Egyptian Designer Sherif El-Taher Designs a House for All Ages

Egyptian designer Sherif El-Taher takes us through one of his favourite projects, a home built entirely around family life. What he loved most was shaping a space that could bring a large, multi-generational family together, with areas that respond to different ages, interests, and ways of gathering. Every corner of the house reflects that care, making togetherness the heart of the design.

El-Taher also embraces a touch of maximalism and the unexpected, which is evident from the moment you enter. At the entrance, a central installation in Alicante marble marks the threshold, combining contemporary polish with textured, rock-like surfaces that reappear throughout the home. Materials, colours, and details carry seamlessly from one room to the next, creating continuity without repetition. Islamic-inspired patterns are etched into doors and frames, while subtle touches like leopard-print upholstery add texture and warmth.

As you move through the house, a subtle gradient of browns transitions into burnt orange, linking traditional references to contemporary finishes. The dining area embodies this approach: a single oversized table accommodates the entire family, with a surface that pairs Alicante marble and Black Marquina in an organic pattern. Custom lighting above mirrors the palette, keeping the design coherent while giving the space presence.

Rather than being treated as secondary or tucked away, the home’s quieter spaces are designed as natural extensions of the main living areas. The same marble, patterns, and lighting language carry through, allowing these rooms to feel visually and spatially connected to the reception and dining spaces.

At the centre of the plan, a key intervention redefines the home’s circulation. One of two original staircases was removed and replaced with a courtyard, drawing natural light deep into the core. Within it, oversized marble spheres sit almost sculpturally, introducing a sense of play and reinforcing the home’s maximalist edge. The remaining staircase becomes a feature in its own right, spanning four floors and anchored by a statement fireplace, turning circulation into a place of pause rather than passage.

Living spaces are scaled for gathering. Two interconnected living areas on the ground floor remain visually open to one another, allowing larger groups to sit, interact, and move fluidly between them. A second statement fireplace anchors the main living space, creating a natural point of convergence where the family can come together.

The basement shifts the mood entirely. More relaxed and informal, it brings together a billiards area, a kitchenette, and a cinema setup where a screen descends from the ceiling in front of a large, lounge-like sofa designed to gather everyone. A series of showers near the pool area adds a layer of practicality, responding directly to the rhythms of daily family life.

Across the house, the design choices are disciplined: fewer materials, repeated strategically, with open layouts and oversized furnishings to bring people together. Every space is interconnected, designed not for single moments but for daily life, creating a home where family connection is built into the architecture itself.