This villa in Abdullah Al-Salem was recently featured in Architectural Digest and is known as the Shell House. It’s a four-bedroom home designed by AlHumaidhi Architects in collaboration with interior design firm Studio Nesef (@studionesef). What caught my attention was the courtyard in the center featuring a private garden and pool. Not a lot of homes are being built today with a courtyard, but it’s a feature I’d want to have in my home.
I think courtyards work really well for privacy. You can have spaces completely closed off from the outside world, while keeping them open to the inside. So you still get views and natural daylight without giving up your privacy.
The villa is called the Shell House because its design, inspired by the natural geometry of shells, gently rotates around the central courtyard across three levels. Each floor shifts slightly, creating shaded terraces, rooftop gardens, and covered outdoor spaces that adapt to sunlight and privacy needs throughout the day. The villa is designed with soft curves and finished in custom stucco cladding, a dust-resistant material chosen to withstand Kuwait’s climate.
The interior follows the same soft, curved style as the outside, with natural colors and different travertine stone finishes. Sliding doors, wooden slats, and metal screens inspired by traditional mashrabiya help connect the indoors with the outdoors while also keeping the home cool.
The photos here were taken by @ngphoto.com.pt. Check out admiddleeast.com for a detailed write-up and more photos.
4 replies on “Design Highlight: Inside the Shell House in Abdullah Al-Salem”
Simply love the ‘inside outside’ look & feel of the Shell house. Best part is the fit out version and the bare shell version of the Villa are not radically different I suspect, and that is such a far cry from so many chic contemporary houses, far and near. Bravo! Love the minimalist effect to bits.
Hi Mark, unrelated question. Do your remember Kuwaitscope? It was a magazine here. But I can’t remember if KuwaitScope was a section in a magazine or that was actually the magazine. I was looking for some articles and wondered if you knew if it still exists online. Thanks 👍
it sounds familiar, but I think I might be thinking of Kuwait Kaleidoscope which sounds the same https://www.amazon.com/Kuwait-Kaleidoscope-Claudia-Farkas-Rashoud/dp/B000SNLN7I
Would love to also see design ideas by Al Humaidhi architects and Studio Nesef on apartment blocks and condos (if they are into this space as well)