Gobi Rammed Earth Board Villa Renovation in Jeddah: Before/After Real Photos

Jeddah, the coastal gem of Saudi Arabia, has always been a city of contrasts. Here, ancient coral-stone houses whisper tales of the past, while sleek glass skyscrapers pierce the sky, announcing a bold future. But nestled between these extremes lies a quieter story: the renovation of homes that bridge generations. Today, we're diving into one such transformation—a 3,200-square-foot villa in North Jeddah that traded its 1990s monotony for a desert-inspired masterpiece, all thanks to thoughtful material choices, starting with the star of the show: Gobi Rammed Earth Board .

The "Before": A Home Stuck in Time

Walk up to the villa in 2022, and you'd be met with a facade that felt more forgotten than lived-in. The original exterior, clad in faded beige tiles and chipped paint, had weathered decades of Saudi sun, leaving the walls looking patchy and tired. "It was like wearing a sweater with loose threads—you could tell it once fit, but now it just felt off," laughs homeowner Lina Al-Mansoori, a Jeddah-based architect who bought the villa with her husband, Omar, in 2019. Inside, the disjointed design continued: a mishmash of terracotta floors, dark wooden cabinets that swallowed light, and small, boxy rooms that lacked flow. "We loved the location—it's steps from the Corniche and close to family—but the house itself? It didn't reflect who we are," Omar adds.

Their vision was clear: to create a home that felt rooted in the desert landscape yet modern, a space that invited natural light and celebrated texture. "We wanted to walk in and think, 'This is us '—warm, a little rugged, but with moments of elegance," Lina says. And so, the hunt for materials began—ones that could tell a story of the land, without feeling like a theme park.

Design Inspiration: The Desert's Quiet Majesty

For Lina and Omar, the answer lay in the desert. "We'd take weekend trips to the outskirts of Jeddah, and there's something about the Gobi-like plains—those layers of earth, the way the light shifts over stone—that stuck with us," Lina explains. "We wanted the villa to feel like it had grown out of that landscape, not just been placed on top of it." That meant ditching the generic tiles and embracing materials with history —textures that showed their "age" gracefully, colors that echoed the desert's palette, and sustainability that aligned with their values.

Enter Gobi Rammed Earth Board . "I'd seen it used in a boutique hotel in Al-Ula, and I couldn't get over how alive it felt," Lina recalls. "It's not just a cladding material—it's a story. Each board has these subtle variations in tone, like the layers of sediment in desert rock. And because it's made from locally sourced soil and natural binders, it felt like a nod to our region's resources." But Gobi Rammed Earth Board wouldn't be alone. To balance its earthiness, they paired it with accents that added depth: the warm glow of Lunar Peak Golden for focal walls, the cosmic sparkle of Travertine (Starry Blue) in water features, and the sleek contrast of Foamed Aluminium Alloy Board (Vintage Silver) for railings and trim. Rounding out the palette was Fair-Faced Concrete —raw, honest, and the perfect neutral to tie it all together.

From Dated to Desert Chic: The Transformation

Renovations are always a journey, but this one was about more than slapping on new materials—it was about reimagining how the home functioned . Let's break down the key areas that saw the biggest glow-up, with a look at the "before" and "after" that'll make you rethink what a little (okay, a lot of) material magic can do.

Exterior: A Facelift Rooted in the Desert

The first thing to go? Those sad beige tiles. The team stripped the exterior down to the studs, then wrapped the first floor in Gobi Rammed Earth Board —installed vertically to mimic the desert's layered rock formations. "The installers were amazed by how lightweight it is compared to traditional rammed earth," Omar notes. "We thought it might add too much weight to the structure, but it's actually half the density of concrete. Plus, it insulates like a dream—our AC bills dropped by 30% once it was up!"

For the second floor, they opted for Fair-Faced Concrete panels, left intentionally raw to contrast with the Gobi board's warmth. "It's like the desert meeting the sky—earthy below, crisp above," Lina says. Large, black steel-framed windows replaced the tiny originals, flooding the interior with light and framing views of the Red Sea in the distance. And to top it off? A sloped roof covered in terracotta tiles, a nod to Jeddah's traditional architecture, but updated with a modern angle.

The Courtyard: A Desert Oasis

Before, the courtyard was an afterthought—a weedy space where the kids rarely played. Now? It's the heart of the home. "We wanted a place where we could host iftars in Ramadan or just sit with morning coffee and watch the sunrise," Omar says. The centerpiece is a shallow reflecting pool, its edges lined with Travertine (Starry Blue) . "The 'starry' part is these tiny, iridescent flecks in the stone—when the sun hits the water, it looks like someone spilled a bucket of stars," Lina laughs. Around the pool, built-in benches clad in Gobi Rammed Earth Board invite lounging, while a fire pit wrapped in Foamed Aluminium Alloy Board (Vintage Silver) adds a touch of industrial chic. "The vintage silver has this soft sheen, not too flashy—just enough to catch the light at sunset," Omar adds.

Living Room: Where Earth Meets Elegance

Inside, the living room underwent the most dramatic shift. "We knocked down a wall to open it up to the dining area, and suddenly the space felt twice as big," Lina explains. The focal point? A soaring accent wall covered in Lunar Peak Golden . "It's not a bright gold—more like the color of desert sand at noon, with these subtle metallic flecks that warm up the room," she says. Opposite it, the fireplace got a makeover with Gobi Rammed Earth Board, its rough texture playing off the smoothness of the Lunar Peak Golden. "We kept the furniture minimal—neutral sofas, a jute rug—to let the materials be the stars," Omar adds. "Now, when guests walk in, they always pause and say, 'It feels like being in a luxury desert camp, but in the city.'"

Master Suite: A Sanctuary of Texture

The master suite was all about creating calm. "We spend so much time here, so we wanted it to feel like a retreat," Lina says. The bathroom, once cramped, now features a walk-in shower with Fair-Faced Concrete walls—"raw, but not cold," Lina notes—and a freestanding tub perched on a deck of Travertine (Starry Blue) . "At night, with the lights dimmed, the starry blue glows, and it's like bathing under the night sky," she adds. The bedroom itself has Gobi Rammed Earth Board on one wall, its earthy tones balancing the crisp white linens and dark wood furniture. "It's grounding," Omar says. "After a long day, coming home to this room feels like taking a deep breath."

The Impact: More Than a Home—A Feeling

Renovations are about results, but for Lina and Omar, the best part has been how the home now feels . "It's not just pretty—it's alive ," Omar says. "The Gobi Rammed Earth Board changes with the light: warm and golden in the morning, soft and terracotta at sunset. The Lunar Peak Golden wall in the living room makes even gray days feel bright. And the Travertine (Starry Blue) in the courtyard? The kids call it their 'magic pool' because they swear the stars move when the water ripples."

"We didn't just renovate a house—we created a space that tells our story," Lina adds. "Every material has a reason for being here, and that makes coming home feel like coming back to something meaningful."

Visitors notice, too. "Friends will say, 'I've never seen a house that feels so connected to the desert,'" Omar shares. "It's like the villa finally belongs here, after all these years."

Why Materials Matter: The Heart of Renovation

At the end of the day, this villa's transformation isn't just about swapping old for new—it's about choosing materials that mean something. Gobi Rammed Earth Board isn't just a trend; it's a commitment to sustainability and regional identity. Lunar Peak Golden isn't just a color; it's a mood booster. Travertine (Starry Blue) isn't just a stone; it's a conversation starter. And in a city like Jeddah, where architecture is constantly evolving, that kind of intentionality is what turns a house into a home.

So, if you're dreaming of a renovation that feels less "cookie-cutter" and more " you ," take a cue from Lina and Omar: look to the world around you. Whether it's the desert, the sea, or your own backyard, let the materials tell your story. After all, the best homes aren't just built—they're lived in , and loved, for years to come.