Making a West Facing Balcony Usable in New CairoThe balcony you paid extra for is unusable from two until sunset. Shade is the whole answer, and there are more options…The Design Notes
Working notes on planning, materials, lighting and process, written from live projects rather than trend reports. Practical reading if you are about to start a home.
Making a West Facing Balcony Usable in New CairoThe balcony you paid extra for is unusable from two until sunset. Shade is the whole answer, and there are more options…
Design Decisions That Actually Lower an Electricity Bill in CairoMost of a Cairo electricity bill is cooling. Almost all of that is decided by choices made during the fit out.
Replacing Developer Finishes You Did Not ChooseThe apartment came finished, and you dislike most of it. Here is what is worth removing and what is not.
How to Renovate in Phases When You Cannot Do It All at OnceDoing a home in stages is sensible. Doing it in the wrong order means paying for the same work twice.
Pet Friendly Interior Design in Cairo That Still Looks GoodA home can be designed properly and still survive a dog. It just has to be decided at the material stage.
Designing the Service Room in an Egyptian Home ProperlyIt is on almost every Egyptian plan and designed on almost none of them. Here is what it actually needs.
Where the Washing Machine Should Actually Go in an Egyptian HomeThe balcony is not a laundry room, and the kitchen is not much better. Here is how to plan one properly.
What to Do With a Long Narrow Corridor in a Cairo ApartmentEvery Egyptian apartment plan seems to include one. Here is how to make it feel like part of the home rather than…
Buying Furniture Online in Egypt Without Regretting ItThe photograph is flattering, the dimensions are optimistic and the return policy is a phone number. Here is how to buy safely.
Furniture Lead Times in Egypt, and What to Order FirstThe apartment is finished and you are sitting on a rented chair for two months. Ordering in the right sequence prevents that.
Designing a Dark Room With Little Natural LightPainting a dark room white usually makes it look grey. Here is what actually changes how light a room feels.
Reducing Dust in a New Cairo Home: What Actually WorksCleaning every surface daily and finding it grey again by evening is a design problem as much as a cleaning one.
Wall and Ceiling Cracks After Finishing: What Is Normal and What Is NotHairline cracks in a home you finished six months ago are not always a defect. Here is how to tell which ones…
Bathroom Water Leaks in Cairo Apartments, and How to Prevent ThemThe first sign is usually a phone call from the neighbour downstairs. Here is what causes it, and the stage where it…
Damp and Mould on Walls in Cairo Homes: Why It Keeps Coming BackRepainting a damp patch hides it for one season. Here is how to find what is actually feeding it, and fix it…
What to Do When a Contractor Walks Off Your RenovationThe calls stop being answered and the site goes quiet. Here is the order to do things in, before you hire anyone…
Why Renovation Costs Go Over the Quote in New Cairo, and How to Stop ItAlmost every renovation that goes over budget goes over in the same five places. Here is where the money leaks, and what…
How to Compare Finishing Quotations in New Cairo Without Getting Caught OutThree quotations, three very different numbers, and no way to tell which is honest. Here is how to read them properly before…
