Coccinelle Studios Debuts in Cairo With Soulful Home Details

Founded by Cairo-based creatives Engy Kandil and Yasmine Montasser, Coccinelle is a home decor studio that favours a detail-first approach over fleeting trends. Their debut collection, composed of five cushions and two runners, captures the studio’s core philosophy: design that respects tradition while speaking a contemporary language. “We don’t see modern and traditional as opposites. For us, they’re part of the same conversation,” the founders said. This idea highlights the meeting point that shows up in every layer of Coccinelle’s pieces: patchwork that feels both curated and intuitive, colour palettes that mix depth with lightness, and a balance of precision and imperfection only handmade work can offer.

The brand’s name - French for ladybug - was first suggested during a conversation about the launch collection’s vibrant patterns. Minutes later, a ladybug landed on Kandil’s hand. “It felt like the clearest sign that this wasn’t just the name of a debut collection - it would be the entire essence of what the brand would become,” Kandil told SceneHome.

Montasser’s artistic foundation and intuitive feel for materials and composition, combined with Kandil’s spatial sensitivity and eye for design, materials, and details, formed the backbone of their brand. Early on, they visited places like Khayameya, Wekala, Darb 1718, and Khan El Khalili to immerse themselves in what local artisans were working on and to fully understand the range of techniques and materials available - ensuring they stayed grounded in their design context rather than creating in a bubble.

That collaboration extends to the ground level of the process -selecting fabrics from Cairo’s markets, coordinating with artisans, even testing out filling densities for the cushions. “Our backgrounds complemented each other so well – from interiors and art to visuals and storytelling, we were able to handle almost everything in-house,” Montasser explained.

While ‘handcrafted’ and ‘heritage-inspired’ have become marketing buzzwords, Coccinelle’s work feels refreshingly grounded in its context. Their process often begins with a single fabric - sometimes one with personal meaning, like the vintage textile from Kandil’s late grandmother that inspired their “Eternal” cushion - and unfolds from there, one of their most meaningful pieces as proof of how something deeply personal can spark a whole creative journey.

Colour, too, is not an afterthought but a core part of their identity. With anchor shades like plum, mustard, and olive, the team builds visual tension through contrasting tones, layered textures, and unusual combinations. “We’re obsessed with how colours interact, how they photograph in different lighting, and how they play out across various textures and patterns. The end result might look effortless, but the process behind it is anything but,” they added.

Another key value is scarcity. By producing in limited batches, Coccinelle ensures each item maintains its individuality, allowing space for variation and artisanal nuance. As they explained, “In a world where mass production often overshadows individuality, it’s a reaction to the way mass production flattens everything.”

In a landscape where design often races toward novelty, Coccinelle Studios slows things down - offering a thoughtful, tactile, and deeply personal vision of what the pieces your home holds can look like when you let colour, craft, and memory lead the way.