Ottomans & Bassinets: Sway Your Little One in Style With Lilo

There’s no greater delight for a decorator than dressing up a home nursery. The colours, the fluffy shapes, the toys and wall art - and of course, the baby crib in the centre of the room, inspiring ‘Oooos’ and ‘Aaaahs’ from your family and friends. But the thing about babies is that they generally grow up, and one way or another your nursery will be rendered redundant. Even its previous occupant will one day dismiss it as ‘baby stuff’ - baby stuff, they said! The crib has dedicated months to your service and soon it will be time to toss it out.

Or, sisters Lina and Lobna El Emam thought, perhaps not. Perhaps a crib can exist outside the nursery. What if your crib can fit into the aesthetics of your living room, where it can serve as an ottoman? Not quite baby stuff now, is it? The sisters founded Lilo Baby Home, a luxury home décor brand based in Egypt, in 2021 in order to bring their vision of stylish and versatile bassinets to life.

“I was pregnant at the time and we wanted to find a crib that was different, but we couldn’t find anything that fit the theme of our bedroom,” Lina tells SceneHome. She majored in marketing at the AUC while Lobna studied at the Luxury School of Business in Paris where she focused on luxury brand management. “Most of the cribs we found weren’t compatible with rooms that have a clear visual style.”

The sisters had early experiences with furniture, working on frames and side tables when they were young. When it came to Lilo, their idea was to make convertible baby beds that are turned into functional furniture. “To execute the idea with all its technicalities took us over a year of research and trials to get every last detail covered in the final product,” Lina recalls.

The bassinets are as functional as they are sleek; they are made out of velvet and stand on stainless steel legs that are covered with gold. Materials were key in displaying richness and luxury, and they were all picked with the highest quality. All the products are manufactured entirely in Egypt.

“Everyone has a unique room, hence we need to be flexible with what we’re offering,” Lina continues, referring to how Lilo’s bassinets work in different visual environments. “The idea is that if the mum’s room is classic or contemporary or has any specific style, then the bassinet would complement the room without breaking away from its look.”

There is an issue that all parents face, which is that babies grow up. Not that excessive energy at two in the morning is unwanted but in the sense that their possessions, clothes and furniture lose become redundant. “They are usually stored or thrown away, so we wanted to create something that was practical.”

During its launch at a furniture exhibition, Lilo Baby Home found its audience amongst renowned Egyptian architects and designers who were impressed with the idea and even more so with its implementation. As for TV presenter Sherif Madkour, hosting the Lilo duo on his show was his way of showing love for the brand. “He found great value in our products and spoke to us about the need to export,” Lina adds.

While they are taking their baby steps towards expanding into the region, Lilo is poised to release an upcoming collection of bedsheets and blankets, carrying on their demonstration of how luxury can still be practical while addressing the needs of many families in a lovely manner.