Her house, which contains only handmade materials, is decorated with stones, gold, pictures, pearls, carpets and other jewelry. With all the raw materials being imported from Malaysia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Turkey and Italy, it is no wonder her thoughts came alive slowly but surely.
Magnificent to say the least in its intricate details and costly materials, it is not surprising that it was a painstaking process.
Simsim, a Saudi businesswoman who studied general management at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, turned her longtime passion for interior design into her own business of designing gifts, decorating rooms and organizing birthday events.
Stones of different hues decorate the main entrance of her home, which give it the feeling of living in a real cave. The abode, however, is decorated with classic and modern materials.
She used the ornate and the ordinary into a schematic plan to bring about the effect she wanted in her home. After the striking entrance, the main hall has three different kinds of traditional decor. With the walls are dressed up in stones, gold, pictures, and complementing that are pearl chandeliers of different colors.
The fusion of tradition and modernity continues into the dining room that is unique as its walls are covered with gold shavings. The porcelain table is decked with a large number of colorful crystals, necklaces and small photos that refer to the early romantic age in England. The table’s motif blends with its shape that resembles traditional tables used in the countryside of England.
While the table exudes vintage England, the chairs that go with it are made in Malaysia for the touch of the Orient and the seats in distinct Arab and oriental styles. “I sent the chairs’ designs to a factory in Malaysia where I told them to make them look like the traditional chairs used by the families in the countryside. I then covered the seats with Syrian and Malaysian fabrics,” explained Simsim.
When she decorates a room, she lets her imagination inspire her. “When I was decorating my house, I did not have a general style in mind, and I did not know which materials I would be using. I only depended on my imagination and memories. As a result, my home now has no nationality, but shows different civilizations and reflects the different European ages,” she said.
The living rooms are wide spaces. There, she several materials such as carpets, old photos from different ages and photos of the Roman era to bedeck the floor. After she posted these pictures, she embellished them using different materials and colors.
“Here, I bring about the effects that reflect traditional life in caves. I used the wood to build a wooden stand for the TV. To lend it a modern look, I decorated the area around it with fabrics made in Malaysia and Syria,” she said.
Just a bit off the living room, Simsim built a very traditional kitchen where the floor décor is festooned with spoons, forks, knives, glassware, plates and copper, to bring a touch of the old, with the modes and utensils used by generations to prepare food.
“The basement is considered the widest space at my home; that is why I chose to decorate it with gold shavings and butterflies that look like the famous photo of ‘Escada.’ I also used carpets, but I studded them with crystals, necklaces, photos and many other materials,” she explained.
From the basement roof hang chandeliers of crystals shaped in artificial grapes. “At the entrance of the basement, there’s a cupboard that I designed, and it is decked with Romans, women to the left and men to the right. But the designs have a variation with the legs of the designs changed to resemble lion’s legs,” said Simsim.
The basement is connected to the first floor by stairs and the area behind the stairs is decorated with crystals in addition to a waterfall. The idea was to use an artificial waterfall made from different crystal colors and sizes. At the bottom where the water collects, Simsim put several artificial plants that reflect light.
Furthermore, a tiger fabric was chosen as the wallpaper and covers the area that surrounds the stairs. She also posted Qur’anic verses, tiger photos and many accessories on the fabrics.
In the reception, Simsim continues the water theme with a number of jars, which flow with water. In the front area, there are small tables to play chess, and with all the windows in her house being small, the home gets a cottage effect.
You will never find anything that is not handmade in Simsim’s house. “All the decorations are made and designed by me. I never use any modern piece. Everything is made to match with the decoration and reflect the general idea. I reflect my idea through the ground, walls, sofas, chairs, swimming pool, artificial gardens, plants and chandeliers,” she said.
“I am using all the materials that can make a difference, and can decorate homes using any material. I can also implement whatever comes to the person’s mind, such as gold shavings, natural stones, jewelries, necklaces and crystals,” said Simsim.
According to Simsim, the use of gold shavings is not an exaggeration. “Any professional work takes a long amount of work. Because I use materials that nobody imagines using — such as iron, cement, porcelain, plastic and wood — the duration of work can take longer,” she said.
Simsim is appreciative of the fact that during her early days she received moral support from Princess Noura bint Ahmad bin Abdulaziz and financial and moral support from her parents.
Now Simsim is ready to translate other people’s ideas and dreams. “I have many ideas, but I am ready to discuss what people are looking for. For example, I can decorate a home with fishes. It could be like a seabed,” she said.
Simsim’s dream is to develop and decorate several locations in the Kingdom. “My dream is to draw the story of the opening of Makkah in the airport. In addition, I hope to express our past and development by decorating the airport and tourist destinations, ministries, restaurants, wedding halls and hotels. By doing that, people who visit Saudi Arabia can know everything about the Kingdom,” she said.
