Eklego Restyles Its Zamalek Showroom as a 20-Year Retrospective
Every few seasons, Eklego Design Studio's Zamalek showroom undergoes a quiet, deliberate transformation. This time, the shift is as nuanced as it is intentional—trading in the bold, saturated palette that once anchored the space for a subdued layering of earthy neutrals.
'We previously had a very intense aubergine and dusky pink palette dominating our showroom which had been part of telling the story of our previous HELM furniture collection,' Emma James, Creative Director at Eklego, tells SceneHome. 'So for this latest rendition we really wanted to celebrate some of our favourite pieces from the collections that have evolved over the last 20 years and allow them to be the focus and for the walls enveloping them to provide a backdrop for this to take place.'
Rather than introduce a single new line, the redesign is more of a retrospective—a curated celebration of Eklego's legacy. 'The intention was not only to strip back the walls to let the furniture speak, but to do so in a way that feels contextual, local, and rooted in memory,' she adds.
The result is a space that's rooted in place and inspiration as to how much storytelling is possible even within a simpler palette. 'This is felt in part through the sourcing of local fabrics, the stripy green cotton is a fabric often seen in Egypt on tenting and car covers and is now reimagined as the slipcover on our Exchange sofa,' James explains.
Textiles carry as much narrative weight as the furniture they dress. 'Art with themes of local botany and architecture are another layer of meaning,' James adds. 'The intention was for the colours to be layers of neutrals pertinent to the environment in one way or another, that really engage the person in the space, nurturing but also connecting to the world beyond the walls. Allowing people to envision these pieces in their own spaces in a way that is relatable but also unique.'
Central to the new palette is the use of paint by Cairo-based brand GEB Finishes. 'We are working with GEB, a company that burst onto our local market with really exquisite colours inspired by a historically Egyptian palette,' says James. 'These finishes are in micro-cement and they will be launching a limewash collection soon!'
Paint names become a quiet poetry of their own. 'Hedj Kenit in the Main space and Dining space, with the alcoves in this space enhanced with Desher 006, 007 and Kem Desher 008, 009 and 010. Kem Desher in the Living Room to the right. Almond in the corner living space.'
Styling, in this updated showroom, relies on an intuitive push and pull between materials and mood. 'We really focused on building interest by layering texture and sculptural objects and furniture pieces,' James says. 'We covered a pair of chairs in naturally dyed Egyptian cotton with a motif of eucalyptus leaves initially created by laying out leaves on the fabric itself creating a gradation of greys.'
Patterns and forms are echoed subtly, forming a recurring visual rhythm. 'Repetition of one shape in various materials and sizes and applications—for example spheres of wood, glass, marble and alabaster in the forms of furniture, lighting and sculpture—become a theme you will find repeated and connected throughout the space,' James notes.
Colour, too, becomes structural. 'We definitely considered the undertones of the neutrals selected,' James explains. 'For example, in the Kem Desher Living Room, we found there to be undertones of pink within this mushroom tone and so leaned into this further with warm chocolate-stained wood finishes and hand-blown glass that also had a similar tint.'
While pink might not be an obvious choice for a minimalist aesthetic, James leans into it with subtle confidence. 'In this space I would say you feel the pink mainly in the undertones of the colours. It is much more flattering for residential interiors, favouring the face more than greener undertones do.'
Her reference is as romantic as it is practical. 'Old school decorators used to line the insides of table lamps with pink silk for a more attractive light to be cast on the company around,' she says. 'Some of the alcoves were completed in the more terracotta and less sugary shades of pink, flattering the Egyptian butterfly botanical prints hung within. These tones really do stand up well in a neutral conversation and are easy to scheme with the aspects of a neutral palette more familiar to us.'
In the end, this latest showroom rendition feels like a study in restraint—but one that speaks volumes. A reflection of design that doesn't need to shout, but knows exactly what it wants to say
Photography: Eklego
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