and determine whether load weighing, balance, counterweighting or other adjustments / tests are required.
Modernization specialists such as Schindler and KONE design cabin finishes around maintenance, access and replacement. Removable wall / ceiling modules are preferable to site-built decorative layers that conceal fixings, ventilation or equipment.
KONE’s UAE material range highlights anti-stain and anti-fingerprint surface options, while Schindler emphasizes stainless steel, high-traffic flooring and bumper protection. A polished metal that scratches visibly may perform worse in a trolley-heavy building than a textured version of the same base material.
The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code requires emergency lighting in lift cars, and Abu Dhabi Civil Defence fit-out guidance requires elevators to interlock with the fire alarm system where applicable. Decorative ceilings, media panels and new cladding must preserve required life-safety equipment and access.
Abu Dhabi Accessibility, Lift Contractor & Life-Safety Check
For Abu Dhabi projects, the accessible elevator design should be checked against DMT’s Abu Dhabi International Accessibility Standards and the applicable building / fire requirements. DMT’s newer Sahel Building Rating System also points accessible elevators back to those 2013 accessibility standards.
The lift contractor or OEM should review any change that affects car weight, panel thickness, doors, COP / signalisation, handrails, ceiling, ventilation, emergency equipment or safety clearances. MoIAT’s accreditation framework includes elevator inspection bodies working to EN 81-20 / EN 81-50, so required post-work inspection or testing should be confirmed before installation rather than after the cabin has been closed up.
Colour, Materials & Cabin Identity
Elevator materials should be selected by weight, thickness, fire performance, impact resistance, cleanability and replacement method before visual preference. A finish that works beautifully in a lobby may be too thick, fragile or heavy for the moving cabin.
The HEX values below are concept directions rather than physical metal, veneer or stone specifications. PVD metal, laminate, paint, stone and lighting samples should be reviewed together because metallic surfaces can shift dramatically under warm or cool LEDs.
Budget & Programme
Current 2026 UAE public pricing is most transparent at the two ends of the market. A Dubai architectural-wrapping specialist publishes around AED 800–1,500 for door-face wrapping and AED 2,500–6,000+ for a complete cabin wrap. At the other end, current UAE home-elevator system pricing starts around AED 110,000–125,000 for compact hydraulic models and roughly AED 180,000–210,000 for higher-spec residential systems. A physical cab refurbishment with new wall panels, ceiling, lighting, floor and handrails sits between those scopes but should be priced after survey because weight, OEM restrictions and material specification change the work substantially.
Do not compare a AED 3,000 wrap with a AED 100,000+ new elevator system as though they provide the same outcome. For a physical cabin retrofit, survey the existing lift and obtain an itemised quotation for panels, ceiling, lighting, floor, accessories, lift-contractor work and any required testing.
Elevator References by Design Strategy
These are temporary third-party elevator references. Replace them with Bella-owned / licensed project photography before final production publication.
Questions Building Owners and Designers Usually Ask
These answers separate cabin-interior design from mechanical elevator engineering and clarify several search terms that are frequently misused online.
Start with vertical-transportation engineering: building population, travel height, speed, capacity, number of cars, drive type, traffic analysis, accessibility and fire strategy. Those are normally handled by the architect, lift consultant and elevator supplier. Interior design begins once the required car envelope and operating system are established and focuses on finishes, lighting, passenger interfaces and cabin experience.
From an interior-design perspective, the visible components include the car shell and wall panels, car doors and front returns, ceiling / canopy, lighting, floor and sill, car operating panel, position indicator, handrails, mirror, ventilation openings, emergency communication and any approved media / information display.
There is no single universal four-type classification. Common building-elevator categories include traction, hydraulic, machine-room-less traction and specialised residential systems such as screw, platform or vacuum lifts. MRL is really a machine-room arrangement used with traction technology, so technical engineers may classify systems differently.
At a simplified level, many people group elevators as traction, hydraulic and specialised residential / platform systems. For an actual project, the lift consultant should define the drive and equipment arrangement because speed, travel, pit, headroom, shaft and duty requirements determine the correct system.
The cabin—also called the elevator car—is the enclosed moving compartment that carries passengers or goods inside the hoistway. In interior-design discussions, 'cab interior', 'car interior' and 'elevator cabin interior' generally refer to the finishes and visible components inside that moving car.
The most common terms are elevator car interior, elevator cab interior or elevator cabin interior. 'Cab' is especially common in North American refurbishment work, while 'lift car' or 'lift cabin' is common in British / UAE usage.
The well-documented 3/4-inch rule is a North American private-residence elevator door-clearance rule under ASME A17.1. It limits the gap between the landing door and sill to reduce entrapment risk. It is not a UAE rule saying elevators should run at 75% capacity, and it should not be used as an Abu Dhabi cabin-design requirement unless the applicable project code specifically adopts it.
Category 5 is an ASME A17.1 term used in North American jurisdictions for a comprehensive five-year elevator safety test that includes loaded testing of safety-critical systems. It is not the name of a standard Abu Dhabi periodic test. UAE projects should follow the inspection and testing regime required by the local authority, equipment standard and accredited inspection body.
Yes, but use the material intelligently. Thick stone adds permanent car weight and floor build-up. Thin stone veneer, lightweight-backed stone or porcelain can achieve a similar visual result with less mass. The final assembly and added weight should be accepted by the lift contractor before installation.
Yes. Schindler and KONE both offer cabin-interior modernization as a separate upgrade pathway. Depending on existing condition, the scope can range from wrapping / refinishing to new walls, ceiling, floor, handrails, mirrors and fixtures while retaining the mechanical elevator system.
One current Dubai provider publishes approximately AED 800–1,500 for lift-door wrapping and AED 2,500–6,000+ for a complete cabin wrap. Treat that as a cosmetic-refresh benchmark only. Physical replacement of panels, ceiling, floor and accessories requires a different quotation.
A current 2026 UAE supplier publishes starting ranges around AED 110,000–125,000 for compact hydraulic home lifts, AED 140,000–165,000 for mid-range models and AED 180,000–210,000 for higher-spec residential systems. That is a complete lift-system budget, not an elevator-interior refurbishment cost.
A vinyl wrap may take roughly one to two days per cabin. One UAE cladding specialist publishes around one to three working days for typical cladding and up to about five working days for full cabin refurbishment. Design, material fabrication, OEM review and post-work testing can add substantial lead time before or after the physical installation.
DMT’s Abu Dhabi International Accessibility Standards cover elevator call controls, automatic sliding doors, reopening devices, cabin dimensions, car controls, indicators and other accessibility features. A cabin refurbishment should preserve those requirements rather than reducing clear space or obscuring accessible interfaces.
Current UAE manufacturer offerings emphasise diffused and indirect LED lighting, anti-fingerprint and anti-microscratch surfaces, durable stainless steel, modern media screens, more flexible custom material combinations and cabin upgrades that can be integrated into broader elevator modernization. The useful trend is maintainable customization rather than simply adding more decorative layers.
Your Elevator Interior, Properly Briefed
Share the building type, location, number of lifts, elevator manufacturer / maintenance contractor if known, rated capacity, cabin dimensions, number of openings, current photos, desired material direction, budget and required shutdown window.
If you have the lift data plate, OEM drawings, maintenance report, accessibility information, building-management requirements or an existing lobby material schedule, send them. They help us determine whether the project should be a wrap, panel refurbishment or a deeper cabin-modernization package.
