---
title: 'Words in the Heart with Hind Shahin | Finishing and Decoration with Eng. Hagar Salah'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=IuH9zy8cJBM'
video_id: 'IuH9zy8cJBM'
date: 2026-08-05
duration_sec: 647
---

# Words in the Heart with Hind Shahin | Finishing and Decoration with Eng. Hagar Salah

> Source: [Words in the Heart with Hind Shahin | Finishing and Decoration with Eng. Hagar Salah](https://youtube.com/watch?v=IuH9zy8cJBM)

## Summary

In this episode of 'Kalam Fi Al-Madmoun' with Hind Shahin, architect Hagar Salah from the Four H4H office discusses the essentials of finishing and decoration. She shares practical advice on budgeting, avoiding fleeting trends, and making smart design decisions for Egyptian homes, emphasizing the importance of planning and functionality over following fads.

### Key Points

- **Don't Follow Every Trend** [01:53] — Engineer Hagar advises against blindly following trends. She cites small bathroom sinks above the countertop as an example of an impractical trend that makes a mess and is unsuitable for small apartments or frequently used bathrooms.
- **Spend on Essentials** [02:53] — Clients should prioritize spending on built-in essentials like electricity, plumbing, air conditioning, and insulation. Hiring skilled tradespeople is also crucial. Saving on these can lead to costly repairs later.
- **First Three Decisions Before Starting** [03:41] — Before starting finishing, clients should: 1) Draw a plan on paper to divide the space and determine usage, 2) Plan appliance locations for electrical and plumbing installation, and 3) Consider lighting distribution to achieve the desired ambiance.
- **Common Problems in Egyptian Apartments** [04:38] — Common issues include doors opening into the living room, which can be solved by creating a passageway for privacy, and small kitchens. Hagar advises removing a guest bathroom next to the kitchen to enlarge it, especially for clients who cook often.
- **Signs of a Client Who Understands Design** [05:47] — A client who talks about mood, colors, lighting, and how they affect the feeling of the space shows they understand interior design and have hired an engineer to create a space they love, not just to finish the apartment.
- **Handling Pinterest-Inspired Clients** [06:40] — When clients bring pictures from Pinterest, Hagar discusses the mood and core elements of the design, then recreates it within their budget by suggesting alternatives or making a 3D model to visualize the space.
- **Materials to Avoid** [08:15] — Avoid cheap-quality keys, black marble (stains and tarnishes), and fabrics with holes or PVC with many holes as they collect dust and make the apartment feel worn over time.
- **Lighting Mistakes to Avoid** [09:09] — Two big lighting mistakes: using a single spotlight like a chandelier when it's not needed, and using all bright white daylight. Instead, create contrast with concealed lighting and use 3000 Kelvin for white light.
- **Curtains for Height and Airiness** [09:54] — Hanging curtains from the ceiling instead of above the window gives a feeling of height and airiness, adding a touch of luxury to the home at low cost.

### Conclusion

The episode emphasizes that successful finishing and decoration require careful planning, prioritizing essential investments, and making informed choices that stand the test of time. By avoiding fleeting trends and focusing on functionality and mood, homeowners can create spaces that are both beautiful and practical.

## Transcript

new episode of your program, "Kalam Fi Al-Madmoun" (Words in the Heart). As we've done every Wednesday, we're back with Dave, learning secrets from his profession. Today's episode will discuss an important topic that we continue to cover: finishing and decoration. To talk about finishing and decoration, we
needed someone with credibility and a proven track record in the field. And, as usual, we have with us Engineer Hagar, an architect from the Four H4H office. She'll be discussing every detail in the field, and she has a significant
every detail in the field, and she has a significant impact. She started with me and continues to do so because of her extensive experience. I call her frequently, saying, "Come on, Hagar, join me!" Honestly, she Hagar! Welcome! Let's start by telling us
more about yourself and your office. We are Four H4H, an office with seven years of experience. I'm an architect there, and I'm responsible I'm an architect there, and I'm responsible for design affairs in the office.  We have
for design affairs in the office.  We have you have a significant presence in the finishing and decoration field, even though we're young. But now, thank God, we have a lot of experience and are known by the name
lot of experience and are known by the name 4HM. Okay, we've talked about many questions in previous episodes, but now we're talking about trends. People are obsessed with them, same time, when someone tells you, "I want this or that," the engineer, of course,
never sees it as a big mistake that won't last for years. So what's the advice we give? last for years. So what's the advice we give?
We shouldn't follow every trend. We, as an office, have to see if the trend will last for us and the client's work, or if it's just a year or two and will disappear. For example, small bathroom sinks that are above the countertop. small bathroom sinks that are above the countertop. Of course, they're small and impractical at all, and they make a mess of
water. They're not practical at all. They're used, you know, in  The limits are very narrow, so I always advise clients whose apartments are small, or who have only one bathroom, or a bathroom that's used constantly, that it's not suitable unless they have four or five bathrooms and want to
use it as a decorative element for the living room. anything. Like with lighting, lots of lights in the plasterwork, of every type and style, that's not right either. I absolutely must
not just blindly follow the latest trends. Okay, great. You know that the finishing budget is very large, and when spending, one has to be a little more aware of what to spend and what not to spend. So I want to know which item you
advise clients to spend on without hesitation, and which item we might consider. What impact would this have on the client? We always tell clients to spend on the essentials, on what's built into the walls, on what they can afford if needed.  The problem is, I'll have to break things down
and turn everything upside down, so of course, I won't skimp on electricity, plumbing, air conditioning, or insulation. I'll also hire skilled tradespeople, not those who just skimp. This will make a huge difference compared to the extra 000 you'll be adding now; it'll save you 10 in the
long run. For example, I might use average items like the kitchen (I use it daily), electrical switches, and the tiles I walk on. I'm not saying you shouldn't skimp on these, but we should try to get materials that can withstand my use. I can
save on the walls, decorations, style, and basic elements—these are the simple things. Okay, now I have viewers on the screen whose apartments are just bare brick. I want to know what the first three decisions are before they start. The first thing
decisions are before they start. The first thing I'll say is, okay, three decisions. The first decision is to look at the area. I've already set the area.  He should draw his plans on paper and start dividing the space to determine what each space will be used for and what to place here. Secondly, he should plan
where his appliances will be so that when he's installing the electrical wiring and plumbing, he knows exactly where everything is. research it, and even create a 3D model. It's not necessary to create a
plan if he can't make a CD; the important thing is to have a good distribution of space, appliances, and lighting. This will make a significant difference in the final look of the apartment and the desired ambiance. As
desired ambiance. As Egyptian homes, every unit has its own architectural problems; that's a fact. This is a problem that clients face, so I want to know the most common problems Egyptian apartments face and their solutions,
and their solutions, especially in especially in older buildings.  All the doors living room. I
often encounter this in apartments, and we have to modify it by creating a passageway that accommodates all the doors. The goal is to ensure that when I enter the living room, I'm not encroaching on the rest of the house, which is important for privacy. This is a common problem. The second issue is that I
always find small kitchens. I always advise clients not to have them, for example, if there's a guest bathroom next to it, to remove it. These days, there are so many appliances that take this into account. This is especially true for male clients, who might not be as concerned about the size. However, if it's a
woman, she'll tell you, "No, I want the kitchen to be bigger." These are the two problems we face in most homes, and of course, we make the necessary adjustments. That's why I say a two-dimensional plan necessary adjustments. That's why I say a two-dimensional plan or blueprint is extremely important for anyone starting out. Now, I have a
question, of course, for every client, regardless of their expertise in finishing or decoration. What is the question?  What the client asks me, you say, "Yes, this you say, "Yes, this client understands." When a client comes to talk to me about the mood, they talk to me about, for
client understands." When a client comes to talk to me about the mood, they talk to me about, for example, what colors I choose. " example, what colors I choose. " What will this create in my mood? Will this suit the feeling I want for the apartment?" "For example, if I want lighting, they talk
to me about lighting, not about the colors and style of the sofa. They talk to me about everything. They discuss everything with me. Will this serve the mood I want? Will this serve what I want? For example,
I want a feeling of warmth. No, I want a feeling of variety, contrasting colors." When they start talking to me about these concepts, I know that they are someone who understands interior design and has hired an engineer, not just someone to finish the apartment because I'm busy or something. No, they've hired an engineer to create a space they love, a space where they feel a sense of
flow and ownership. That's what I sense in a client who understands interior design. So, how do you deal with this?  With a client who brings you a picture, literally from Pinterest, and says, "
I want one like this," but his budget doesn't allow it, right? Honestly, Mr. Hind, this is a problem we all face. We all want to copy, that's all. He's got a great taste, and
most of the pictures are really beautiful. So, because it's his choice. Then we start. I'll take these pictures from him and begin to recreate them in his space in one way
or another. I start by telling him, " These pictures of yours... for example, this means you're going for a flowing mood, a contrasting mood, a calming mood."
calming mood." We start discussing this mood with him, and I start by saying, "This picture tells you such and such." I start taking the basic elements that form the core idea he wants. And one
of two things: either I suggest old ideas from apartments we've done, from our work, old ideas from apartments we've done, from our work, or I start  I'll make it 3D for him, zoom in and zoom Okay, if he asks for something expensive, we'll definitely
apartment. You can't throw them away
in any apartment. I can't buy them or use them. No, for you, they're off-limits. We have n't like to buy cheap-quality keys. Black marble, which stains and makes a
noise, I also don't like to use too much of it in the apartment. I know some people like the color black, but I know some people like the color black, but we try to minimize it because it develops stains and tarnishes over time, and you always feel like there's dust around.  We
also avoid fabrics with holes or materials like newly released PVC with newly released PVC with many holes. These collect dust over time, and after a couple of months, your apartment will feel worn. So, I avoid these and advise people to do the same.
Now, quickly, the two biggest lighting mistakes that can make even the most luxurious apartment look cheap are: First, if you choose lighting for a space, for example, a single spotlight like a chandelier single spotlight like a chandelier
n't be needed in the space. Second, if all the lighting is bright white daylight, I all the lighting is bright white daylight, I completely avoid this because it will be irritating and
uncomfortable for the eyes. So, it's better to create contrast between the lights: concealed lighting, and the best lighting—if you want white light—then 3000 Kelvin. So, how can anyone increase the feeling of space and airiness in their home by adding...
This addition doesn't cost much; we'll call it curtains. Instead of hanging them above the window, hang them from the ceiling. They give a feeling of height and airiness. They give a feeling of height and airiness. This is the most important thing that gives a house a touch of luxury. It's definitely
necessary. Okay, I just want to say a quick thank you because time flies when I'm with you on our show, Ms. Hind. It seems like a big deal to time flies when I'm with you on our show, Ms. Hind. It seems like a big deal to
who support me. I hope to see you all again soon. I hope I'm doing well, Hagar, and I wish you continued success. Hagar is one of the people I truly rely on for all my people I truly rely on for all my information. When I'm finishing my apartment, I always call her and talk to her.
my dear. And that brings us to the end of our segment. Stay tuned for a And that brings us to the end of our segment. Stay tuned for a new segment with Hind.