{"id":345239,"date":"2025-11-03T11:26:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T16:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=345239"},"modified":"2025-11-03T16:03:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T21:03:10","slug":"the-egyptian-revival-reigns-again-in-luxury-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/the-egyptian-revival-reigns-again-in-luxury-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Egyptian Revival Reigns Again in Luxury Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once fit for pharaohs, the opulent designs of ancient Egypt still find their way into high-end interiors today, writes Kate Youde<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Yasmina<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yasmina Makram\u2019s interiors for the Nile Jewel apartment in Cairo, Egypt. Photograph: Sara Gaafar<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Egyptian-Lebanese designer <\/strong>Omar \u2018Chakil\u2019 El Wakil moved to Egypt from France in 2019 it was not his intention to \u201cresuscitate ancient Egypt,\u201d but to create contemporary furniture that showcased local crafts and materials. However, he has since fully embraced ancient Egyptian references in his work, after being convinced by French gallerist Victor Gastou. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, the designer\u2014under the name Omar Chakil\u2014launched a striking collection of 17 pieces in collaboration with <\/strong>Galerie Gastou <\/strong>at PAD Paris design fair. United by the theme of transcendence, these works in Egyptian alabaster reinterpret ancient Egyptian animal deities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the reasons why I decided to go more in that direction is because I see how much it resonates with people,\u201d says El Wakil, who was raised in France. The alabaster itself also drew him in. \u201cThe transparency of the stone is one of the reasons why ancient Egyptians used to create all these artifacts, thinking that it would take them into the afterlife,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd as a matter of fact I have a feeling that it did, because we still remember them many thousands of years later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Omar<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Omar Chakil\u2019s scarab beetle-inspired Resurrection coffee table. Photograph: Billy Doss\/Galerie Gastou<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our enduring fascination with ancient Egypt is evident in the wealth of current exhibitions about the civilization around the world. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is exploring ancient Egyptian deities in \u201cDivine Egypt,\u201d<\/a> until January 2026, while Hong Kong Palace Museum will show 250 loans from Egypt\u2019s museums in \u201cAncient Egypt Unveiled<\/a>,\u201d opening November 20. In \u201cMade in Ancient Egypt<\/a>, at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, UK, until April 2026, the focus is on the craftspeople behind some staggering artifacts produced between about 3100-30 BCE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Sir John Soane\u2019s Museum in London, \u201cEgypt: Influencing British Design 1775-2025<\/a>\u201d highlights the impact of the ancient culture on architecture and interior design in particular. On the back of Napoleon\u2019s Egyptian military campaign (1798-1801), designers and architects were able to see Egyptian objects for the first time, explains Erin McKellar, the museum\u2019s assistant curator of exhibitions. This led decorative elements, including winged sun discs, obelisks, sphinxes, cavetto cornices and the pylon forms seen at temple entrances, to find their way into European homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Installation<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Installation view of \u201cDivine Egypt\u201d at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photograph: Anna-Marie Kellen. Courtesy of The Met<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Egyptian style began being used from a relatively early date in the home to cultivate an intellectual atmosphere,\u201d explains McKellar. The Soane exhibition includes a Wedgwood teapot from 1810 with a Nile crocodile on the lid, and a desk set, dated 1798, with an inkwell in the form of a canopic jar\u2014the vessel that held the internal organs of a body during the mummification process.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

British interest in ancient Egypt flourished throughout the 19th century, McKellar says, boosted by the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the erection of Cleopatra\u2019s Needle in 1878, both in London. But it was the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun\u2019s tomb in Egypt\u2019s Valley of the Kings that sparked a second global wave of Egyptomania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Triad<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Triad of Osorkon IIca. 874\u2012850 BCE, Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, Paris (E 6204) Photograph: Mathieu Rabeau \u00a9 Mus\u00e9e du Louvre, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais \/ ArtResource, NY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The subsequent art deco design period drew heavily on ancient Egyptian influences. The Singer Sphinx sewing machine, made popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and a khayamiya\u2014a textile appliqu\u00e9 used for tents\u2014both feature in the Soane show. \u201cWe know these were marketed widely,\u201d says McKellar of the khayamiya. \u201cThey would have been used in all sorts of forms, from fabric hangings to cushion covers, essentially to bring that little bit of Egypt into the home.\u201dIn contemporary interiors, the ancient civilization is typically represented through this art deco lens, says Alex Kravetz, principal and creative director at Alex Kravetz Design in London. \u201cThey\u2019re very subtle [connections],\u201d <\/strong>he says. \u201cNot too Egyptian because the danger is to take the interior a little bit too far and I don\u2019t think anybody wants to be in that style, strictly speaking, today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Egyptian<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Egyptian revival motifs in the bar at Denham Place, Buckinghamshire, UK. Photograph: Alex Kravetz Design<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bar Kravetz\u2019s studio designed for Denham Place<\/a>, a restored Grade I-listed country estate in Buckinghamshire, UK, includes a console inspired by the Egyptian revival style present in early 19th-century decor. The table is supported by a gilt sphinx, says Kravetz, while the apron has \u201cpseudo-hieroglyphic\u201d panels and \u201clotus\/papyrus-style\u201d repeating borders. There are cavetto-type mouldings and a black marble base with gilding that echoes temple stone and gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cairo-based studio Yasmina Makram also draws subtly on Egypt\u2019s history for its luxury interiors and includes a \u201csmall nod to ancient Egypt,\u201d says founder and creative director Yasmina Makram Ebeid. The entrance to the Nile Jewel apartment the studio completed in the Egyptian capital in 2024 draws on the \u201copulence\u201d of Egypt in the 1950s and 1960s, she says. It also features black-and-white marble flooring inspired by the lotus flower, a prominent symbol in ancient Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ceramic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ceramic statues from Yasmina Makram\u2019s Hotep series. Photograph:Yasmina Makram<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the studio\u2019s homeware designs include the pharaonic temple-inspired N\u00fb chair, which Makram Ebeid says draws on proportions and forms of furniture in Cairo\u2019s museums, and the Hotep series of ceramic statues inspired by canopic jars and ancient Egyptian gods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Makram Ebeid thinks designers continue to use ancient Egypt as a reference point because the civilization and its makers \u201cwere so ahead of their day\u201d in terms of architecture, lighting and materials. As she notes, it remains a mystery to this day how the pyramids were built. \u201cWhen you look at the forms of what they\u2019ve left behind, it\u2019s so contemporary,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/em><\/a>Live Like Downton Abbey: An Ode to English Country House Style<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once fit for pharaohs, the opulent designs of ancient Egypt still find their way into high-end interiors today, writes Kate Youde Yasmina Makram\u2019s interiors for the Nile Jewel apartment in Cairo, Egypt. Photograph: Sara Gaafar When Egyptian-Lebanese designer Omar \u2018Chakil\u2019 El Wakil moved to Egypt from France in 2019 it was not his intention to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770370,"featured_media":345244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1399],"tags":[1444,1472,1480],"class_list":["post-345239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-and-design","tag-germany","tag-new-york","tag-portugal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Egyptian_Triad-of-Osorkon-II.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1rOn","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":346491,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/color-chart-the-joys-of-a-classic-green-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":345239,"position":0},"title":"Color Chart: The Joys of a Classic Green Home\u00a0","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"April 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Our monthly series asks: How do you bring color into luxury design? Green lends itself to older properties, thanks to its historic links, writes Jill Krasny Leinster, Ireland | Lisney Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Some homes make a lasting impression while others quickly fade from the mind. The design scheme is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hallway with green velvet enclosed sitting area and green wallpaper","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Green_London1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Green_London1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Green_London1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Green_London1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Green_London1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Green_London1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":347046,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/color-chart-the-joys-of-turquoise-in-the-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":345239,"position":1},"title":"Color Chart: The Joys of Turquoise in the Home","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"June 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Our monthly series asks: How do you bring color into luxury design? Turquoise is surprisingly versatile, writes Jill Krasny Islamorada, Florida | Ocean Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Some homes have a way of staying with you while others quickly fade from the mind. Almost always, the design scheme is the influencing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"turquoise seating arrangement on Turks and Caicos beachfront","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aqua_TurksCaicos1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aqua_TurksCaicos1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aqua_TurksCaicos1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aqua_TurksCaicos1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aqua_TurksCaicos1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aqua_TurksCaicos1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":345914,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/candlemania-the-art-of-traditional-home-lighting\/","url_meta":{"origin":345239,"position":2},"title":"Candlemania: The Art of Traditional Home Lighting\u00a0","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"January 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Designers are creating a warm, intimate home atmosphere with candlelight and elevated accessories, writes Francesca Perry Ramona Albert\u2019s Ramus candleholder subtly lights a bedroom. Photograph: Olivia Steuer In an electrified world, we may not need candles, but we certainly long for them, and in the dark days of winter, candlelight\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Candles","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":342702,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/inside-irelands-grand-country-homes\/","url_meta":{"origin":345239,"position":3},"title":"Inside Ireland\u2019s Grand Country Homes","author":"SIR Admin","date":"September 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"From storied castles to rural retreats, Irish heritage homes are being preserved and renewed, writes Victoria Woodcock The entrance hall at Summergrove Robert O\u2019Byrne has made a career out of wangling his way into incredible homes. \u201cMy life is going around visiting people, whether they want me there or not,\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":344581,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/on-the-scent-the-rise-of-fragrance-in-luxury-interiors\/","url_meta":{"origin":345239,"position":4},"title":"On the Scent: The Rise of Fragrance in Luxury Interiors","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"September 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Designing for the senses is the height of luxury. 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Photograph: Moro Dabron \u00a0 There is a moment in every remarkable home when something intangible takes hold\u2014not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/On-the-Scent_Amber-Boule.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/On-the-Scent_Amber-Boule.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/On-the-Scent_Amber-Boule.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/On-the-Scent_Amber-Boule.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/On-the-Scent_Amber-Boule.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/On-the-Scent_Amber-Boule.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":346000,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/now-is-the-time-to-sink-into-statement-sofas\/","url_meta":{"origin":345239,"position":5},"title":"Now Is the Time to Sink into Statement Sofas","author":"Natalie Davis","date":"February 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Luxury designers and homeowners are placing playful, bold and colorful seating at the heart of the home, writes Francesca Perry A luxurious purple sofa in the Zappa Nest guest house in the Hollywood Hills. Photograph: \u00a9 Clemens Kois Of all the spaces in a home, the living room is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"green and blue curvy sofas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Statement-Sofas_AnotherHuman.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Statement-Sofas_AnotherHuman.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Statement-Sofas_AnotherHuman.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Statement-Sofas_AnotherHuman.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Statement-Sofas_AnotherHuman.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Statement-Sofas_AnotherHuman.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232770370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345239"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":345255,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345239\/revisions\/345255"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}