Mona Hussein Design House

Specialized in Interior Design.

Mona Hussein Design House

About Mona Hussein Design House

Mona Hussein is the creative force behind her Cairo-based design office Mona Hussein Design House. Discovering her passion for design, she first launched a lighting showroom in 1993 for which she did both the interior design and the products. Honing her knack for interior design, she then established her design house which has now expanded into architecture, landscape, furniture design and branding. As a designer Mona Hussein understands the importance of creating unique and inspiring spaces for her clients, whether the project is residential or commercial, interior design or landscaping. "It is understanding a client's vision for their project and then translating that into a functional design that makes this job so gratifying." Being part of an award winning project "Designopolis", Mona Hussein has made her mark on many of Egypt's most elegant homes, hotels and commercial projects. Amongst her most prevalent projects is the design of Cilantro, Egypt's renowned and international coffee house brand. Some of the firms other great accomplishments include many of El Gouna and Makadi Bay residences and hotels , as well as commercial projects which include Sodic's Sales Centers, Allegria mock up villas, to mention but a few. Leading a creative and ambitious team of designers, Mona Hussein keeps the creative juices flowing by encouraging the team to seek inspiration from the smallest of details and always to innovate. Sharing with them the most recent developments in the international design scene ensures the team remains stimulated and continually evolving.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Interior Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Interior
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Interview with Mona Hussein Design House

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I studied 'Management' and 'Art' at the American University in Cairo. Because of my love and passion for design, I decided to be a designer;however, I haven't always wanted to be a designer until working for years in different fields that I found my aspiration to be a designer.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Mona Hussein Design House was founded in 1993 where I first specialized in interior design, and then later on the company grew and expanded to architecture, branding where I then later developed "Mahally" and was able to specialize not only in interior design, but also product design.
What is "design" for you?
Design to me consists of many things;it consists of expressing your feelings, and your personality. My life in general is about design. Design surrounds me in my every day schedule whether in my house, work, food and even the presentation in which it comes. Design is in my daily life, and design for me is life itself.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
My favorite design would be the "Cove hotel" in United Arab Emirates. The Cove hotel is a Five star Rotana hotel and I designed every single interior of it. My main inspiration for this hotel came from the Egyptian culture.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
The first thing that I have ever designed is a restaurant in El Gouna, called "El Khan".
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
My favorite material that I like using are Brass and copper. I also love Corian.
When do you feel the most creative?
I feel the most creative when I find a challenging task to work on or when I'm challenged.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I tend to focus on the aspects of functionality, aesthetic factors, innovative ideas, and having a design that tells a story.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
I feel happy, excited and rejuvenated when I am designing in general, because to me designing isn't just a career; it's a life style.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
When one of my designs is realized, I tend to feel ecstatic, but also feel that I can do better than this.
What makes a design successful?
In order for a design to be successful, it has to fulfill a need, fulfill a dream or desire, and create a bond between the people and the designer, or just even a bond between the people themselves.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
I tend to consider certain factors such as the trends, creativity and the sustainability of the design itself.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
The responsibilities of a designer would be that they have to take into account that they have to maintain the culture, address sustainability and recycling, and educating.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
The design field is evolving in a way that has become an important part of everyone life. No one can live without design because it's a key aspect.
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
We don't participate in any exhibitions yet, and it's undecided when we want to hold our next exhibition.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
My design inspiration comes from our Egyptian culture. I feed my creativity by looking at websites, design magazines, and visiting exhibitions to get an inspiration.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
My design style would best be described as contemporary, modern and modernizing old styled art that has been forgotten. I decided to explore this style because of it's uniqueness, and because it's an international trend. The main characteristics of my style would be that it creates harmony and gives you a warm feeling to it. Mona Hussein's approach to design is that she has to understand the project clearly, understand the clients needs, and the design itself has to create a story.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I live in Cairo, and I feel that the cultural heritage of Egypt affects my design greatly. The pros during designing as a result of living in Egypt is that there are lots of opportunities to design and the con would be that many people look down upon 100% made Egyptian products.
How do you work with companies?
We work with different types of companies and different sized in harmony to create good relations.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
My suggestions to companies for working with a designer is that they should work together and consider them as partners. Companies can select a good designer by look at the companies reputation in the market, looking at the companies profile and their previous work.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
To me, the design process consists of a few stages. First stage is the pre-concept, second stage is the concept itself, third is the design development and fourth would be the FF&E (Furniture fixtures and equipment).
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
Five of my favorite designs at home would be my Sofa long (Sofa I designed myself), my marble coffee table, my guest's bathroom, the architecture of my villa, and the flooring.
Can you describe a day in your life?
A typical day in my life consists of waking up at 7:00 Am, eat & finish my breakfast, and shower by 8:30 AM, I arrive at my office by 9:30 AM and have meetings with clients, supplies, staff, and visits if required.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
My wisdom to young designers would be that you should always work with integrity and passion.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
A pro for being a designer would be that you're always growing as a person and that being a designer is never a boring career. One Con for being a designer is that you need to compromise crucial elements of your design that your clients insists upon, but it's crucial for the design itself.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
My golden rule in designing is that you always think it through until you're 100% sure.
What skills are most important for a designer?
I believe that the skills that are most important for a designer is that they need to be creative, reliable, knowledgeable, and they need to have certain exposures.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
The tools that I use in my designs are Auto-cad, Photoshop, and 3D illustrator. My inspiration comes from books, and magazines.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
I manage my time by staying organized and managing my meetings with my coordinators.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
The length of time for designing an object from beginning to end depends on the project itself, and the size or space that you're having to work with.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
The most frequently asked question to me is: "Where do you get your inspiration from?"
What was your most important job experience?
My most important job experiences was "The Cove" hotel in UAE. It dealt with doing contemporary Arabic design with a low budget.
Who are some of your clients?
Some of our major clients include Sodic, Sama Bay, Cilantro, and TGI Fridays.
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
I don't have a specific type of work that I enjoys the most; I simply enjoy all work retaining to design.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
My future plans include developing our local brand "Mahally", and opening new doors to product design to the middle class people. I also want to use more recycled material goods in my products.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
We work as a team, because teamwork is very important to me. Each person has a role, and the people in the office trust and count on each other to finish their roles because in the end, we all need and depend on each other.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
One of my work in progress is Fouka Bay Beach Landscape Design as well as the Architecture, Interior design and Landscape for Hyde Park Club House in Cairo.
How can people contact you?
The Polygon Business Park Building 03, D2, 4th floor, Sodic West, P.O.Box 12451, Km38m Cairo – Alex Desert Road, Sheikh Zayed City, Giza, Egypt. T: 002 01227498221, 002 01060687877, 002 02 38653245 The Waterway Compound, W Mall Building B, BFO4, 1ST Floor, P.O.Box 11835, Al Mostathmereen Al Shamaleya, New Cairo, Cairo, Egypt. T: 002 01028588004, 002 02 225390097
Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
We are over 40 people that work in design and landscape. One of our accomplishments include Art Symposium. We made two of them in which one pertain an Egyptian 'person' during the revolution and one was about functional art.

Designer of the Day Interview with Mona Hussein Design House

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I first launched a lighting showroom ‐Temple of Light‐ in 1992 in the World Trade Center of Cairo. In 1993, I established Mona Hussein Design House –MHDH- Office, a 26 years old company by now.
How did you become a designer?
I began with lighting design and I had my own lighting store- Temple of Light – it was my very first business endeavor after 5 years of working as a client’s relations manager at Tarek Nour Advertising. I had then my first interior design project - El Khan Restaurant at El Gouna.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Harmony and Function, everything becomes in harmony when blended together, I’m not that person who choose the most beautiful and expensive piece of furniture to add in my work, I believe beauty comes from harmony, and I believe less is more. My interior designs offer a comfortable space, and I like to go for naturals materials.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I feel happy, excited and rejuvenated when I am designing in general, because to me designing isn't just a career, it's a lifestyle.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
I studied 'Management' and 'Art' at the American University in Cairo. Because of my love and passion for design, I decided to be a designer, however, I haven't always wanted to be a designer until working for years in different fields that I found my aspiration to be a designer.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
My biggest dream comes with Mahally product design, I’m looking for Mahally to become an international brand, and that it helps in giving a value-added product design in Egypt.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
The most important thing is to love and feel passion about what you do, be honest and dedicated to work, always work hard and try to make things happen.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Share your experience, so people get inspired by your stories, and try to teach people something, because I believe, education can make everything better.
What is your day to day look like?
A typical day in my life shortly is waking up at 7:00 Am, eat & finish my breakfast by 8:00 AM, usually, I walk for one hour just before I arrive at my office at 9:30 AM and start meetings with clients, suppliers, staff, and have site visits sometimes.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I keep reading and searching for new things, always updated with websites and magazines, and we regularly invite many suppliers in our design house to present their products and show us the latest technologies they have in the field of design, that helps the team always to stay updated.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
I tend to consider certain factors such as the trends, creativity and the sustainability of the design itself.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
In order for a design to be successful, it has to fulfill a need, fulfill a dream or desire, and create a bond between the people and the designer, or just even a bond between the people themselves.
What is your biggest design work?
The "Cove hotel" in the United Arab Emirates is my biggest design work, I custom made and designed every single piece in the interior, from lighting, ceiling, flooring to furniture and products. My design inspiration for the hotel came from Egyptian culture.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I live in Cairo, and I feel that the cultural heritage of Egypt affects my design greatly. The pros during designing as a result of living in Egypt is that there are lots of opportunities to design and the cons would be that many people look down upon 100% made Egyptian products.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I believe each one should have his own life portfolio, a balanced portfolio, you work, and you play, so when you are committed and reliable at work, you’ll achieve so much in the addressed time and you’ll be able to have the rest of the time for your play, whether it’s a family time or friends or other. The point is that you should concentrate, be fast and fulfill anything you do first, the whole secret is how to be condensed and fast and how you set your priorities. The more you feed your talent and keep the hard work, the more you become sharper and precise.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
In 2013 I started Mona Hussein Interior Design Academy, an educational program that gives a full design course in everything related to interior design, following that, we wanted to expand the idea, so we are currently working on the Landscape Academy and the Product Design Academy. The Academy is a platform for us to share our real-life experience with the students, teaching them the whole process of design, starting from meeting client all the way to a full tendering and site supervision package. Also, we launched Mahally Design Award in 2015, a freestyle Egyptian Product Design competition tends to invite talented designers to create individually new local furniture, lighting & accessories inspired from Egyptian culture.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
I remember when I first attended the A’ Design Award with the Positive & Negative Paravent in 2013, I liked the idea and thought, why not launch our competition, to encourage young Egyptian designers to come up with locally designed and manufactured products in Egypt. And it was the time when I decided to launch Mahally Design Award.

Extended Interview with Mona Hussein Design House

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I Received a Bachelors of Arts and Business Administration from the American University in Cairo. After graduation, I was offered a full time job as an account executive in the number one advertising agency, American. I eventually became the client relations manager for 3 years until it was time for me to begin my own lighting designs, as I always had a passion for art and design.
How did you become a designer?
I had this idea that I want to do something on my own, something I always have a passion for, and that was product design, specifically lighting units, and that’s how I started.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Yes, I choose to become a designer, although my mind is business oriented, but I think I have the balance between both art and business.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I began with designing lighting units, then interior design, product design, landscape and architecture. I love product design and I still want to bring out more of it.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
The first and most important thing is to love and feel passion about what they do, be honest and dedicated to work, always work hard and try to make things happen.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
A good designer, is someone that keep things safe, but great designers would push the boundaries of design, they are not afraid to try something new and they will keep at it till it happens. They always think out of the box.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
Generally, a good design should be aesthetically pleasing, innovative, and Avant-garde, for product design, it should be useful, derived from a need, accessible and timeless.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Good design takes people to a higher level, it takes the product from being a product to a fine designed product, good design elevate you’re mood. Whether you are using it or not, it feeds your soul and imagination and makes you think.
What is your day to day look like?
I would love to design a compound for the Elderly alongside one for the youth. Its purpose is to benefit both from each other.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
You need to be a task oriented, set your priorities and organize everything so you can move forward and achieve what you really want. Talent alone is not enough, you just have to feed it by constantly seeing historical sites, traveling, attending exhibits and surfing the net for inspiration from nature and others.
Who is your favourite designer?
The Cove hotel in UAE, I custom designed and produced every single piece in the hotel.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Find their inspirations, be courageous and try something new, read and research, work hard and concentrate, organize their priorities and give each task a specific time to achieve.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Design is the culture. Design just like poetry, music and art, they is part of the culture, when you see it, you are taken to a higher emotional level that makes your soul and mind pleased.

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