Space S Designs a Summer House Etched in Mosaico on the North Coast

On Egypt’s North Coast, a twin villa has been reimagined as a sculptural retreat shaped as much by craft as by the rhythms of family life. Hand-formed mosaico and terracotta accents create a summer home that feels breezy, while its layout mirrors the rituals of summer living: mornings by the sea, afternoons in the rooftop jacuzzi, and evenings gathered around the open kitchen. Designed by boutique studio S Space, the house is carved around earthy materials and sculpted details, blurring the line between architecture, furniture, and landscape.

“The client wanted something breezy, beachy and fun,” Sarah Abdou, Founder and Chief Designer of Space S, tells SceneHome. “Not mellow, but earthy, with one pop of colour. In our case, it was the terracotta clay tone.” The warm shade runs throughout the villa, appearing in kitchen cabinets, accessories, art pieces and sculptural accents. Used as a thread across spaces, it energises the earthy palette and brings vibrancy to the cool summer setting.

Mosaico, a material once popular in coastal Agami homes and tied to a sense of nostalgia, becomes the project’s defining medium. Revived here in a contemporary language, it forms the kitchen island, dining tables, bars, and even the outdoor shower and rooftop jacuzzi. “Most of the materials we used were formed by hand, so everything feels built into the architecture itself,” Abdou explains. The sculpted jacuzzi, with its glass side revealing the water within, becomes a playful centrepiece on the roof terrace, echoing the handcrafted shower below.

The villa’s architecture extends seamlessly into its furniture. Many pieces were designed and built as part of the structure itself, moulded in curves and softened edges. The rest were custom-made in collaboration with Modoro, who produced the beds, commodes and seating that echoed the same sculptural language. Each detail reinforces cohesion, giving the home a curated organic identity.

Local craftsmanship runs through the project. Accessories and artworks were sourced from Egyptian artists, while the hardscape draws on local marble, broken into fragments and pieced together like an intricate puzzle. “The client didn’t want grass because of the maintenance,” Abdou recalls. “So we replaced it with marble fragments, vertical greenery, palm trees and pebbles. Even the roof terrace is surrounded by plants to soften the hardscape.” Through that, the garden feels as sculpted as the villa itself, and the hard materials are balanced with vertical bursts of green and softer textures. Lifestyle rituals anchor the design. “They go to the sea in the morning, rinse off in the outdoor shower, then use the jacuzzi in the afternoon,” Abdou says. “And since they love cooking, the kitchen was designed as open and central to anchor the hosting area.” In this way, the villa frames the personalities and summer rituals of its users, imprinting their soul and happiest memories into the architecture itself.

Ultimately, the summer house is a study in how local craft, hand-formed materials, and contemporary design come together to create a cohesive narrative. "We wanted everything to look like it had grown there, not like it was brought in," Abdou reflects. That sense of organic continuity captures the essence of a seaside retreat: relaxed, sculptural, and alive with detail. Photography credits: Sherifa Hamid