Ziad Zaki’s Flat / Human Nature Design
Text description provided by the architects. Having previously worked with Ziad Zaki as a contractor, Ramzi Makram-Ebeid was already familiar when he became a client for this residential project. Getting to know Ziad from a different lens, he had to study his daily routine, his habits, and his style. Most importantly, he had to get to know the Ziad outside of work. After a couple of walk-throughs and “getting to know yous”, they decided to create a space that would evoke the spirituality of Islamic design while being Swedish in its zen and minimalism.
Function First – As always, Ramzi tackled the functionality and layout of the space first. The original space allocated the best views and sunlight to the bedroom, while the kitchen was small and the main bathroom was lackluster; Ramzi changed all of it. Makram-Ebeid swapped the living room with the bedroom to give it the best views, the main kitchen took over a central area while a smaller functional kitchen remained hidden. This allowed for enough space to revamp the bathroom, create a cozy office nook, and add storage to the hallway.
Style and Décor – The color scheme was based on the stunning green marble that Ziad had chosen. Its light beige hues Inspired him to use light woods throughout the space, Ramzi used a rich green for the doors, and the walls and ceiling were painted white for a crisp effect. The wall cladding is inspired by colored walls found in Islamic design, except Ramzi used wood. This feature allowed him to introduce recessed lighting and some texture to the space.
Customization – All furniture, with the exception of the bar stools and office chair, was designed by Ramzi. Ziad loves cooking so the main kitchen was made central and large; it triples in function as a kitchen, dining area, and bar. The cabinet’s pattern was inspired by a Moroccan Islamic design and kept minimal with the knobs and handles fitted into the pattern. The stools were manufactured at the same factory as the flooring and are extremely comfortable. Function first, style second is Ramzi’s rule for seating. To avoid water damage on the floor in front of the skin, a marble “rug” was added. Makram-Ebeid wanted to hide the kitchen hood and piping, so I added a little half-circle gypsum board cover.
The media center was custom-designed and inspired by the kitchen, however, it uses the color of the cladding and mashrabias to tie it all in. In front of the TV unit is an octagon custom-designed coffee table, which mirrors the light distribution above. The lighting pendant was inspired by yesteryears beautiful mosque pendants, like those in Cairo’s Muhammad Ali mosque. Inspired by mastabas, the sofa was custom-designed to be as large as possible, with an added counter for working, eating and TV-watching purposes. It is placed in the center of the room to walk freely around it with space for plants. Natural fiber, sliding shading units were also designed for privacy and to control the intense sunshine of Cairo’s summers.
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