“We basically took the form of the barge on the Nile, which inspires images of the outdoors and summer, [and] turned it into an outdoor sofa,” said Hedayat Islam of design firm Eklego, which specialize in fusing different elements from both past and present, various cultures and art forms to produce unique furniture and product …

“We grew up with wood — wood around us all the time,” said Cherif Makram who, along with brother Rami, is the third generation in a family of furniture producers and designers. The family brand is Hardwood Furniture Company, started in 1935 by their grandfather with a specialization in retro and Arab-inspired designs. Today, their …

Once used to ventilate houses and hide women from strangers outside, the mashrabiya wooden lattice work is today played with by architect and product designer Shahira Fahmy, revealing a new use for the exquisite craftsmanship of the woodwork so particular to Egypt. Her contribution to the +20 exhibit at Beyt El-Suhaymi is a glass topped …

In an unprecedented initiative, Cairo was suddenly a very appealing place to be for Egyptian furniture designers, design enthusiasts and curious residents of Old Cairo. The +20 Egypt Design exhibit was organized for the first time this year, in conjunction with the annual Egyptian FURNEX exhibit that displays local Egyptian furniture companies and brands. Showcased …

Karim Mekhtigian is an Armenian-Egyptian who for 15 years practiced architecture and design in Paris. Ten years ago he came to Cairo to work on one project, which quickly led to other commissions, prompting him to consider moving back. Today, with two additional partners, his design firm Alchemy has a reputation amongst Egypt’s design cognoscenti …

BUCHAREST: Italian and Romanian authorities have dismantled a human trafficking network which sexually exploited more than 150 women including minors in the peninsula, police said Friday. "There was a joint action in Italy and Romania today" to detain "procuring and human trafficking suspects," a statement from the Romanian police said. Fifty-seven people, most of them …

Italian brand Poliform is synonymous with presenting consumers a very particular philosophy: stylistically compatible component parts with a touch of Italian suaveness. The lifestyle it offers is simple and refined, yet aesthetically there is never a compromise. Whether it is accessories, sleek kitchen counters, a bed or shelving, the versatility of their modular systems and …

Carlo Giorgetti has a lot to be pleased about this year. He is in his mid seventies, and has watched his family’s furniture company Giorgetti evolve over the years to become a company of contemporary furniture with a talented team of select designers, a family of their own, creating pieces that are elegant, timeless, and …

The Salone Internaztionale del Mobile held once a year during April in the Italian design capital of Milan is a must see. It is there that Italian furniture companies present their latest designs and products, each brand vying for attention by demonstrating it creativity, design innovation and advancements in design technology of that year. Stands …

BEIRUT: Lebanese security officials say police have detained two men suspected of taking part in last month’s lynching of a murder suspect. Egyptian national Mohammed Muslem was stabbed to death on April 29 by an angry mob in the Chouf mountain town of Ketermaya. His body was paraded through town and hanged from an electricity …

To meet Rosita Missoni in Cairo due to fortuitous chance is a case of serendipity. To meet her a second time in Milan during the busiest time of year in her own showroom is both a treat and an eye-opener into the world of Missoni. We met last June during the opening of the Art …

LONDON: The Conservatives won most seats in a landmark general election but Britain was left Friday with a hung parliament as the party failed to land a knock out blow against Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Plunged into the kind of political uncertainty the country has not experienced since 1974, Conservative leader David Cameron insisted …

The victimization of Lebanon in art has become both boring and redundant to the Lebanese; their experiences have has left indelible marks on the memories of the children of the civil war, now grown up and weary about politics. Joe Kesrouani is one such artist. “My life as a voyeur began with peeping through keyholes. …

Archaeologists have unveiled the remains of a revolving banquet room built by the Roman emperor Nero, who ruled between 54 and 68 BC and was famed for his depraved and extravagant lifestyle, a statement said Wednesday. The circular dining space, part of Nero s Golden Palace on Rome s Palatine, Esquiline and Caelian hills, was …

Chocolates that melt into a gooey mess at the bottom of a bag on a sweltering day are one inconvenience that people living in the warmer parts of the world know all too well. But this may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a firm in this chocolate-loving country where chocolate is …

The Italians are known for doing many things right: suits, shoes and food, among others. But they are also ahead of the game when it comes to furniture design and lighting, a tricky aspect of interiors that requires not only the mind of an engineer but the captive eye of a true artist. The makers …

It is so easy to overlook where one treads their footsteps. In our contemporary lives, our floors are neglected as we live above ground level on couches. That is the argument of Nani Marquina, a Spanish textile designer who was the first to work on the concept of designer rugs. Marquina studied industrial design in …

Rosita Missoni clearly loves life. She also loves the simple luxuries of life, and so it comes as no surprise that she has created a home interiors line that honors the philosophy of her iconic brand. Along with husband Ottavio Missoni, Rosita Missoni is a leader of patterned knitwear, having established the brand in 1953. …

When the crown price of Holland was getting married, the country marked the occasion in different ways, most notably with design interpretations. Commissioning Edward van Vliet was Bijenkorf, Amsterdam’s largest department store, which marked the occasion by displaying the designer’s interpretation of a throne in the form of two modern armchairs. The armchairs are light …

Poliform is so unbearably cool, its furniture must be designed with a suave Bond man in mind. By collaborating with different artists, Poliform also produces furniture that is boldly colorful and confidently patterned Established in 1942, this Italian brand is renowned for offering high quality products at fair prices, keeping ahead of the multitudes of …

Zara, the high-street fashion brand made its debut in Cairo Thursday morning, opening its doors to hundreds of customers who gathered around the store waiting for the clock to strike 12 noon. US President Barack Obama’s historical visit to the capital and all the traffic detours didn’t stop some ardent fashionistas from showing up. Nothing …

Over the past week, Egypt’s fashion aficionados and socialites were either shopping at Carl Kapp’s trunk show or talking about it; it was the first time the Australia-based South African has brought his designs to Cairo. Kapp launched his self named label in 2006 and before long, cultivated a cult following that includes Nicole Kidman …