Scandinavian Home Styling with Nina June

Enjoy the little things. Sure, you could have a mesmerising marble coating all across your interior, and a glamorous skylight that brightens up the whole room, yet even with all that you can still feel like there is something missing. That personal touch that fills your home with feel and memory. Nina June is a furniture and styling brand founded by Sara Hamza to bridge the gap between the moment your house is designed, and when you move in. She does this with a philosophy that is Scandinavian in its styling, oriental in its soul, and charmingly vintage.

“Spaces capture your heart when you can relate to them, like memories of your grandma’s house,” Hamza tells SceneHome. The brand is named after Hamza’s grandmother combined with her mother’s middle name, because she wanted the brand to be about everyone other than herself.

Hamza studied product development in Denmark, and when she moved back to Egypt, she worked on Alchemy’s furniture collections with Karim Mekhtigian. That being said, she had an entrepreneurial dream that was constantly delayed. “I started with a footwear brand and another that imported vintage furniture from Scandinavia,” Hamza says, describing her previous brands Shibshibi and House of Vintage respectively. “Now, my focus is entirely on this brand because it hit a sweet spot, the idea of creating an entity through which people and designers can collaborate on enriched spaces.”

While Nina June works on residential projects, it launched with its first furniture collection in 2019, with a focus on collaborations. “I believe that when many creative minds work together, you get great results,” Hamza explains, claiming it as a lesson learnt from Danish culture. In one of those collaborations, she paired Maram Nazmy’s abstracted sculpture of Queen Nefertiti ‘Titi’ and a rough textured wall covering from Wally’s Wallpaper with a regal lighting fixture from House of Vintage. The centrepiece, however, is the buffet designed and produced by Nina June. It presents its Scandinavian inspiration with its straight minimal lines, standing on rose gold legs with white marble on the top. “We like to hold on to our identity but through a modern lens,” Hamza adds.

Nina June’s styling packages are client oriented with some encompassing entire projects from inception to completion, and others focusing on particular spaces. “Feedback has been really positive,” Hamza says. “We cater to the clients’ way of life, how they like their home to feel, and then we add our touch to it.”

In the outdoor living space of a summerhouse, a client felt there was a missing link between the architecture and design of the house, and its final look. “They wanted a vibe that wasn’t completely boho, but felt luxurious while being earthy so I used reclaimed wood that has a past,” Hamza says, pointing at the dining table that she fashioned and paired with a sleek sofa decorated with cushioning from local Egyptian brands. The side console, meanwhile, is a pedestal used for scented candles and cane wrapped lighting fixtures. Nina June designs and produces most of the furniture they use, but occasionally they like to purchase ready-made items and even recommend them to their clients.

Now, if that sight doesn’t change a thing or two in your upcoming summerhouse fantasies, this suburban Cairo home demonstrates Nina June’s indoor transformations. “They had three boys so I wanted to create a setting that is somewhat masculine,” Hamza says. A leather sofa centres a mid century-inspired living room, along with an ergonomic chair covered by the fabrics of one of Hamza’s favourite designers, Inca & Co. Metal marks its presence in the coffee tables and a sliding door that keeps the space private.

“I don’t think people should come to me for stuff they can do themselves,” Hamza says. To address this, she plans to release a DYI series to share her knowledge. “I like to share my mood boards and tag my item sources as it builds trust with my clients, a sense of transparency.” On that note, Nina June’s packages are planned at flat rates that are reasonably priced. Hamza is keen on making her services available for everyone.

Bringing the furnishings of an interior design to reality is a specialty of Hamza’s, one that is appreciated by her clients, homeowners and designers alike. Whether it’s a piece of furniture that completes the mood of your home, or an entire styling set up that sets it with a thoughtful and endearing approach, Nina June is one brand that should not be overlooked. Stay tuned for their upcoming winter and summer collections.