Whew, what a journey this has been! I never anticipated remodeling a home to be this involved. I mean, I never realized there were so many tile choices and almost identical shades of white. WHITE! If you have been following me on Instagram, you have probably seen these design dilemmas unfold. From our backyard deck falling apart, to our white walls coming out looking purple, remodeling our family home has been more than I imagined it would be. Has it been frustrating? Absolutely. But boy, am I immensely grateful for it all. Alhamdulillah! I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to even buy a home, let alone redesign it to my liking. I know this is a huge blessing and want to use it to show other Muslims/moms how they can create a home that celebrates their identity and raise proud Muslim children.

The Inspiration

The vision? A modern, Muslim home (with all the elements of luxury and quality I infuse into Days of Eid products) that still feels warm, cozy, and welcoming. Simple, clean & minimal. A canvas with which I can do anything I want. It is important for me to keep it fairly simple so that I can change the decor with the seasons and incorporate Islamic art inspired pieces that remind me and my family where we come from. 

The Process

In many ways, I approached designing my home the same way I approach designing a Days of Eid product: pulling modern design trends and mixing them with Islamic Art elements.  I intentionally designed the home to be family & faith centered. With two boys, I specifically selected materials that are very durable and simple while designing-- vinyl flooring, quartz countertops made sure the spaces that our family would use together would take up most of the floor-plan, an expansive family room, a loft for entertaining, a kitchen where we can all cook together.  

It is so difficult to find products that look authentically Islamic art inspired, and not a stereotyped version of what someone thinks that would look like. I searched and searched for lamp fixtures and hardware that are reminiscent of the architecture of the Muslim world,  but there isn't much to choose from. This process has rejuvenated my mission to fill this niche, and tell deeply rooted story of Islam and design with the voice of someone who is Muslim. Muslims deserve accessible home decor pieces that tell their story. 

The Outcome

Designing a home was really interesting in that it allowed me to deeply consider exactly what was important to me— and what wasn't. 

I knew from the get go that i did not want the infamous “untouchable” Arab living room. You know, the room with invisible yellow caution tape around it that only the most elite of guests stepped a (shoe-less!) foot in maybe twice or three times a year. I wanted to utilize all the space I had and give each corner of our home a meaningful purpose. So I chose to use the formal living room as a prayer room instead. This will be a space  where my family and I can worship  and reflect together. I hope that when family, friends, neighbors walk in, they are reminded of God and of our beautiful faith. 

Hosting large  family parties and celebrations for the children  is both something that i enjoy and that is very   important. There’s nothing like the loud exchanges over dinner, family legends told by the elders, and ceaseless laughter at jokes only our family would find funny. I made sure to keep sitting and eating areas spacious and open so these happy voices can echo throughout the house and fill as much space as they can. 

We previously lived in a townhouse so hosting people was difficult due to lack of space, and I am so looking forward to being able to show people my hospitality more now.