This Gorgeous Gouna Home is Raw & Rugged on the Red Sea

It takes a special design approach to create relaxed spaces with a pared-down aesthetic and still manage to be visually captivating. Ghazalawy Designs and interior designer Heba Fareed managed to do just that when they collaborated on the design of a coastal residence in El Gouna. Guided by Japandi, a blend between Scandinavian and Japanese interior design, the designers applied a muted palette and an emphasis on natural elements to deliver spaces that exude familiar warmth and peaceful minimalism.

“The client used to travel a lot and wanted to settle down in El Gouna. He is a frequent sailor, always at sea, so he wanted a home that had an earthy mood,” Moaz El Ghazalawy, founder of Ghazalawy Designs, tells SceneHome. The design gets its rawness from the natural wood and stone used throughout the spaces, similar to what you would experience at the Casa Cook hotels in the red sea haven. Walls gradually alter from a calm tone, becoming darker and more textured until it adopts the concrete’s rugged look, which itself is contrasted by wood. While a coffee table is literally made out of a rock, the choice of flora is what confirms the natural visuals, as pampas add a sense of airiness and a soothing punch of natural colour to a space that is minimally hued.

“We didn’t want it to be overwhelming, opting instead for a subtle approach,” Fareed says of the muted colour palette used in the living room. The cozy furniture within has its soft textured upholstery fabrics coated in grey, beige and a faded shade of green. Avoiding the ornate, these seaters stand on a bohemian rug with irregular patterns which partially covers the marble-chip terrazzo used for flooring throughout the residence. “There aren’t any reflective surfaces here,” Fareed continues. “Everything is muted and withheld to make for a calming space.”

Common within the Japandi design philosophy is the use of natural materials to make furniture. A bamboo chair and a light-yet-sturdy wicker buff offer alternative seating in the living room while rattan is used for the dining table in a kitchen that has light grey ceramic tiles used to match the neutral surfaces of the abode. “We did not stick to a specific mood or style, it has a Japandi look that is slightly rustic with hints of contemporary design,” El Ghazalawy explains. The result of this collaborative effort are neutrally hued spaces with plenty of natural features that make this an ideal home to get back to after a long fishing trip.