Rabih Geha Architects was commissioned to create a three-storey home for a young couple and their two children. The house, affectionately known as C House, is located in a mountainous area of Lebanon 700m above sea level and offers views of the capital Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea.

The young couple desired a space that resembled them and made guests feel at ease. This vision was translated into a warm, contemporary, and comfortable residence surrounded by spectacular city views and distinguished by a distinct spatial character.

The foyer at C House is flanked by a terrace with spectacular wraparound views of Beirut on one side and a garden on the other. The reception area hosts a patchwork of elegant and contemporary furnishings completed with artwork curated by Aida Cherfan Fine Art. Here a navy blue B&B Italia leather couch is accompanied by a Bokja semi-circular bench and a Vitra armchair, finished with a Baxter coffee table and Meridiani accent tables.

Both ends are connected by a tubular ceiling painted in black and a hardwood runway below. The hardwood strip only mimics the rectangular outline of the ceiling while the rest of the flooring is made of basalt stone tiles. Natural light floods the residence from all directions courtesy of C House’s triple orientation, smoothing the path of the unusual choice of dark colours for the floor and ceiling combined.

Rabih Geha

The triple arcades of the façade drove much of the design of C House, down to the choice of furniture and accents. In front of the large arched window sit red velvet twin cloud benches joined by a stretch of Nero Marquina marble. The benches were designed by Rabih Geha Architects exclusively for C House and executed by Ardeco Gallery.

A sanitised feel imbues the all-white kitchen at the residence, only to be broken by the warmth of a solid oak island and the liveliness of Playone ceramic tiles by Gigacier. Here again the triple arcades of the façade position the layout and centre the entire space.

Contrasting robust and airy structures make up the mass of the stairway connecting the three levels of C House. A massive solid base begins unbroken on the ground floor, then breaches into a flight of divided stairs and railings that continue up to the first and second floors.

The first-floor level at C House where the bedrooms are located is designed to create a continuous flow from room to room. The result is an open, unified space used as a children’s playroom and turned vibrant, joyful and warm by the natural light pouring in from all directions.

A track of fifteen recessed lighting strips travels across the ceiling and amplifies the connection that can only be interrupted by closing the massive floor-to-ceiling sliding doors.