Samak and Laban Shouldn't Go Together, Except at This Studio Downtown

Samak, meaning fish, and laban, meaning milk, are things that shouldn’t go together—much like the items that decorate SamakLaban Creative Studio, the furniture brand’s first live location in Downtown Cairo. Lampshades made from jean scraps and plastic bags against a white brick wall stand next to plaid-cushioned chairs that roll on a floor made of marble scraps.

“We’re eclectic as hell,” founder Farahnaz Hany declared proudly. She welcomed me into her brand new showroom in an outfit as eccentric as the space she curated, with the help of her sister, interior decorator Nadine Helmy. The showroom doubles as a cafe, restaurant, event venue, and even art gallery—and everything is for sale, even the sinks and bathroom mirrors.The furniture store launched online in summer 2025. Downtown Cairo was not on their radar for their in-person location, but when Hany saw this spot, she thought: “This could be sexy.” And, it is.

If you’re not looking as you walk down Mohammed Farid street, you might miss SamakLaban all together with an entrance tucked off the sidewalk. Hany planned to blend into the street intentionally as a sign of respect to her neighbours.

“We're trying to remain in our small little square—clean and respectable,” she said.
 “We're not imposing.”

SamakLaban also designed to maintain architectural continuity with the surrounding buildings. They used elements from the building itself, like the plant pots and marble for their flooring. The most striking element of the facade, though, is the floor to ceiling glass doors with black metal overlay that glides with the fluidity of the milk the store is named for.

Once inside, the first floor opens up to a loft above, separated by a spiral staircase. Each piece of furniture, light, and shelf decoration has a story and distinct aesthetic, but blend together in aquatic harmony. The ceiling is made of waves from wooden panels and draped fabric, and the pieces of broken marble peaking out from the white floor look like seashells on the bed of the ocean. And there are fish everywhere—on SamakLaban’s trademark book ends, the chandelier, and as a stand alone gift on the red bookshelf. The quirky details keep your eyes darting from surface to surface, asking for explanations. My personal favourite was the mosque microphone transformed into a lamp on the top floor.

SamakLaban also collaborates with designers to platform their work, like Aliaa Badr’s painted chairs and Adham Aboudoma’s stunning paintings depicting the details we overlook in Cairo, like the Saddam Hussein stickers on taxis.

If upstairs is for studying, and downstairs to enjoy a coffee, the basement is for a date or hi-fi listening session. The low, jagged ceiling, and dim lighting make any time of day, night. Hany is excited to host private music events here soon. The tables on each level are also meant to enjoy the SamakLaban menu: drinks complete with coffee, herbal teas, and homemade fermented sodas, and food prepared by chef Adham Ramadan, that draws from southern Egyptian cuisine and the tastes Hany enjoyed as a child—like baladi sausage gyoza, babaganoush with sun-dried pesto, and halawa cheesecake.Sitting by the front door, drinking a latte, Hany explained that they designed the space to be small and intimate, because, “We really want to talk to every person,” she said. SamakLaban Creative Studio is now open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM.