Enlighten, the cutting edge lighting-design company that was established in 2008 by Noha Mohsen, as a shop selling chandeliers and lampshades, recently opened a stunning new showroom and workspace in Zamalek that brilliantly fuses art and design. Over the past ten years, Mohsen has successfully established Enlighten’s status as the preeminent lighting design brand for Egypt’s high-end projects, collaborating with the best designers and architects in Egypt and abroad. eniGma’s Mohamed Hesham sat with Mohsen to learn all about her impressive path to success.
After graduating from the American University in Cairo with a degree in Mass Communication, Noha Mohsen went on to earn an Interior Design diploma in London and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City. “When I came back, I wanted to do something related to design, but not interiors. I first started a little shop for decorative lighting fixtures and learned a lot on the job. Then, I set up my design and consultancy team, doing architecture lighting design. Interior designers and architects bring us their projects. We advise them on what the lighting concept should be, and we only use European brands for material. I’m very grateful to my team and to the designers who believed in us over the past 10 years, because we were doing something that peopleweren’t familiar with. People now have an awareness of how proper lighting can impact a space, affecting productivity,” says Mohsen.
“With our new showroom demonstrating the impact of architectural lighting design, using statement pieces, we have changed the formula we had been using until now. For the past 10 years, designers brought us their projects. Today, we brought the project to them, by having each of them design a space in the showroom.” Five of the top designers in Egypt, Mohamed Noaman, Hala Saleh (TDF), Dina El Khachab (Eklego), Design Point and Shewekar took part in designing different areas of the showroom. “My aesthetic is all about making a space prettier. If it’s crowded, I’ll calm it down, and if it needs to be vibrant, I’ll liven it up. Lighting can also have a spatial effect. If a room is small, it can make it seem bigger. The showroom is a testament to how we can transform a space,” explains Mohsen.
Enlighten has done corporate, commercial and residential projects for some of the biggest names in Egypt, including Fairmont Nile Plaza, Viking Cruises and the new Emaar Sales Center. They have also completed projects in New York, Paris, London and Abu Dhabi, and have just launched a new product, NOMA, in collaboration with Italian light artist Mario Nanni. “We’re looking forward to more collaborations with artists in different fields. This is the key to the future. I’m also interested in doing more design projects on a larger scale in Egypt and abroad,” Mohsen explains, as she proudly looks forward to a bright future for Enlighten.
