When it comes to interiors that feel alive and expressive, Salma Elsayed is a name that comes up time and again. A graduate of the American University in Cairo (AUC) with a Fine Arts degree, Salma began her career in the art world, exploring exhibitions and photography before discovering her true calling: designing spaces that people inhabit, experience, and remember.
Her journey has taken her from private residences to high-profile hotels and restaurants, culminating in her latest project, LUHV at the Katameya Heights clubhouse. We sat down with Salma to talk about how her art background informs her interiors, her signature design style, and what goes into creating a space that feels both bold and inviting.
Where Art Meets Interiors
Salma started in art and photography before turning her eye toward interior design. “For me, photography, art, and interiors are deeply interconnected.”
She treats every space like a three-dimensional canvas, carefully shaping light, color, texture, and patterns.
Every detail in her interiors contributes to a larger story, creating spaces where people not only live but linger, connect, and experience the mood she envisions.
How Her Style Has Evolved
Salma’s early work favored neutral palettes, raw materials, and a relaxed, bohemian vibe. Over the years, she’s grown bolder, layering color, texture, and patterns to create spaces with mood and personality.
Her projects, from Villa Coconut Dubai to The Lemon Tree Athens, reinforced the idea that every space needs a strong sense of place. Balancing brand identity with the surrounding culture and environment is what makes a space feel authentic, personal, and memorable.
LUHV Katameya Heights: Two Stories in One
When Salma approached LUHV inside the Katameya Heights clubhouse, she had two parallel ideas in mind. One was to capture the warmth, intimacy, and moodiness behind the restaurant’s name. The other was to explore her love for mid-century design, interpreting it through bold forms, rich textures, and layered aesthetics.
“The first was to translate the meaning and emotion of the name into the space… and the second was to reflect my current design direction.”
The clubhouse setting also guided her design choices. LUHV needed to feel like a neighborhood hub, a space people would want to linger in for drinks, dinner, or casual conversation. It had to be welcoming, relaxed, and approachable, a home away from home for the community.
Happy Accidents and Defining Details
Some of the best moments in LUHV’s design weren’t planned. One late challenge with the wine fridge cladding became a defining feature of the space, adding personality and interest in an unexpected way.
“It ended up becoming one of my favorite design elements in the space, and a great example of how unexpected challenges can lead to the most satisfying design outcomes.”
She also ensures that every element serves the guest experience. Furniture, tables, and decorative details are selected not only for their visual impact but for comfort and functionality. “Beyond the food itself, the dining experience is shaped by comfort and atmosphere.”
Inspirations That Keep Evolving
“At the moment, I’m deeply inspired by mid-century design, its confident forms, warm materials, and effortless sense of balance feel both nostalgic and refreshingly relevant,” she says.
It’s a reminder that inspiration often comes from looking back, not just forward, finding ideas that feel timeless while still leaving room for your own interpretation.
Her past projects — from The Lemon Tree One Ninety to Le Sidi Boutique Hotel & Restaurant North Coast — continue to inform her work, reminding her that spaces are stories waiting to be felt.
A Space That Speaks
LUHV Katameya Heights reflects everything Salma Elsayed stands for as a designer: bold but welcoming, expressive but approachable. Every texture, color, pattern, and piece of furniture is deliberate, creating a layered, immersive experience for guests.
“Each restaurant or hotel is designed to have its own distinct identity, while still maintaining a unifying design language that reflects the overall brand vision of TLT Concepts,” she says. It’s that combination of individuality and cohesion that makes her work memorable, spaces that feel alive, authentic, and impossible to forget.
Salma’s journey from fine arts graduate to visionary interior designer shows how a strong creative foundation can evolve into something both practical and poetic. At LUHV, she’s crafted an experience, a story told through color, texture, and atmosphere.
Her work reminds us that great design isn’t just about how a space looks, but how it feels.
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