A golden glow drapes across the Orman Residence in Giza, where designer Yasmina Makram has masterfully reimagined a beloved 1980s-era apartment into a living homage to Cairo’s storied past. Nestled near the Orman Garden and offering sweeping views of the Pyramids and the Cairo University dome, the residence is now a refined blend of nostalgia and modernity.
Makram, born in the same decade the apartment first came to life, approached the project not just as a design challenge but as a deeply personal exploration of memory and place. The Orman Apartment—home to an elderly couple who moved in during the golden age of Giza—was rich with sentiment. Her renovation retains that emotional resonance, layering in chinoiserie wallpaper, sculptural furniture, and vintage upholstery with soft, contemporary accents.
“The 1980s in Cairo had a quiet boldness,” Makram shares. “It wasn’t flashy, but it had confidence. That’s what we wanted to capture—not just visually, but emotionally.”
Makram’s vision unfolds like a love letter to the city. Rounded arches welcome you into each room, their curves subtly tracing the era’s architectural language. A dramatic one frames the living space, its soffit lined with silver trim. Nearby, an antique Émile Gallé lamp glows gently in the corner, whispering tales of Art Nouveau elegance in leaf-shaped shadows.
The apartment’s palette is warm and enveloping—sunlight streams through wide windows, bouncing off golden-yellow wallpaper and polished wooden surfaces. From nearly every angle, Cairo’s layered history comes into view: the green serenity of Orman Garden, the academic gravitas of Cairo University, and the iconic pyramids anchoring the horizon.
“This apartment is a timeline,” Makram reflects. “A space where decades converse quietly with each other.”
Art Deco undertones infuse the residence with sculptural poise. A walnut bookcase, detailed with burl patterns, anchors the living room like a museum piece, while custom oak flooring brings visual rhythm. The centerpiece staircase—a floating structure framed with a sleek metal railing—feels both grounded and dreamlike, a poetic echo of ‘80s form language.
Curated to the smallest detail, every item in the apartment has intention: delicate figurines, textured artworks, and en fer forgé furniture combine to create a cohesive yet eclectic harmony. Even the wallpaper—bold in the bedroom and entrance yet balanced in tone—was selected through rigorous historical research into the decade’s interiors.
Makram sees her work as the convergence of intuition and logic, shaped by confidence and clarity. “Design isn’t just about aesthetics,” she explains. “It’s about knowing how to evoke emotion, how to make space feel lived-in, rooted, and timeless.”
With this Orman Apartment transformation, Yasmina Makram proves that design can indeed be a bridge across time—where the past is not merely remembered, but lovingly reimagined for the present.
Photography by Sara Gaafar Studios.
