Jiji Aouji

When Jiji was eight years old, she discovered a dusty, forsaken box tucked in her grandmother’s attic. Inside, she found beautiful sketches of houses and buildings, “drawings made of lines, shapes, colors and notes belonging to my uncle, who was an architect,” she says. “It was such a treasure. Opening that box unlocked my passion for architecture and design, and I knew that day I wanted to design houses.”

Her childhood dream came true. After receiving an undergraduate degree in architecture and training in commercial furniture design in France, she went on to execute commercial spaces including retail cosmetics shops for luxury brands including Hermès, Givenchy, Kenzo and Pierre Fabre Laboratories. She also has an extensive residential portfolio, with spaces that strike a balance between the functional and beautiful.

“We all have varying interests, routines, expectations, tastes and perceptions—and my goal is to provide a design that is a perfect fit for my clients’ lifestyle and personal preferences,” she says. “Design should enhance our unique personalities while remaining well-balanced and harmonious.” Clients find Jiji, who is a native of Tunisia and is fluent in Arabic, English and French, to be ambitious, upbeat and energetic—in her spare time she paints and designs jewelry.