This summer a lot of the work we did was on this lovely project for Eklego Design Studio.

Hedayat and the client, Fatma Ghaly, worked closely together to create this summer home.

A space design catered to a unique sustainable concept for a family who were happy to lighten their environmental footprints and embrace sustainable interior design. When we were approached to design this house by the Mediterranean Sea, we decided to approach it from a sustainable angle capitalising on an age-old Alexandrian technique of hand poured terrazzo floors. We were very lucky to be working with clients who were encouraging and eager to experiment with different materials. The idea of a house based on local and sustainable materials intrigued them as much as it inspired us.

Richly patterned ‘balat’ tiles from Nile Co adorned the walls of the bathrooms. Most of the furniture was selected or designed in keeping with a local sustainable ethos. Eklego’s reclaimed bed is in keeping with the idea of recycling. All the fabrics in the house were sourced from Jam by Hedayat as well as Inca, two companies which design and stock fabrics inspired by Egypt, its history and surroundings.

The most appealing, inviting spaces are adapted to the client’s unique identity, creating a space that’s a reflection of them and their preference. The design is inspired by the family's lifestyle, we worked directly with the client to map out their holiday home around their passion of supporting local artists and craftsmanship, so we built an exclusive 811 m2 place overlooking the beach of Diplo, a destination that combines luxury and comfort through an eco-friendly design. Going back to age old local Alexandrian tradition the whole house flooring features a hand laid local terrazzo, poured in a continuous zigzag pattern with copper inlays, creating a shabby chic look, which is further reinforced by the copper drum light at the entrance with the zig-zag pattern by Jam By Hedayat.. Reclaimed stained glass windows were up-cycled as decorative mirrors giving them a new purpose, bringing new energy to traditional form of glass, while the outdoor area is graced by a four-meter custom made dining table built around a reclaimed piece of carved wood owned by Fatma’s mother, Azza Fahmy. The geometric lights by Randa Fahmy drakes the bar beautifully which in turn houses an outdoor bread/pizza oven creating an outdoor kitchen, for an open flame cooking experience.

To convey the feeling of an outdoor shabby chic, look even more, throw pillows and rugs entirely from recycled plastic bottles by Weaver green were scattered around the space. Taking advantage of Egypt’s sun’s energy to light up the home naturally, hand painted glass circles by Walid Onsy were positioned to pierce the ceiling of the house and adding saving energy to light up the place and absorb the most sun, minimising the need for electrical lighting. All of the living spaces, indoor and outdoor, capitalise on the natural breeze and gentle swirling fans with no air-conditioning units added.

Decorating the main wall of the master bedroom with geometric palm midribs panels, a material which is currently being developed as a local alternative to wood, is testimony to the couple’s passion for Egypt, its materials, artists and artisans, creating the perfect balance of textures and giving the room a rich and pure essence, reflecting a connection towards nature, much like most of the house.

On the ground floor, attention was paid to open up the spaces to allow for more light to flood in the multi-functional rooms. An extension was added to allow for a larger family room as well as a new office. The extension was built with one wall made of glass bi-fold doors to allow a maximum of light in to the room as well as extending the living space to the outdoor area. 

On the first floor, all bedrooms were re-assigned, old carpet replaced by the original wooden floors and an extra bathroom added. The master bedroom on the top floor, also saw its carpeted floor removed to return to the wooden floors and wallpaper was added throughout the house and stairs. 

In the basement the large open space was divided in two, to create an additional guest bedroom and a utility / storage room. 

Images by Yehia al Alaily

For this Mediterranean summer retreat, my focus was on putting together an interior design scheme both in terms of function and aesthetics, which reflects its location.  I capitalised on the craftsmanship of the surrounding areas, emphasising the magnificent views surrounding the house, and ensuring spatial functionality to accommodate the number of people occupying this project.

In this summer home, we made sure to make the most of the gorgeous weather with an outdoor dining room, sunken bar, comfortable furniture and an indoor kitchen built in proximity to the outdoor area for ease of operations. The house is divided into six bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and ample communal space so there is enough outdoor space to be social or just sit back quietly with a book.

Images by Faouzi Massraly

CHELSEA, LONDON TERRACED HOUSE | RESIDENTIAL
BRIEF

Luminosity, generous display zones and creating links between the various floors of this house were key to the thinking behind this design. A central shaft linking the floors together was turned into a vertical garden embedded within Mondrian inspired marble pattern and antiqued mirror panels. The latter allow the owners to look into different parts of the house through the mirror reflections.  An out-dated unnecessary aluminium window was turned into a seamless glass display case, further adorned by the vertical garden in the background. The bedrooms were refurnished and decorated to reflect the personalities of the tenants. An intellectual art loving writer, a young teen with a passion for the guitar and a little girl whose favourite colour is blue. The master bathroom was gutted and reconfigured to become more space efficient and practical. 

We (Hedayat and the team at Eklego Design) took over this house which was a single levelled shell overlooking the Pyramids of Giza and worked closely with the contractor to complete the 15000 square foot house. The house was a celebration of the client's passion for Egyptian art, ornaments and history. We successfully reinterpreted their passion into a contemporary showcase which is practical and functional in every corner.

The clients were keen to take with them many of the furniture pieces and artefacts which will remind them of their first home for the first seventeen years of their lives.

The client also wanted a zone for a formal reception, as her husband is a successful entrepreneur who needs to entertain frequently. 

The house was zoned into private and public spaces and within the private spaces we created more zoning to accommodate the various personalities of the household.  The one element that united all spaces is the fact that they presented a display for the couples’ extensive art collection. 

Images by Faouzi Massraly