Luxury Lifestyle Awards jury know that décor of our living spaces defies how we feel and how we act, therefore it is important to find a team of designers you trust, and you are at the same page with when it comes to decorating your residence or workplace. The winner of the Best Interior Design studio in Egypt, Mohamed Khalifa from Flair Egypt has mastered the art of listening to his clients and now talks challenges and victories of his business.

Dear Mohamed, during years as a head of your design studio you must have accomplished a lot of interesting tasks. Looking back at your career so far, what is the project you are mostly proud of?

In fact, each project embodies a challenge in accordance with its criteria: requests and limitations. I recall that two years ago, I met this married couple with a potential interest in our services. The moment they started to talk about their project, I felt that they had a robust passion for interior design as both a science and an art; they were very excited to start it and it always lights my fire to deal with people who know design. However, during the briefing, I understood that there are limitations to what can be done. First, they resided in the same house we were supposed to renovate and work in; second, they had a very tight time frame as they were expecting a newborn. Well, these constraints represented a real challenge which we validated and accepted. Through proper planning and full commitment, we managed to deliver a 400 m² fully finished and furnished project in less than three months with a premium quality and according to the stipulated financial plan. My clients were content and that was the project I am mostly proud of. It has revealed the solid potential of my crew and it has proven how dedicated we are to our profession.

That sounds like a real challenge and a great learning curve for your team. What else have you learned in the decade of business operations? What piece of advice could you give to your younger self from where you are now?

Over the past 10 years I’ve learnt that nothing beats hard work, it is essential to succeed. I have learnt that there is no better investment than constant education; it’s a lifetime process and extremely vital in a fast-moving industry. I have also learnt to never judge an opportunity, because you never know what this opportunity could mean in the future. Another valuable advice is that the power of communication can’t be underestimated.

What do you mean by that?

Communicating effectively can prevent the rise of almost any conflict. When you are just beginning your business, be confident enough to accept your faults. No one is perfect. Learn from your slips and transform them into valuable experience, that’s what I’d say to myself or anyone who is building a company.

Thank you for these precious words of wisdom. Can you please tell us what approach to client service does Flair Egypt have? How did you learn to listen and interpret what clients want in their interior?

Keep your eyes and ears open. We try to avoid a certain design idiom, instead we draw inspiration from different directions and we bring fresh and innovative approach to the design industry. As professionals we provide tailored interior design solutions that echo the identity of our client. We offer a range of design services to ensure the integrity of our projects. We believe that interior design is an interactive process whereas proactive communication plays a central role. We listen to our clients and pay full attention to their requirements and needs, we note down their preferences to the finest detail to guarantee a blueprint that reveals their signatures.

Mohamed, what helps you stay competitive in the industry?

We rely on our potential strengths to stay ahead of the industry trends. Our ability to deliver premium and flexible design solutions that compete at the highest level is achieved by binding our solid experience with our verified design credentials. Our talented and skilled designers are critical to our success; driven by passion, they fuel innovation and shift the business forward.

What project or partnership do you dream of taking? How far do your ambitions go?

We are looking forward to working with international developers to create branded interior design concepts. Constantly striving to do better we aim to become a worldwide trendsetter and a global icon in the industry as an international service provider.