Your cart
Close Alternative Icon

Gallery

Beach House

Beach House

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.

Continue reading

Victorian Lion House

Victorian Lion 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

Continue reading

Battersea Apartments

Battersea Apartments

The clients are an international well-travelled family who wanted a home in England, where they spend a big part of the year. This apartment had to suit a family of five who like to entertain.

The large open plan living – kitchen space, was divided in clear sectors to accommodate different functions. A living space, with deep comfortable sofas, the newest AV technology for entertainment and a beautiful view out on the park.

The dining table was revived and will extend to sit 10 people comfortably whilst the bespoke wall units surrounding the side unit offer much needed storage space.

The bedrooms were designed to meet the requirements of the two brothers sharing a room, the student who has recently started her design courses in London and the owners wanted a master bedroom in which can retreat and relax in peace and quiet.

 Also in Battersea, we worked on an apartment for O&T Property Solutions. The brief was to furnish and decorate this apartment so it could be put on the market to be let. The apartment was to give a luxurious feel in a style that was neutral so it could suit any potential tenants.

Images by Yehia El Alaily

Continue reading

Mediterranean Summer House

Mediterranean Summer House


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

 

Continue reading

Left Bank

Left Bank
LEFT BANK | COMMERCIAL

Eklego Design
BRIEF
Left Bank was an empty space that was built from the ground up. Hedayat and her team came up with the architecture, concept, finishing and furnishing.
Left Bank was conceived as a Nile-side café/bistro/ patisserie inspired by downtown cultural salons, and the objective of the design was to capture the Egyptian zeitgeist and translate it in both form and function to create a venue for Nile-side dialogue and the free exchange of ideas.
The design of the space was based on the three main physical aspects that define the heart of Downtown Cairo (namely Tahrir Square); open space, a central locus, and vertical boundaries. The floor was composed of cobbled stone representing the map of downtown Cairo while the shelving lining the walls was inspired by the buildings dotting the horizon of the area around Tahrir square.
Folding glass doors were used to allow an unobstructed view of the Nile from the restaurant and to emphasise a strong indoor outdoor connection. Continue reading

Dahabeya Nubia

Dahabeya Nubia
Hedayat with her team at Eklego worked on the interior layout, finishing and furnishing of this award winning floating home on the Nile.  Consisting of six en-suite rooms, a reception/dining room and two outdoor decks, the boat was finished in white washed floors throughout. Each bedroom was meticulously furnished with the approach of mixing old with new.  Antique wooden night tables were placed alongside modern upholstered plush beds, while re-purposed villagers baskets for laundry collection were placed alongside white washed oak closets.  The walls of the main corridor of the bedrooms’ floor is adorned with cherished photos of the owners’ families dating from the first half of the twentieth century. The reception upstairs and the dining area were fully customised.  An overall whitewashed effect is interspersed with colourful antiques, prints and a dark Thonet marble topped side table. The inside area flows into he outside deck with the whitewashed feel enveloping the entire boat which was designed for leisurely relaxing floating on the Nile.

Continue reading

Chelsea Town House

Chelsea Town House

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. 

Continue reading

Parsons Green

Parsons Green

LONDON TERRACED HOUSE | RESIDENTIAL PROJECT
SCOPE
Le Corbusier once said: "The home should be the treasure chest of living."

That was the approach adopted for this Victorian home. Subtle textured walls and pale colours serve as an effective backdrop for the owners’ art collection. A contemporary crystal chandelier glorifies the reception and accentuates the Victorian detailed ceiling medallion.
A mirrored bar cabinet displays the glittering colourful glass collection of the occupants. Honed light limestone floors morph into the white washed oak planks in the reception, kitchen and dining room. The seamlessness of the floors render the space an etheral quality and a neutral backdrop to the very colourful nature of the furniture.
A shabby chic feel infuses the house with serenity while pops of colour found in the backdrop of the kitchen render the living space a happy quality.

This home was featured in Homes&Gardens, October 2015

Continue reading

Pyramid Hills Villa

Pyramid Hills Villa

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

Continue reading

MAADI DUPLEX

MAADI DUPLEX
MAADI DUPLEX | RESIDENTIAL
Eklego design
BRIEF

A complete interior refurbishing and remodelling of this home. This ground floor duplex in the leafy Maadi suburb of Cairo was designed to maximise the functionality of the compact space and reflect the owner’s passion for classic furniture and unique flea-market finds. Classic mouldings and cornices are mixed with sleek hardwood floors and a modern glass banister to create an elegant neoclassical home that is light, airy and warm. Powder blue walls in the formal reception are offset by egg-shell mouldings and classic furniture pieces upholstered in a mix of modern patterns and leather. A floor-to-ceiling antiqued mirror creates a dramatic feature in the dining area, while the cosy informal living area features a vibrant mix of wallpaper and artwork. Continue reading