At every turn Egypt's capital tells the tale of two opposites: the old and the new. This artfully restrained – and yet impeccably layered – apartment in Cairo effortlessly balances tradition and modernity, speaking of a new generation that's in equal embrace of their past and their future.
The island of Zamalek in central Cairo, surrounded by the Nile, is home to one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the city, dotted with established gardens and mature trees, and characterised by elegant, historic buildings.
One such building, constructed around the early 1920s, is the setting for this stylish, cosmopolitan apartment, decorated by the Cairo-based interior designer Yasmina Makram. Her clients, a young professional couple, wanted to create a long-term home in which they could one day raise a family, and an interior with a timeless design. “They wanted a space that could be functional, while also tying the context of the apartment with a contemporary feel,” says Makram. “We intended to create a chic home with heritage, inspired by the apartment’s iconic setting.”
Aiming to maintain the innate ambience of classic Zamalek homes, she focused on renovation and restoration, rather than giving this apartment in Cairo a total makeover, paying homage to its high ceilings and original features while bringing it up to date for a modern lifestyle. “We also kept the traditional layout of a long corridor with different zonings,” she says, “adding contemporary elements in the lighting, the furniture and the decor.” The imposing, original black marble fireplace, for example, is given “a grand moment” as the focus of the reception room in which it is located, where it is flanked by modernist black wooden chairs by Egyptian brand Don Tanani and a coffee table by Giorgetti.
To create a strong connection with the local setting, Makram took inspiration from Zamalek’s Aquarium Garden – founded by Khedive Ismail in 1867, making it one of the country's oldest and most well-known gardens – which the apartment faces, and the colours and forms of the nearby palm trees – an influence that finds its most direct expression in the exuberant palm-motif Casamance wallpaper used in the bathroom, and the flamboyant Palmette glass chandelier in the reception room.
The wider surrounding natural landscape is further referenced in the palette of colours and patterns that Makram selected to punctuate the neutral background of the apartment, reflecting the combination of soft and bold colours seen in Egypt’s natural environment. While understated off-white tones highlight the high ceilings and refined period features such as the panelling, the deep forest green on the walls of the entrance hall is a nod to the ancient trees nearby and effortlessly bring the outdoors in.
Similarly, the rich burnt orange colour used in the dining room, and echoed in the upholstery of the armchairs in the living room, is, says the Egyptian designer, “a colour that is often seen in the mountains of Egypt and in the desert; it adds warmth to the space”. It's these subtle nods that not only root the project in its locality, but also bring character and depth to decidedly modern design scheme.
Throughout, she combined Italian designer furniture with custom-made pieces that utilise and honour traditional Egyptian crafts and local materials, alongside pieces handed down to the couple from their families, including locally made sculptures and artworks.
A custom-made bar, designed by Makram, has been placed in the sitting room, facing the windows, so that the clients can sit together with a drink, facing the Aquarium Garden – an apt vignette in an apartment that is inextricably linked to its unique setting, and designed to serve as a timeless sanctuary at the heart of the city.
