ideal interiors east africa issue 2

VoL. 1 Issue 002JAN-MARCH 2011

Villa NoVa’s akoko ColleCtioN - Contemporary, graphically drawn prints, simply embroidered pure linen and textured plain. Villa Nova designs and produces an eclectic range of furnishing and upholstery fabrics, trimming and wallcoverings. The Villa Nova range is available in Kenya through Spiegel Interiors

Out of the box gifts P.7

Must Visit! Must Exhibit! P.14

There is no home without interiors P.34

Baraza Resort & Spa P.58

Feel of goodness P.50

CONTENTS

2 Ideal Interiors East Africa Quarterly Magazine Volume 1 Issue 2 January - March 2011

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EDITORS VIEWPOINT ........................ 4

Freshness is on demand ............................ 4

TIPS ..............................................................7

Out of the box Christmas gifts .................. 7

Step-up your holiday settings .................. 8

Protect your designs ................................. 10

Aesthetics territory ................................... 12

EVENTS .....................................................14

Must Visit! Must Exhibit! ........................... 14

Quinn Peaks heads to the peak ............... 17

Designers on demand............................... 18

Palacina Interiors creates new showroom 20

Mobilcasa goes regional .......................... 23

DESIGN STEPS ...................................... 24

Make a fresh start ................................... 24

Antarc launches La-Z-Boy ....................... 29

Office with a difference ............................ 30

BUSINESS ................................................ 32

Engaging interior designers

IDEAL FURNISHINGS .....................34

There’s no home without interiors .......... 34

Taste of comfort ..................................... 36

KITCHEN ................................................40

BEDROOM .............................................42

Create your haven ................................... 42

SURFACING ...........................................46

Gypsum revolutionizes interiors .............. 46

Boost interiors with ceramics .................. 48

BATHROOM .......................................... 50

Feel of goodness ..................................... 50

Warmth of Patricia’s home ....................... 53

IDEAL HOME ........................................ 53

ABOUT FENG SHUI ................................... 55

IDEAL PROPERTY ................................ 56

Path to property ownership ................... 56

IDEAL HOTEL ....................................... 58

Baraza Resort & Spa ............................... 58

MEKAN EAST AFRICA ....................... 62

Furnish your sleep ................................... 62

IDEAL GARDEN ...................................64

Going beyond a garden ........................... 64

PrOPErTY LIST.................................... 67

INTERIORS DIRECTORY .................68

Freshness is on demandYour publication of choice is finally heresellers among others yearning for unique spatial identities.

There’s a reason to smile as we project ahead. Why? Everyone wants something beautiful. We want to be more comfortable in offices, hotels and other receptive surroundings. Stylists have more to offer in the year ahead.

Creative works will predominantly add value to properties. Effectively, all those rendering services that touch on visual appearance of spaces and places have a reason to network with faces behind the industry’s fascinating growth. Get connected.

With over 22 new hotels coming up in Nairobi alone and more than 35 high-rise office structures earmarked for completion in 2011 within the city’s environs, one can’t wait to see the uniqueness of corporate branding and tremendous designs to spruce hundreds of residential properties whose construction are underway.

Owing to appreciation of art and beauty, we laud the competencies and the resourceful works rendered by various institutions of high learning. Kudos too to the illustrious effort experienced from the local manufacturers. Distributors and retailers of international brands deserve a big pat on back for continuing to offer us the very best from renowned designers around the world.

Consumers have now a broad range of selection to sample, to buy and cherish.

At these evolving times, experts have a special call to share insightful ideas and offer solutions to spatial identities. Customers are there. They need to engage. And this publication is one of their most resource platforms. Your guidance will help nurture talents.

Well, although everyone is unique, this platform unites us for ideas. It’s time to appreciate the existing, the emerging and the rare finds to feature in this equally hotly sought after copy. To enjoy the Ideal Interiors magazine, be regular. The sure-fire way is to subscribe. Delivery guarantee comes with a big-time save on the cover price.

As 2010 comes to a close, we wish to reaffirm our commitment to offer value that’ll uphold the strength of creative works, and pragmatic ideas for freshness will remain in demand in 2011 as beyond.

To the advertisers, subscribers and to you the reader, we wish you God’s blessings as we turn the calendars, a bountiful and more prosperous year.

Humphrey OdhiamboMANAGING EDITOR

Many thanks. Your responses are encouraging. Your promptness to secure a copy of the Ideal Interiors

magazine is indeed appreciated. It wouldn’t have come at any other better time. With you, the evolution is here. Your ideas have surely proven that this is the industry publication you’ve always needed.

Well, as pointed out in the premier edition; by finding this copy, you truly are unique. The publication jogs up the mind and ups the ante of styling up homes, offices, hotels and commercial units. It reminds us that taste is on demand. And who benefits? You stand to gain big time.

This End Year-cum-New Year edition captures the mood of this year’s festive season’s business trends expected in 2011 and beyond. Clearly, business opportunities are cut out for interior designers. Others queued to smile include; Developers, Furnishing and Furniture Firms, Contractors, Architects, Home Owners and


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Disclaimer: The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions expressed in this Publication and in the Online version do not necessarily reflect those of the

editor, publishers or their agents. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for

general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances.

The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing.

Published by

EDITORIALManaging Editor:

Humphrey Odhiambo, [email protected] Managing Editor:

Oliver Owuor, [email protected] Writers:

Cathy Mputhia, Carol Ayoma, Eric Mwirigi, Franklin Mwirigi, Hildah Otuga, Kalpana Jai, Ketu Shah, Nyambura Kinuthia, Rob-ert Yawe, Shahin Rajwani, Sidhra Khalid, Paulina Raguz, Imran

Dev-Dhamji, Zack Osolo

ART & DESIGN Creative Director:

Sam Morara, [email protected] Photography:

Nitin RathodNatacha Prigogine

SALES & MARKETING Marketing Director:

Jennifer Mbogori, [email protected] Sales & Marketing

Godfrey Gichuki, [email protected] Odawa, [email protected]

CIRCULATION Administration Manager:

Lydia Opwaka, [email protected] Circulation Manager:

Paul Okun, [email protected] Subscription Manager:

Nyambura Kiarie, [email protected]

DISTRIBUTION

JetsamCONTACT US: Brookside Drive, Brookside Breeze Apartments,

Westlands, Nairobi, P. O. Box 13807 – 00800, Westlands, Nairobi Tel 020 201 35 11 Mobile 0721 912 565

0733 585480 • 0721 658788email: [email protected] www.interiors.co.ke

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A REVOLUTIONARY FLOORING PRODUCT AUTHENTIC WOOD-GRAIN TEXTURED SURFACE


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It is that time of year again, you have a list the length of your arm of people you need to buy gifts for, and this year you

really want to make an impression! Whether you are planning gifts for loved ones, or for corporate clients, there is an art to creating the perfect gift that looks fantastic without breaking your budget.

Choosing your gift itemsFirst you need to think about what you are going to buy. You should try to think of a theme for your gift, depending on the person you are buying for.

If you are giving a gift to a friend, then you can choose something personal that reflects that person`s particular taste, and shows how well you know them. So, for example if you know someone loves coffee, think about finding nice coffee mugs, or a cafetiere that suits their style, and then buy smaller things to go with the main item such as their favourite type of freshly ground coffee, chocolate, nuts or biscuits.

While giving a gift to a corporate client, you need to think of one that is appropriate to your company`s image. The quantity and quality of items you include in your gift will depend on your budget, and the limits of your imagination! Try to be original and think of unusual ideas that people haven’t seen a hundred times before.

Out of the box Christmas giftsArranging your giftsYou can make almost any gift look fabulous by putting a little effort into the presentation. Think about arranging your gifts in a basket, or in a nice bag. Another simple and effective way to present your gifts is by arranging them on a wooden board, covered with festive paper.

Think about choosing a colour theme for your gift – at Christmas time red, gold and green are popular colours and add a festive sparkle. If you are making a corporate gift then think about using your company’s colours. You can add shredded tissue and other decorations according to your colour theme. Use your creative flair!

PackagingOnce you have arranged your gifts, you will need to cover them to protect the items, and to add the finishing touches to the presentation of your gift. Use clear wrapping paper to cover your gift so that your arrangement is visible, and add ribbons and bows to the top. Make sure you fix all of the gift items firmly in place using pins or clear sticking tape before you cover the gift, so that the items don`t fall.

Remember, you can make creative gifts at any time of the year, not just at Christmas. By changing the style of wrapping paper and the gift items you can make a gift to fit any occasion, including weddings, baby showers, birthdays, and valentines day!

Think Outside the BoxThese trade secrets were shared by Shelina and Shenaz Popat of Contact Network, drawing on their ten years of experience in the high-end gift business in Nairobi.

[“Remember that a major part of any festive celebration is all about showing your appreciation for loved ones and clients. We can do this in many ways, with a clap, or a smile, or by presenting a beautiful gift.” (quote to be used in a box in the article)]

Many people are used to receiving Christmas hampers, be they loved ones or corporate clients, so you will need to be a little adventurous to truly make an impression. At the Gift Village, a subsidiary of Contact Network, you can go and see a supermarket of truly original stunning gifts.

7 Volume 1 Issue 2 January - March 2011 Ideal Interiors East Africa Quarterly Magazine

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your holiday table you may need to go for gold. If this is your choice, then you’ll find that a layer of simple gold rimmed plates with a glamorous piece such as a gold bowl or ornament will add flavour to your setting. It’s easy to get carried away when using gold, so keep everything else crisp and clean. Use ivory or pearl colour napkins and placemats.

4. ECLECTIC: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and colours. Mix contemporary pieces with a favourite antique collection, like black square plates with crystal glasses. Be creative but avoid getting carried away. Decide which piece is the focal and keep the rest simple.

Remember that your table should reflect the style of your home rather than compete with it. Incorporate chargers, these plates aren’t a part of everyday place settings, so they set a special tone. Plus, you can find great styles that are inexpensive.

It’s nice when there’s no confusion about the sitting arrangement. Place-cards have a thoughtful touch and can therefore be added. Whatever the size your table is, keep the floral arrangements and candles low so that guests can see one another.

For rectangular tables, use lots of smaller flower arrangements down the centre of the table as opposed to one big one in the middle. Opt for placemats and table runners rather than a table cloth. This will keep the table light and form a blank canvas for you to start your table setting.

Festive seasons are always with us, and setting the mood for the moment is largely achieved with varied décor arrangements and colour, writes Sidhra Khalid.

Starting your design process by focusing on items you have makes the home décor fun-filled than spreading

so thin to buy items way in advance. For one, the greatest determinant of your décor is your space. Big or small, the size of the room queued for decoration doesn’t matter.

Often overlooked in décor are decorative items we have at home. The focus thus drifts to purchasing newer items, which in most cases is expensive.

To let your existing interiors inspire your holiday mood, try as much as possible to enhance the existing colours in your home; don’t be afraid to get out of traditional Christmas colours. Explore more unique combinations such as fuchsia and white, turquoise and silver, purple and yellow among others. After all, who said that Christmas or Valentine must be red?

Thinking of trying a New-Look for your holiday table this year? You don’t have to spend a fortune on designer dishes to shake things up. All you need is a bit of imagination and time to hunt through the closets in your house. Among the things you could do are as follows:-

1. CONTEMPORARY: Avoid bright colours and intricate patterns; instead choose plates with clean lines with simple detailing. Add interest through colourful and patterned placemats and napkins. Ornaments can be used as place card holders or simply to jazz up your table.

2. OLD SCHOOL: Delicate pattern china can add an instant vintage look to your festivals. Tie the look together by incorporating placemats and napkins that are the same colour as the china pattern. Accentuate with dramatic colours such as purple or green napkin rings and ornaments.

3. GLITZ N GLAM: To add opulence to

Step-up your holiday settings

Home-made solutions To make the home décor fun-filled, it is important to involve the family.

Once you have decided your theme colours, cut out manila snowflakes in your chosen colour. Get your children to colour them in with markers and glitters. Punch a hole and tie a matching ribbon. This is a perfect, personal item that can be hung off your fireplace or can be used as name cards on the table.

Collect leaves, herbs, or twigs that grow naturally in your garden. Dry them and spray them with glitter spray. These can be spread on your table or can be tied with a ribbon to your napkins if you don’t have napkin rings. Glitter spray is readily available at your local grocery store; it adds the dazzle to your home.

Bangles are a perfect substitute to napkin rings. Mix and match the colours you have and be creative on looping the napkin through.

Recycle extra gift bags by cutting out shapes relating to the season. Use ribbons and laces to hang off a fireplace or staircase banister. You may also need to tantalize your senses by burning grated orange peel and crushed cinnamon sticks in some water in an oil lamp.

However, in all that you do, enjoy decorating for the holiday seasons and remember not to over-decorate as less is often more!

The writer is has vast experince in decor having worked for years in Canada and leading architects in Kenya. Reach her on [email protected]


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Question: I own an interior design business that is doing very well. The market is picking up as more people are conscious of the importance of having tastefully furnished offices and homes. However, I face a number of legal challenges.

One challenge I am experiencing is the fact that whenever I create a design it is easily duplicated by other designers. The other challenge would be duplication by third parties. This happens after I submit my brochures and designs to potential corporate clients. The last challenge would be duplication by employees. How do I legally protect my designs from duplication?

Halfa Sharo, Mombasa

designs are displayed to specific people only.

In the case of corporations where it is inevitable to disclose the designs, ensure that there is a confidentiality clause between the corporate and yourself. The corporate is bound not to use the same design or disclose the work without your authority.

In addition to copyrighting the actual designs, it is important to ensure that you have a trademark for the business. This trademark shall distinguish your products from your competitors and will identify the creations as coming from your business.

Importance of trademarksBig interior design houses have understood the importance of trademarks in identifying their products and in strategically positioning themselves in the market. Trademarks build up on market goodwill and indirectly market the products to consumers. They also serve to build up a brand in the consumers mind.

When Michelle Obama wore a Jason Wu gown on the night of the inauguration I bet the designer’s sales sky rocketed. Next time a shopper comes across a Jason Wu outfit, chances are that she will buy the piece as it stands out from the rest. Such is the importance of distinguishing your products from your competitors through trademarks.

To protect your creations from infringement by employees it is important to include restrictive clauses when entering into employment contracts with them. It is important to include restrictive clauses in the employment contracts limiting the extent to which they can use your designs after they leave employment. By the way as an employer you have full ownership of your brilliant creations. However that shall be covered in a separate column.

Copyrights are also applicable in architecture. The architectural drawings can be copyrighted so long as they are original and are reduced into material form. In a separate section of this magazine, I have analyzed how architects doing innovative shop works and layouts can protect their designs.

Copyright has no limits and is as wide as the creations and ideas that exist in our minds. The requirements are basic, one that it should be original and two that it should be reduced to material form.

Protect your designsAs the rate of innovation and novelty required in the interiors industry continues to be high, there’s reason to guard creative works from duplicators as responds Cathy Mputhia, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, to nagging issues raised by a disturbed interior designer.

The legal challenge experienced by your business in this area is a costly one as innovation in the industry is a critical success factor in your engagement and helps you to maintain a competitive advantage over other businesses. The rate of innovation and novelty required in the industry is high.

The case of copying and replicating innovative ideas is very common in Kenya. Within a very short time it is hard to distinguish between an original piece and a replicated design. The answer is yes, there are many ways to protect your interests and to avoid losing revenue to competitors, third parties and employees.

The answer lies with intellectual property laws. Intellectual property law is the law that protects ideas of the mind. It includes patent laws, trademarks, copyright and industrial designs.

For your purposes, copyright law is the branch of intellectual property law that protects ideas of the mind and includes any artistic works, literary works, musical works and audio visual works. It is very wide to include anything from paintings, photographs, sculptures, architectural designs to poems, books and writings. The requirement for this right to subsist is that the idea must be original and must also be reduced to material form.

This means that your designs can be copyrighted if they are original and are reduced to material form. Therefore any time you come up with a design or a new collection, it is important to have accurate drawings of the designs and this is what shall be submitted for copyrighting.

You could also choose to take photographs or videos of your designs and brochures. Doing this shall accord you legal rights over your creations. Any person seeking to publish the design without your authority may be liable to pay you damages.

Well, it is however difficult to entirely protect the work from replication. The best thing to do is exercise some form of discretion when advertising and marketing by ensuring that the



IPS

That desire to express an emotion or create an atmosphere rests with creative minds. The way light plays

across a textured surface and captures attention, the mood and beauty is the similar fashion that creative minds design walls with glorious statements that hold the moments.

Whatever fuels your desire to create a place of beauty and relaxation, textured walls bring in the warmth and help to lift the whole feel of a place or space.

Creative vision Great artist wall pastes like –Terra, Pietra, Anticco, Spaturata, Tadlak and new line of stuccos, Nahil, Travertino, Decora deluxe, Zephyro, Caravaggios and Arthe metal among others with endless palette of colours and textures stimulate creative vision. With a trowel and spatula in hand, it opens a vast new aesthetic territory for you to explore.

Textured walls give one the opportunity to create a finish that is long lasting. One has however to budget a little extra in wall texturing than in regular paint. Well, although it cost of the regular painting process remains low, it is the whole mess of repainting your nest while occupying it that beats the logic. One can circumvent through this by thinking long term. Think long-term.

Texture solutionsIn Kenya, one is able to get a range of wall textures with ease, depending on your taste from smooth textures that bring a calm feel to metallic feels for modern town houses.

When texturing, one has to have an idea of what

Aesthetic territoryFinishing a wall is a necessary step in creating a surface that’s not only structurally sound, but pleasing to the eye, writes Franklin Mwirigi who stresses the need for uniqueness in a territory invites and upholds comfort.

they want to create. If you’re not sure, an interior designer comes in handy to help create that lovely home.

Perhaps more exciting than sheer paint and less expensive than wallpaper, textured solutions are proving to be great to your interior décor. For one, textured wall coverings give any room a warm, sophisticated new look. These products are easily applied to many wall surfaces such as drywall, plaster, wallpaper, cement, and concrete blocks to name a few.

With textured wall coverings, there is no lengthy wall preparations, no time-consuming matching of patterns, seams, or corners. Best of all, there’s no mess, unlike traditional wall coverings.

Costs of wall textured solutions are comparably less than textured wallpapers. One bag covers the equivalent of a double roll of wallpaper. Textured solutions has dozens of color combinations from crisp white to soft pastels, sparkling colors to metallic, and textures from

fine grain to plush cotton.

Insulating qualitiesTextured wall coverings enhance the insulating, sound-absorbing, and flame retardant qualities of your walls and are completely non-toxic. Due to its superior heat-insulating qualities, textured wall coverings reduce heat loss through exterior walls keeping your home or office cool.

The sound-absorbing properties are excellent as well. Its textured fabric finish absorbs sound instead of rebounding it. Fire safety is a main priority to homeowners. It is good to know that textured wall coverings have a Class a fire rating.

Textured wall coverings have a life span of 20 plus years! Even then, the product doesn’t come off until you take it off. Textured wall coverings are very soil resistant and anti-static. If necessary, it can easily be cleaned with soapy cold-water solution and dry cloth. Dust may be removed with a vacuum.


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FakRo RooF windowsTurn your attic/roof space into living space

by installing ‘FakRo’ roof windows

Demand for quality interiors is no doubt exploding. The writing on the wall of the second IDEAL INTERIORS

SHOW says it all. This thought provoking and insightful extravaganza of WOW ideas for a variety of trendy furnishings and fittings for homes, hotels and offices spells the enormous business opportunities for interior designers.

Considering the success of the maiden event in August 2010, the second show which is primed with five inspiring showstoppers at The Village Market, becomes a must-visit and must-exhibit event following its drive of engaging with decisive customers.

The show, being a resource for engaging with existing and potential customers, has its next year’s event themed: Transforming the heart of the home, queued to offer exhibitors the opportunity to stand out in the competitive interiors market.

Must Visit! Must Exhibit!Another moment of sampling the market’s best at the Ideal Interiors Show, the event that celebrates the brilliance of interior designers and top-notch furniture and furnishings for homes, hotels and offices sets the stage for five inspiring showstoppers that are a must see and buy, writes Oliver Odhiambo.


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The making of the first ever crême-de-la-crême Ideal Presidential Suite in a show of enviable purpose is lined for actualization by a team of interior designers led by Spiegel Interiors. Being another first in the history of the interiors show, the partnership which will be headed by lead designer Shahin Rajwani will create a gentler and brighter aesthetic that will make the Presidential Suite an ideal space for work, play and comfort.

This Ideal Presidential Suite features a magnificent master bedroom with bathroom, a spacious living room, a kitchenette with a

separate dining area, a working area and a convenient second bathroom. The suite also features a private patio terrace overlooking a manicured garden– a natural beauty to behold. Only the top of the range can actualize a suite in a show.

Among the most prominent sponsors of the Presidential Suite are Spiegel Interiors and Wealth Properties, a real estate entity that has taken the lead in reshaping real estate business in East Africa. Wealth Properties will provide strategic support and any advisory that will ensure the project sails through successfully.

The grounding of the show is thus meant to build synergies and a new client base for exhibitors and generate post-event sales leads that will enable firms to associate their brand with the best in the market. Way is also paved for the exhibitors to sell products and services to high spending home savvy customers met face-to-face at the show.

From the first step of actualizing a complete furnished home of creativity during the premier show that attracted an overwhelming traffic, the second event slated for 10th to 13th March is primed for more inspirational showstoppers comprising an Ideal Presidential Suite, Ideal Home of Creativity and Ideal Kitchen and Appliances. The other must visit spots of creative ideas blocked-off for interior designers are Ideal Interiors Designer’s Bay as well as Asset and Financing solutions.

The show deliberately fashioned to hasten momentum of creativity in a range of varied domestic set-ups, commercial units and the now highly competitive hospitality industry has lined the showstoppers, purposely to celebrate interior designers and appreciate amenities with impeccable touch.

IDEAL PRESIDENTIAL SUITE


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Ideal Kitchen CompetitionThe kitchen is changing and we are part of that evolution. Marvellous concepts queued for display by the Who-is-Who in the top-end design and assembling of kitchen has become the talk of the industry as institutions of high learning and the retail powerhouses join hands to actualize sizzling kitchens with a suite of solutions.

In this yet another first ever Kitchen Assembling & Design Awards, dubbed KADA 2011 organized by Real Wealth Limited, University of Nairobi and industry business leaders, the event will help to illustrate the power of design.

The kitchen designers, fitters and retailers will have the opportunity to create thoughtfully designed kitchens that demonstrate the desired sociability, functionality and sustainability of fittings and appliances useable in shrinking spaces. Other factors to look out for will border on ergonomics, energy use, work-flow, storage and safety, says Dr. Kahare Miano of the University of Nairobi.

Ideal Interiors Show HouseIdeal Home of Creativity emerges as the event’s second unique showstopper alongside the Ideal Presidential Suite. It is an ultimate spot of enriching ideas and opportunities. The event’s show-house is the highlight of many visitors to the Ideal Interiors Show.

Through advance planning and best use of space, combined with a highly creative design element, the lead designer gets in-touch with all

prospective exhibitors by detailing advantages of actualizing the show-stopper show-house.

Subject to product suitability, suppliers are invited to participate in the show-house by displaying their products in this full sized family home of worthwhile ideas. Among the areas of concessions include furnishings, décor, fabrics, kitchen, bathrooms, energy saving, space saving, windows & doors, roofing, flooring and carpets. Other areas are tiling, art, linen, accessories and kitchen equipment.


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Quinn Peaks heads to the peak

and thrived in delivering locally manufactured furniture to both abroad and local customers dotted around the country.

With gratification, Anju who is a co-director in the firm remains

upbeat stating as she states that despite some importation of some laminate wood products by some companies into the country, she has

long avoided providing traditional furniture stores with their

own brand owing to secrecies of bureaucracy in some of the market chain.

According to Nathwani, individual

The firm which began the marathon journey of its creative furniture works in the country in 2003 notes that its major focus will largely be in both residential and hospitality sector.

“While word of mouth has been our powerful seller and advantage to the ever timely creative works, we have elaborate plans to service homes and hotel lodges many of which are still sprouting in the country,” says Carlos Nathwani, who heads the company’s design team.

Impressed with the competition in the furniture industry, Nathwani notes that despite challenges which over the last few years have riddled the tourism industry, Quinn Peaks has all year round found

furniture lines have increasingly given Quinn Peaks the motivation to service homes.

Most furniture manufacturers notes Nathwani are still trying to establish their own brands. In the last few years, traditional furniture retailers that have wanted their own brand have turned to Asia, where companies are not only willing to design and sell special product

lines, they are willing to do so at a low price. The brand wars continue today in the traditional furniture market.

As both furniture manufacturers and retailers continue to look for an advantage, it appears that there is an opportunity for furniture exporters who can provide excellent design, competitive pricing and quick delivery.

Equipped with innovative-drive and passion to consistently design a whole new range of high quality designer hardwood furniture in every three months, Quinn Peaks Furniture, one

of Kenya’s household names is committing to pull surprises of its creative woodworks in 2011 and beyond.


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Spot-check of Kenya’s interior designers reveals that 2011 will be a dramatic business year for interior designers granted that opportunities to enhance or artistically remodel hotels, commercial and residential buildings are unfolding, explains Humphrey Odhiambo.

Designers on demand

Engagement of interior designers is expected to exponentially grow

in 2011 following heightened demand to style-up private homes, corporate world and the hospitality industry.

Increased interest for aesthetically pleasing spaces follows the awareness of how talented spatial experts are adding value to and improving the overall outlook of places we live in, work and visit such as hotels. Beautiful environment builds and breeds confidence besides hastening customer satisfaction in the corporate setting. That beauty also brings about relaxation and comfort in domestic setting.

Although most interior designers have traditionally focused on decorating - choosing a style and colour palette and then selecting appropriate furniture, floor and window coverings, artwork, and lighting, an increasing number of them in Kenya are becoming more involved in architectural detailing.

New business in-roads for them include cladding and moulding, making built-in bookshelves, and

in planning layouts of buildings undergoing renovation as well as helping to determine the location of windows, stairways, escalators and walkways.

Although architects tend to pull the thunder by virtue of being recognized by the law, the interior designers’ creative works speak volumes. Theirs is about planning interior spaces of almost every type of building, including offices, airport terminals, theatres, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and private residences.

Spaces boost productivityA tour in good interior designed offices evidently shows that the spaces boost productivity, increase sales, attract a more affluent clientele, provide a more relaxing hospital stay and in the overall increases the building’s market value.

Designers are needed to make these facilities as comfortable and homelike as possible. Some interior designers in the country have so far chosen to specialize in particular design elements to create a niche for themselves in the increasingly competitive market.

Among the country’s passionate interior designers, chief executives and consultants we along with other customers were able to reach for advisory services with ease by the time we were going to press include:-

Nathalie Fussillo and Paulina Raguz, Directors, Palacina Interiors

Palacina Interiors Designs features the team headed by Nathalie Fussillo and Paulina Raguz whose work has been featured in international publications including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Elle Home and House and Garden to name a few. They work with a simple goal: to create inspirational spaces that tell a story.

They are both categorical that designs have to be fluid, practical and should stand the test of time. To them, listening to the client’s wants and needs is fundamental. Paulina notes that Kenya’s rapidly expanding construction industry focused mainly on development on a

large scale but often missed the mark on interiors. As a result, many spaces are poorly finished with little thought going into the aesthetics. This is changing with Kenyans becoming more focused and aware of the importance of nurturing and developing an interior space that is beautiful, practical and a reflection of themselves.

Palacina Interiors has catered to this market by offering a one stop design solution for clients by creating collections of Paint, fabrics, furniture, lighting and accessories that coordinate with the home all in one space.

As the home, hotel and office furnishings get brighter;

you can get better styles by subscribing to Ideal Interiors

Magazine today.



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Franklin Mwirigi, Designer, Classic Mouldings

Shahin Rajwani,Managing Director & Founder, Spiegel Interiors

Ndegwa Wokabi,Managing Director, DesignCorporate & Ultra InteriorsLarge and middle-level corporate firms are lauding Ndegwa Wokabi as “Kenya’s ever rising interior design star.” Having plunged into the market ten years ago when the interiors market was barely appreciated, he’s toiled through the toils that wouldn’t result to anything better than the now enjoyed creative spatial works in the corporate world.

Ndegwa sews through his interiors with a seamless drive, hence creating opulent and intelligent designs that enhance and maintain comfort as well as live-ability.

Daphine Okonji,Designer, Elle InteriorsInterior design, is to me more of a passion and it’s that love that inspired me to create Elle Interior Designers.

Elle Interior Designers Limited is a business whose main aim is to create

Carlos Nathwani,Designer, Quinn PeaksBeing a designer and artist specializing in furniture and decorative surface art, Carlos surprisingly abandoned his petrol station business in Kitale to follow his dream of being creative. His passion for curving the very best from wood yielded

to the establishment of Quinn Peaks along with her sister Anju.

Popularity of the Quinn Peaks furniture designs continues to be highly graded owing to variety, originality, stylistic stamp, and capacity to leave an impression. In every three months, Carlos leads his design team to produce a new set of Quinn Peaks designer furniture collections destined for homes in Kenya and occasionally to Europe. In his own words: “Our team upholds creativity and encourages people to be comfortable.

The works of Quinn Peaks evidently show love of earth colours, unique patterns, bold and strong shapes, curves and quite often details that has distinguished it as proactive and daring. This commitment has continued to earn it the mark of designing furniture for a number of big-time Hotel Lodges across the country.

world class homes, offices, schools, museums, hospitals and banks for its clients. This is done by developing interior designs and decor ideas that are elegant, exclusive and exquisite.

While doing so we bear in mind factors such as the organization’s vision, mission, objectives, target market or the clients themes, moods, hobbies and personalities to come up with the perfect combinations for them.

Elle interior Designers is looking forward to the successful launch of its diploma courses in interior and landscape design during in 2011. This is a step forward for Elle as a company in its endeavour of being Africa’s leading interior designers and decorators.

Nyambura Nugi,Designer, Zidaka InteriorsFollowing her passion in interiors and having graduated in Limperts Academy of Design, Nyambura founded Zidaka Interiors almost three years ago after working in UAE in the same field. She initially started by working as an Interior Design consultant, some consultancy work executed in an embassy in Dubai among other works.

Having appreciated the need for a client to have a one-stop-shop for their homes interior works and a turn-key-solution for office space interiors, we have over the time graduated to working with a team of professionals and local artists to execute our design works.

She believes art is in every natural form. You look at it in its colour, foam, texture – God’s creation; which means every one

of us individually appreciate design in our unique different way. This is from preferred laid-back luxury to absolute opulence and grandeur. This is the uniqueness we embrace and enhance to bring out splendour in every single one of our commercial or residential space.

The Spiegel Interiors’ showroom opened in January 1994 with a collection of mirrors and stylish furnishing fabrics both imported from Europe. I wanted to “test-drive” the market in Kenya with a more flamboyant decorating style when the company was established. I passed the test and seventeen years later I have a large team of designers and my own production division.

Our showroom carries the latest furnishing fabrics and wallpaper collections from the top designer houses in Europe. We keep following the latest styles and updating our selections in line with them. Our design team is at hand to help you with your choice for your interiors.

For the year 2011 Spiegel Interiors is aiming to further improve our services to keep the clientele excited about all the new trends in the Design world.

Although graduate in Motor Vehicle Engineering, Franklin, developed a passionate love for interiors that has tipped him to delve and deliver unique blend of sophistication in homes, casinos and hotels such as Sankara. He’s guided by the belief that “design should surround and nurture deeper feelings.” His strength in both residential and commercial interiors, has enabled Classic Mouldings be distinguished with signature product wall-cladding and ceiling moulding stylish collections.

Franklin’s cool, alluring interiors radiate an unmistakably laid-back, nostalgic feel. The results of her suave eye for colour; texture and light are lush and cinematic, leading to comparisons between his work and that of prolific designers in the world.

His varied styles and influences give him the artistic flexibility of being classical as he upholds modernity.


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Palacina Interiors creates new showroom

Palacina Interiors is opening its new flagship, 7,000 square foot showroom on Mombasa Road at the Panari Skycenter. A first for Nairobi, the showroom features a comprehensive

solution for those looking to furnish and create amazing spaces in their own homes.

should look no further. Palacina is launching its exclusive Paint collection with Crown.

The partnership of Kenya’s leading interiors group with Kenya’s premier paint manufacturer sets new standards in East Africa. The new showroom features a state of the art paint center offering an exclusive range of designer colours and tones perfect for creating special spaces.

Large, actual swatches are available to carry through the showroom and coordinate with the rest of your settings. The paint coordinates with the Palacina selection of upholstery and curtains making it easy to get a look reserved for interior design magazines. Even better the paints are sold at Crown retail prices so you get the designer look for free!

All colours are inspired by Africa and feature a selection of fabulous tones with even better names to match! How about painting your room in Mt Kenya Mist… a calming warm grey or maybe Highland blue…as bright as a crisp morning sky or maybe you would fancy Black Cotton... a gorgeous, earthy brown? Paint is mixed on site and ready to go.

Once you have actually seen a range of living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms and more you can make a great selection that reflects your style and taste. Walk through

inspirational set ups featuring the Palacina Interiors Sofa Collection.

“When Palacina decided to introduce a leather sofa collection in Kenya they wanted to bring the very best,” says Ms Raguz noting that the result is 100 percent Australian leather sofas, hand rubbed to create a vintage feel. Ranging from iconic designs like the Chesterfield and Barcelona chair, they are an investment designed to last a lifetime.

In addition to this are a range of coffee tables, dining tables and the beautiful wrought iron pieces proudly made in Kenya. See what you like and then the team is on hand to assist you in your choices.

For those who want to take their designs to another level, Palacina Interiors features its design team whose comprehensive approach to design and décor have earned a great reputation. Offering both commercial and residential design services, they are available through appointment.

Then come to the fabulous accessories, which Palacina says are like the jewels of an outfit. In stock are a range of coordinate accessories from leather and silver charger plates through to Kenya’s best selection of Table lamps, candle sticks and more.

Showcasing a wonderful selection of furniture, lighting, accessories as well as all the little details that turn your house into a home, the goal of creating the showroom was to offer clients the opportunity to visualize and experience different settings and environments and show how paint, fabrics, combined with furniture and accessories can make your home come alive, says Ms Paulina Raguz.

By virtue of working with an experienced team to assist and make suggestions, customers are guaranteed one whole horde of a quality shopping experience that prompt valuable decisions to be made.

For those of you who have looked at a tiny little square of a colour chart to try to determine what your living room should look like...and have ended up disappointed, you

By Paulina Raguz


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For furniture of distiction • Turn to us for inspirationCelebrate your spacewith affordable & easy payment

Demand for quality hardwood furniture and fittings has prompted Mobilcasa, one of Kenya’s leading

furniture firms to make the deliberate effort to go regional.

“The opening up of the East African Community has made us rethink on how we can spread our wings and serve customers yearning for customized wood products,” said Benard Mulei while opening a work-shop cum showroom adjacent Nakumatt Oasis in Kampala last October.

With the EAC aiming to reactivate the regional economy, talents interior designers and quality furniture makers have a chance to increasing income generated from medium enterprises.

The regional body focuses at strengthening institutional export and trade policy capacity, improving access to trade and export information; increasing the competitiveness of regional-based businesses and expanding business contracts and sales.

As a company, says Mulei, we intend to establish strategic business alliances.

The motivation of taking the business regional, with the first stop being Uganda’s capital city

Imports have dramatically changed the nature of the furniture industry. China has certainly had a major impact on the furniture market across the East African region.

However, as dramatic as China’s dominance is with furniture exports running to over a $1.7 billion last year, the actual “sea change” in the furniture industry in recent years is the shift of power from the manufacturer to the consumer.

This shift would not have taken place if not for the record-breaking rise in imports. Imports have created a highly competitive, oversupplied marketplace.

Knowing who is changing the market and how the market is changing is important, but understanding the fundamental paradigm shift from a manufacturer-centered to a consumer-centered market is the essential information countries need in order to enter the East African market and favorably position themselves for the future.

On the surface, the East African furniture industry looks like an incredible opportunity but as goes the old adage, “look before you leap”, is as true in today’s furniture market as it ever was notes Mulei.

followed the increasing numbers of customers from that country. He stated that their orders were mainly furniture for hotels and residential property as the real estate sector in the country is experiencing an exponential growth.

“Ugandans have and enjoy style and taste of quality,” said Mulei adding that a related trend can be associated with Kenyans and Tanzanians who are upbeat about hardwood products and pricing.

Mobilcasa goes regional

Benard Mulei , MD MobilCasa Furniture


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There comes a time when one really needs to de-clutter a room to attain an ambiance to marvel. As the festive season dawns, Shahin Rajwani shares some insights on how to decorate a family room where guests can as well be entertained.

Make a fresh start

Hello again! As promised in the last issue, I will be showing you how to transform your home from dull and

drab to warm and inviting space.

With Xmas around the corner and New Year right after, how about making a fresh start by de-cluttering your home? If this seems like a daunting task, then take one particular room in which you spend a lot of your time and start to work with that.

I assume the room you spend most of your time in is your Living/Sitting room, Lounge or whatever you wish to call it. It is the area of your home where you welcome guests or relax with family in the evenings watching TV or just lounging with a drink in hand listening to music of your choice. Therefore, for this issue I plan to discuss this area of your home; the room where you will be entertaining family and friends during the festive season.

Little havenWhatever the size of your Living Room, it is a little haven where you should like to come back to at the end of a busy day, a place to be with your

family and friends or just on your own enjoying the ambiance, relaxing with some music playing.

Usually our living room is also the place that most visitors see, and therefore should be very inviting and comfortable so that everybody will feel good right away. Now how do we achieve this? There are several simple steps that we can follow in Interior Design to achieve this, and be warned, I am going to be really radical with my advice:

1To start with, empty your room completely. Take everything out, including curtains and fixtures. Now stand back and look at the room with new eyes and you will be amazed

what you see! By emptying out the whole room you have also allowed the old stagnant energy to move out of the room.

2Now take a pen and some graph paper and sketch out the shape including the window openings, doors or arches, fire place etc. and their positions.

3On the side of the page jot down your requirements for your living room. Ask yourself questions like: Is it used every day by all members of the family? Or is

it a formal place used only for entertaining? For instance if it is used as a family room you may need a television area with a particular type of seating plan for watching.

4Having decided the use of the room, list all the basic items that you require for the room to be comfortable; like a sofa or sofas, armchairs, coffee table, maybe

side tables, a footstool or pouf. Once this is done,


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try to place the items on your list onto your floor plan. Be brave and only put on your list things you need. Throw or give away anything that is unnecessary. You will never move on or change your design if you cling to useless items. Be tough with yourself and let things go!

Planning done, start by reorganizing your existing pieces of furniture. Consider changing the covers of your sofa(s) and armchairs (loose covers can revamp your sofa set straight away) or if buying a new set of furniture, choose a neutral

colour. Beige, cream or white will work best and allow you to play around with accent colours in items like cushions and throws throughout the year.

Storage unit If you still have a lot of items that you cannot part with, then consider investing in a storage unit with cupboards, which you can hide away the items not needed. This storage unit should also have shelves where you can display your

“precious” items. An old coffee table can be given

a new lease of life with some new varnish or why

not just paint it another colour?

Consider also having your existing rugs cleaned

or move them around into another room and

invest in a new one to match you new colour

scheme. The same goes for the curtains. Have

these cleaned or bin them and invest in new

curtains or sheers. These days, sheers come

in some fantastic shades and patterns and can

make a real statement in a room. They can be

combined with a set of blinds to create a fresh

and modern look.

After this “spring cleaning” is done, it will be

lots of fun to decorate this room for the festive

season: bring in candles of your chosen colour.

There will be enough space to place the Xmas

tree in your de-cluttered room. But do not clutter

again! Perhaps choose only one or two colours

to be used in your decoration scheme. It will

give your new room a more harmonious and

sophisticated look.

Best wishes during this festive season and in

more to come.

The writer is the managing director of Spiegel Interiors, located Mobil Plaza in the city county of Nairobi.


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So soft, so inviting...

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Kenya’s furniture industry made up of both large national chains, regional stores, and small independent operations is bubbling with businesses that is transforming

lifestyles. The competition is largely inclining on stylish furniture for both homes and offices.

Among the latest products to hit the market is La-Z-Boy furniture collections exclusively sold by Antarc in the country. The new range of his sofas and recliners are the talk of town. The La-Z-Boy brand that is synonymous with comfort and quality.

Things have really evolved since La-Z-Boy first introduced the recliner in 1928. Over the subsequent decades, the product line has grown to include a myriad of pieces and styles, and the brand name has become highly recognized especially across the country and around the globe.

According to Mr. Ashit, the chief executive officer of Antarc Furniture says that furniture purchases is steadily growing owing to increaased percentage of disposable income spent on household furniture. “It is for this reason that we are bring into the Kenyan market collections that for a long will appeal in their homes and office launges.

Antarc imports La-Z-Boy

collection Ashit Shah, CEO Antarc Furniture


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Harmonious organization and arranging space, particularly in formal settings calls for delicate balancing act writes Humphrey Odhiambo following experiences and insights shared by Ndegwa Wokabi, CEO - Design Corporate.

The walk into the world of interior design industry in the last ten years has finally paid-off for Design

Corporate and Ultra Interiors following the match to scoop coveted awards and chance to style-up offices and furnish homes.

Tucked on the shelves of Design Corporate are prestigious recognition awards namely; Construction Industry Champion and First Runners Up Top 100 Medium Sized Company, accorded by Business Daily, the organizers of Kenya’s annual Top 100 Medium Sized Companies.

Ndegwa Wokabi, an easy going man behind the successful walk of the companies he initiated says; interiors design has always been misunderstood. Work of interior designer was barely appreciated. Finding contracts was stressful.

While retracing his steps, he recalls how different designers have had it rough but have persisted to share their expertise. “Imagine after the four years in the university I being asked by a managing director if interiors design, the job I wanted to do in his company was merely to arrange and dust some sofa-sets. This tickled him, much as he was so surprised at the level of ignorance.

Active walk for Design Corporate into the corporate world started four years ago. The firm squarely targets to elevate the status of offices by designing their looks.

While on one hand some senior personnel want their office space to be inviting and pleasant for both employees and visitors, they on the other hand complain and insist that it must remain inexpensive and professional in both look and feel. Budgets in this regard constitute the biggest challenge. Getting good contractors who can beat the set timelines as well as work during the night hours has been another tall order.

It is this feedback that stirred Wokabi to heave from consultancy work to plunge into the active Interiors Construction field. This is a more challenging arena. Once mandated to design an office, Design Corporate revolves around making the office space pleasant and productive physical environment.

The long hours work that is coupled with challenges of sometimes being restricted to render services in the night hours so as to limit noise levels involves; mounting ceiling and fixing partitions, painting office walls with well though-out corporate colours.

Decking the walls, carpeting and ensuring that the office is equally a green zone constitutes some of the finer works that Wokabi’s team has to wade through to change the looks of offices. The preference of be-decking walls follows his experience that bare walls gives an office a dull

and unlived-in feel that usually affect the mood of staff.

Of significance is that Design Corporate also warms up the workspace by adding some tasteful framed photos, prints, or paintings to on the walls.

Greening the zoneIn a bid to appreciate nature, Design Corporate enhances most of the office spaces by making it a green zone. It in this regard plants a few indoor trees to your office setup, a move that makes the employees feel less cut off from the outside world, especially in offices located in very urban areas.

Furnishing and LightingSince office furniture plays a large role in how an office space looks and feels Design Corporate’s rule of the thumb is to try to maintain the same style of furniture throughout the office. Mismatched tables and chairs tend to make any space look rather cheap and thrown together says Wokabi.

Of importance to Design Corporate is also to light-up the space. “We try to find a nice balance between the natural light the electricity,” he says. This creates a sense of openness.

Office with a difference


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people refer to it as skeleton or “hard-finish.” Building statistics shows that 55 to 60 percent of the expenditure goes to the interiors.

Effectively, the investor developing a project worth Ksh 80 million pays Ksh 40 million (45 percent) for the structure and “Consortium Professionals” fee (Architect, Engineers, Quantity Surveyor and a Contractor).

The investor is then referred to an Interior Designer who quotes Ksh 48 million which provides for all interior surface finishing, labour and Interior Design Profession Fee. It is important to note that in the overall, architects design attractive structures. Interior design takes a chunk in the project’s life.

Traditionally, the market clearly understands, approves and factors in fees for the “Consortium of Professionals” but does not fully appreciate and value the role of the interior designer. The interior designer does more than plan; the interior designer designs.

Engaging interior designers Active role Services of interior designers entail developing timelines for a project, coordinating contractor work schedules, and making sure work is completed on time.

These professionals also oversee the installation of design elements and upon completion of the project are together with the client inspect the building site. Simply put, they conduct quality check to match the expectation of the client.

Owing to the nature of the interior designer’s work, investors have an obligation to be extremely prudent while committing expenditure funds to the project.

Unnecessary mistakesWhile not always the case; quite often the investors barely choose to go with the Interior Designer’s quotation. And what does this result to? Cutting corners! Why? They want the cheapest option, a decision that could result in unprofessional estimations, poor choice in materials and/or material wastage.

In such a scenario these mistakes result in spends of heavy unexpected costs beyond the estimates projected by Interior Designer.

One just needs to listen to the

Although interior designers creatively and artistically enhance aesthetics of spatial spaces, some investors tend to shy away from engaging their professional services, raising the question if such hired service is a worthy investment or not, writes Nyambura Nugi-Kinuthia.

To appreciate the role of interior designers in buildings, it is important to note that interior design is an applied art and not fine art. Unlike the luxury of paintings and sculptures, interior design is based on personal aesthetic demands. It is a hardworking art, notoriously difficult to measure because it goes with creative thinking that enhances looks and also forestalls mundane problems.

Practice and vision The essence of art is intangible. It is difficult to value in terms of money but is valuable in terms of results. Consequently, beyond skill and competence, there remains the special but hard-to-measure value-added element of art, and

only the designer’s combination of education, practice and vision can produce that element.

Well, let’s now break down the fact of myth of the propounded statement; “Interior Designers are very expensive.” How does one quantify “expensive”? Take this scenario: An investor building an apartment worth Ksh 80 million always aims to do a good job that can ultimately make an equally good measure of returns on the investment.

Construction cost Quantity surveyors budgetary estimates indicate that about 40 to 45 percent of the overall construction cost is spent on the structure or shell. Some

Arguably, most of us have heard this expression “Interior Designers are very expensive.” Is this a myth or fact? Quite a number of people have the impression that

interior design services can only be required by the rich. This is far from the reality, considering that everyone investing in a building project always wants to achieve the very best either for themselves or the market.


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market to hear how some investors burn-out while building commercial or residential property. They confess how they lost millions shillings on materials on such unnecessary mistakes. Now that’s expensive!

Role in projectsProfessional Interior Designers work with the client - hand in glove and with the “Consortium of Professionals” to select the suitable and functional surface finish materials including fittings that range from sanitary-ware, doors, floor finishes, ceiling and light fittings.

They provide “The Client” with a well drawn road map giving the project clarity from beginning to end. As a contractor, the Interior Designer will build a plan and

execute it by appointing a team of proficient Interior Contractor and sub-contractors – painters, plumbers and electricians among others. This team works with the interior designers to accomplish a fore-thought design. The supervisory effort demands for skills of an interior designer.

Services rendered by interior designers intercede for the developers considering that they effectively manage all the tradesmen. The designers pay attention to detail and further ensure that every appliance is designed and fitted professionally in relation to functionality. Their trained eye and passion are definite requirements in any valuable building project.

The writer is the managing director at Zidaka Interiors. In this world of choices, you have a reason to really

Dream Big! In real estate, your vision desires a one-stop shop professional and that would not be far from calling on Wealth Properties specializing in residential

sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, property development and project

management.

Brookside Breeze, Brookside Drive, Westlands ::: P.O. Box 13807- 00800, Nairobi :::

Tel: 020 2013511 ::: Cell: 0721 912 565 ::: 0735 60 52 62 ::: [email protected] ::: www.wealthproperties.co.ke :::


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How many of us realise that we do not have homes but houses, solid hard places, queries Robert Yawe as he writes about structures where people only go to lay their heads before getting up again to keep searching for spaces with inner peace that they can furnish.

Finally was the new furniture all custom built so as to fit right in the space available, topped with a lovely handcrafted wooden coffee table that was to die for, not to forget the original print painting of mount Kenya done by Kalima Theluji, which was hanging on the wall above an interestingly well fitting custom designed side cabinet.

On the other end of town somewhere at the edge of Nairobi and Central Provinces and a stone throw from the Village Market on a lovely half acre plot, is another of my relatives who built a beautiful house over ten years ago. The exterior is royal, the gate divine and the roof, well, is something quite ideal.

The interior has expensive finishes and is furnished with two sets of mismatched sofas pushed to the wall and filling the room. One set is Victorian the other leather, the floor is wood block which is only visible at the edges because

There’s no home without interiors

Where is home? Some say “it is what you own”, others say it is “where the heart is at”. But where is home

to you?

Is home a house, a dwelling place or a place of refuge, peace and tranquillity?

Mental conditionClose to where I live, there is a man who lives outdoors. I believe he suffers from a mental condition that makes him incapable of staying indoors but that’s beside the point. What I have noticed over a number of months of watching him is that he actually is at home.

Yes, right there on the verandah of a shopping area, he actually even has a summer area, winter (rains) area and a day room all of which have clear views of the sky. The interesting thing is that he has personal items that he keeps around him. He lays his mattress facing different directions at different times, and he regularly changes his interiors to suit his need and mood.

A relative of mine has lived in Soweto village for many years in the same house. I visited them

a few months ago and, yes, the house was the same one on the outside (tongue and grove – TNG wood panelling) but the interiors had radically changed since my previous visit.

Into the middle The entry door which previously opened into the middle of the sitting room was now at one end of the wall. They had re-wallpapered the entire room from the previous dailies newsprint to a lovely flowery coloured paper. The plain earthen floor was now covered with linoleum matting from wall to wall.


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it has been covered with a number of large colourful carpets.

On one end of the sitting room is an elegant wall unit that sticks out a little obstructing the door to the dining room where there is a large mahogany French-finish eight-sitter dining table with seven chairs. The eighth chair is tucked away in the kitchen as having it next to the table makes one side inaccessible.

Sense of disconnectThere are magnificent machine generated paintings on the walls that give a sense of disconnect to the rest of the room as they are neo modern techno images. The centre piece is a large 30 something inch TV on a low cabinet.

My tour ended there as we proceeded to sit outside in the “Thigira” that was well furnished with rattan seats, a rough finished wooden table and little bar with uneven wood polls. From the wear on the furniture here, it was clear that this room saw more regular use than the main house sitting room.

How many of us actually realise that we do not have homes but houses, solid hard places where we only go to lay our heads before getting up again to keep searching for inner piece elsewhere.

Peculiar approachIt is interesting how we have peculiar approach to more than just how we use our mobile phones, as the peculiarity also reflects in our homes and clothing.

My relatives in Soweto might wear previously owned cloths most of the time. However, when they need something special they have it made to measure. The interesting thing is that even the rich who can afford ready made to measure clothing or custom furniture opt for off the shelf. As peculiar as we are, we do the reverse. The middle and upper classes wear and sit on ready-made and brag about it.

Encourage creativityYour home is your interiors. It should reflect you. It is time you rewarded yourself by securing

interiors that appeal to you and your guest. This move can develop and encourage creativity as well as develop the arts.

Is this a sign that as far as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is concerned we are mostly at level 3 (belonging, sheep mentality) and are yet to get to level 4 (esteem, individual)? This could explain why we remain a net importer and our arts and artists continue to languish in poverty.

We buy houses worth tens of millions yet we have them finished identically to our neighbours with no input from interior designers. That house can only become a home if your hand is in it. This can be done without having to custom build the house. Custom finish the interiors, commission paintings and furniture, pick wall finishes that make you feel homely, segregate spaces (lounge, TV room and play rooms) so as to have varying settings yet remaining in the same location.

Work your interiors for you not the Joneses. The home is where your heart is. Remember the heart needs the peace of your home sweet home.


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Taste of comfort

We all want beautiful things. We want our homes to feel fresh and reflect where we’ve been, who we are and who we strive to be. We want living rooms that can be both eclectic and the family hub. We want dining rooms able to host impressive dinner parties while still being the hot spot for laptops and homework. We want bedrooms that are tranquillity personified. What we want is to live and function better within the smartest projection of our personal style.Style isn’t irrelevant, far from it, and our lives would be much less fun without it. But no style works well unless you pay some attention to what’s underneath – the bare bone of structure and design. Really good design requires reviewing of individual elements and components in relation to the total concept. The visual appearance of the space you occupy not only has to be aesthetically pleasing, but has to function efficiently too.

Translating the ideas Each of us has our own personal style. Over the years, as we move from house to house, possibly acquiring partners, children and pets, our style alters as we change and grow but still remains unique to us. While it’s important you love the look of your rooms, you won’t enjoy living in them unless the décor suits both your lifestyle and its surroundings.

Furnishing a home involves translating the ideas that stir us into rooms that contend us. Our homes should be as personal, eclectic and full of character as we are, reflecting our different lifestyles, preserving our memories and expressing our own brand of taste. At the same time, most people desire a sense of timelessness in design – materials that wear and weather well, furnishings that are comfortable, practical and easy on the eye.

How do you make a confident choice from the vast range of furniture available? Well, fear not! At Furniture Palace, we are always brainstorming about how to achieve all of the above

An Italian masterpiece in full leather! Beautifully simple with elegant lines defines Amalfi.

As furnishing a home involves translating ideas that stir people

appreciate rooms, concept behind the works should be as personal,

eclectic and full of character as we as reflect a lifestyle that preserves a memory and expresses a taste of

brand writes Ketu Shah.


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From the start we realized that it is our customers who form the foundation of our business, which is why we always endeavour to re-invent our designs and give you what you want…if not more! Today, Nairobi has become a true global city – a centre for style, culture, art, fashion and luxury. In response to this we are bringing some of the world’s most exclusive brands to our cosmopolitan customers.

Distinctive craftsmanship This is a major investment. So it’s only natural that you demand the very best. Our furniture has distinctive craftsmanship that is second to none. Made from top notch products, you can rest assured about the quality of the products that leave our doors.

We take great pride in providing furniture that is both functional as well as aesthetically enhanced. To us, furniture is not just a commodity. It is form and function in perfect harmony – where elegance and refined splendour meets practicality of everyday living! So come visit us today and transform your space from ordinary to extraordinary.

The idea behind our furniture is to create confidence, portray imagination and live better. That’s what it is all about!

The writer is the marketing manager at Furniture Palace

Victory Chocolate is so delicious looking - you will want to eat it! Sumptuous corduroy upholstery with pretty stitching detail on the base, this L-shape sofa is comfort defined.

Rich coloring and plush upholstery are trademarks of Ashton. Classic comfort from Ashley, USA.

Sink into the plush depths of this stylish full Italian leather sofa. Rich detailing and superbly comfortable, Lucerne is perfect for

any living space.

Gorgeous cushions and accessories in rainbow hues to jazz up your living space.

– by appreciating everything that goes into making a house of home. You can’t help but feel comfortable with our furniture that has been crafted thoughtfully and personally.

Trend-setting styles Furniture is the vital ingredient that transforms your space; it’s an expression of your style and individuality. That’s why at Furniture Palace where furniture is our pride, passion and skill, you will find innovative trend-setting styles that are a class above the rest.


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Gorgeous cushions and accessories in rainbow hues to jazz up your living space.

Aero is a bold l-shape sofa in a complimentary combination of soft ivory leather and dark exotic brown wood features. This set offers lots of versatility as it comes as

separates that can be put together.

Host spectacular dinner parties on this chic Brooklyn dining table. A striking combination of warm cocoa colored wood and dark tempered glass inset in the middle.

Elegant & sophisticated with delicate lines and timeless good looks, the La Salle dining suite will enhance your home with

splendor and richness.

Odessa is a luxurious and sensuous bedroom collection with beautiful hand carved details.

Elegant wrought iron scrolls are perfectly combined with oak and tempered glass. The Welton collection is sheer indulgence

with a grace of its own.


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Elegantly styled, Storm is perfect for the urban & contemporary home.

Chunky and wholesome, the Luxor bedroom suite will transform your bedroom.

Make a statement with this stunning black & white Nolita Onyx bedding set.


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Well organised kitchen

Correct placement of pans on cooker

With everyone getting busy and yet needing one another, the kitchen, which indeed is the heart of the home can transform the way you connect, dine and safely cook with your family and friends writes Carol Ayoma.

Make kitchens socialable

Basic ergonomic requirements include the ability to reach, see what you are doing and move safely about.

Height is very important. Plan the kitchen so regularly used items are in easy reach, not at high level. Cookers/hobs should be at a height where you can comfortably see the contents in the cooking pans. Ovens should be set at a comfortable height to avoid accidents when removing hot trays.

Worktops are fixed at standard heights but can be raised or lowered depending on your height and circumstances.

Kitchen Layout and shape:A safe kitchen is one with a well defined relationship between the cooking, wash-up, preparation and cold/dry storage areas to ensure easy movement. Where possible avoid the interruption of a door or walkway. Tall units should always be at the end of the worktop runs

to ensure the flow of the workspace.

Whether the shape is a single line of units, a double line of units, U-shaped, L-shaped or a Peninsula all necessary safety concerns should also be observed, especially where children are concerned. The design should prevent children from reaching dangerous areas. A breakfast bar where they can sit and watch is a possibility.

Cabinets:The use of easy to clean and maintenance free modern finishes such as melamine and vinyl press form has greatly improved hygiene levels in the kitchen. Full carcasses with backs ensure that vermin do not set up camp in cracks between the wall and the cabinets.

Worktops:As they are in constant use they should be easily cleaned and able to withstand knocks, abrasions, chemical attack, dampness, heat and steam. Corian worktops are easily the best as they can withstand almost every abuse imaginable but may leave you out of pocket! Post-form formica high pressure laminate top offer an affordable solution. They are non-porous, scratch proof and when used in conjunction with an inset sink they are virtually water proof. Wood and granite require sealing as they are naturally absorbent and may harbour bacteria.

Well Designed Kitchen - Clean tiled floor

With our busy life styles family socializing is often based around the kitchen and meal times are the

most important way of getting together. But how safe and hygienic are our kitchens? If you are thinking of refurbishing your kitchen or moving into a new apartment, investing in a professionally designed kitchen can be one of the best decisions you make.

Hygiene and Safety in the kitchenA well designed kitchen should provide as much space as possible, separating the clean and dirty operations. Clean, airy storage spaces is a must!

Kitchen Design Ergonomics:Ergonomics is the science relating the human body to space. The design should foster comfort and convenience while working and optimize the available space.


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Sinks:Manufacturers have given consumers a vast choice, from single bowls with drainer to double-bowls flanked by two drainers. A half bowl between the main sink and drainer is a valuable addition for rinsing food. One may want to consider a separate vegetable sink.

Storage:Well planned storage can save a lot of time, make your life simpler and safer whilst cooking.

You can maximize the efficiency of your kitchen with a large selection of products designed to optimize storage. Choose from base cabinet pull-outs and corner systems, drawer management, spice racks, larder fittings, wine racks, built-in towel, tray and bottle storage and appliance storage.

Storage below the worktop is handy for heavy items such as pots, pans and oven dishes.

Vegetables must be kept in a dry, airy place to prevent rotting; they must be stored away from the oven or a hob. Wicker baskets offer a good alternative for dry storage.

Utensils should be kept near the cooking area. Try to store your cutlery in an organizer within a drawer, close to the preparation area where you will most need them.

FloorsThe kitchen floor should be durable, easy to clean, non-absorbent and non slip; it should be well maintained and kept free from cracks and crevices especially at the wall junction. This will prevent food and debris from collecting in these areas thus enhancing hygiene.

Walls These should be kept free from cracks; they should be tiled at the sink and cooker areas where there is moisture and grease.

Ventilation and LightingAs kitchens are particularly prone to condensation, it is important to provide some means of expelling the moist air along with any potentially overwhelming odours. In this regard, electrical extractor fans of a matching width to the cooking surface are the best way to quickly freshen the kitchen without the risk of draughts.

A kitchen can be lit from either natural or artificial light as long as it is adequate; it is difficult to keep a kitchen clean if you can’t see what you’re doing!

Waste managementWaste and other refuse should be disposed of in an efficient and hygienic manner to prevent the risk of pests and bacteria spreading. Bins should

have lids and be placed safely away from food, preferably integrated into the sink cabinet to keep the kitchen clean and clutter-free whilst in use.

Well designed kitchen - Corian Counter, Breakfast Bar, Cooking Island

Drawer organisation

So let’s play safe by… 9 Ensuring that all Gas and electric

installations are carried out by a qualified person.

9 Keeping all pan handles to the side, not protruding forward when cooking

9 Always boiling water or other fluids on the burners at the rear of the cooker.

9 Keeping all knives in use at the rear of the worktop whilst cooking,

9 Cleaning kitchen walls and floor daily, particularly in hidden areas to remove food debris or grease from cooking.

9 Washing and rinsing hands before preparing food, after handling raw meat, in between handling different food items and after using the toilet.

Sink with half bowl for washing vegetables on post form high

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1If you have a partner, get them involved in the transformation. After all, they’ll be the first to benefit!

2Clutter isn’t sexy. If you have children, your bedroom, like many other parents’, will become a dumping ground

for toys and books. The last thing you need in your adult fantasy haven is physical evidence of your real-world responsibilities.

3On the subject of children, if you haven’t already done so, consider placing a lock on your bedroom door to secure the area as a child-free zone. This may sound harsh, but the benefits from such a decision make it a wise choice.

4A fresh coat of paint will give your room a clean look. Colour choice is important. While red is a passionate colour, you don’t want your bedroom to look like a fire place, so if you choose to use it, do so sparingly as an accent colour.

Green is said to be the most relaxing colour for the eyes, so if you’re leaning that way, a mint crisp or a cool cucumber tone might be the perfect choice. Be careful though if you do decide to use this hue as it may create a cold and clinical mood, rather than warm and sultry.

A rich goldenrod or honey gold tone will add warmth to your space. Creating intimacy is essential if you have a large space to play with. By adding a rich burgundy accent colour, you give the room a luxurious quality.

Create your haven

De-clutter your bedroom with a harsh hand. Remove toys, sporting equipment and anything that gives your space a feeling of being a storage room. Ensure your floor space is clear of everything apart from furniture.

Bedrooms should by all means be admirable, writes Hilda Otuga stressing that the spaces ought to be furnished in such manner that it can only reignite joy expressed by favourite colours, linen and furniture among other collections.

Reignite your flames of desire by transforming a tired and uninspiring bedroom into one that oozes romance and sensuality. To create such a mood, you need to touch

upon all of your senses, sight, sound, touch, smell and hearing. Depending on your budget, you can change a little or a lot, but even a little will go a long way in creating an adult haven for you to rest, relax and play.

5Rearrange furniture to improve the use of space as well as the feel of the room. If you enjoy going to sleep and waking up to the views from your bedroom, consider facing

the bed towards the windows.

6Rearrange furniture to improve the use of space as well as the feel of the room. If you enjoy going to sleep and waking up to the views from your bedroom, consider facing the bed towards the

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7Lighting can make or break a mood. Consider investing in a dimmer switch so you can switch the room’s mood

from bright excitement to smooth and sexy.

Wall sconces, with either light-bulbs or candles, can introduce small amounts of warm light into room.

If you have an iron bedstead, warm it up with simple, warm, white Christmas tree lights. This soft lighting will allow you to set a magical tone in the bedroom and it’s quite easy and inexpensive to put into place. Dress the headboard by wrapping the lights around the iron frame.

Candles placed on bedside tables can add sensuous lighting and if scented, smells too. Choose musks, vanillas and lavenders to create pleasant aromas in your boudoir.

8When dressing your bed, consider investing in new bedding. Purchase items which not only look good,

but feel good too. Consider investing a complementary and luxurious throw to add warmth and colour to the bed.

Dress your bed with a canopy to transform your bed into a point of intimate focus. Measure your bed up and create a wooden frame of equal size that will go on the ceiling. Simply attach pieces on 1” x 2” using nails secured into studs. Attach a gauzy or lacy fabric to the outside border of the frame, creating pleats as you go along the edge.

9 Appeal to your sense of smell with oil burners, freshly cut flowers, scented candles or bowls of potpurri.

10Redress your walls to add to the sensuality of the space. Artwork should

enhance the feel, not detract from it. Avoid aggressive images and try to have your artwork draw upon the colours you have used in the space. If you’re purchasing pieces, look for landscapes, figure studies

or abstract paintings with warm colours and smooth curves.

11Accessorise your space with soft cushions, sensual vases overflowing

with flowers and objects which please you.


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Gypsum revolutionizes interiors

solution due to its maximum flexibility, writes Eric Mule.

Times of dry-wall are gone. The times are equally too dry for sheer ceilings. This follows the reason that an

interior of home expresses the elegance that everyone desires to within their hood.

Holding the moment is gypsum board, a smooth – finished board made from gypsum mineral which is not flammable. Formed and encased with glutinous compressed paper on both sides, its surface is very smooth and beautiful yet highly functional. They are designed for internal walls, ceilings and partitions in both residential and commercial buildings.

Among the features for the gypsum boards include; fire resistance, heat penetration, sound absorption and quick installation.

; Fire Resistance – equipped with fire-resistant capability, gypsum boards are designed to provide the resistance to fire for half to four hours and block the flame from spreading to the next room.

; Heat Penetration Control – gypsum boards transmit low heat and provide perfect insulating property which could reduce heat generation and energy consumption of air conditioning system. Besides, the micro-fiber insulation could be additionally installed with contact with the ceiling to further increase the thermal quality.

; Sound Absorption – with sound absorption capability, gypsum boards can be applied as ceiling and wall to retard the penetration of 35-60 decibel of noise.

; Easy and Quick Installation – gypsum boards can be used as both wall and ceiling without the need for beam installation. Set up through the drywall system, it can be quickly installed, leaving no dust to the area. Besides, the repair works or demolition work could be also simply processed at minimum disturbance to other areas, even the occupied ones.

; Plain Surface allowing maximum design flexibility – The plain surface of gypsum boards permits the maximum flexibility to create any ceiling shapes, such as stepped or vaulted, as well as applied in any areas.

; Durability and Light Weight – The high strength feature of gypsum boards offers durability in any climates. Furthermore, it is five times lighter than the concrete wall

which could help reduce the structure base of the construction when installing the board.

; No health hazard and Eco Friendliness – even at high temperatures or upon fire burning, gypsum boards will not emit poisonous gases as they are formed up with gypsum mineral which could prevent the known health hazards. They could also be re-used without any effect towards the environment.

Gypsum walled and insulated rooms allow for excellent temperature control during the cold or hot months. The boards’ thermal-insulating properties prevent undesired heat gain or loss, maintaining a comfortable environment in the rooms.

For those who desire fancy ceilings, gypsum board is the best solution due to its maximum flexibility allowing you to create any ceiling shapes such as bulkheads and curved ceilings. You don’t have to settle for a flat ceiling anymore, you can have any ceiling shape that you desire which you can combine with various decorative mouldings (cornices) and lightings to bring out a fancy design.

The writer is the Regional Manager, Lafarge Gypsum Kenya Ltd. Look-out for a continuation of this article in the next edition.

For those yearning for trendy ceilings, gypsum board turns out as the best


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Use of ceramics has evidently become popular but what counts is the quality of the manufactured

products as they produced in varied grades encompassing an array of materials. In the overall the material is divided into two classes that include: traditional and advanced.

Traditional ceramics of which are easy to find in the market is made of clay products, silicate glass and cement while advanced ceramics consist of carbides, pure oxides, nitrides and non-silicate glasses among other products.

Boost interiors with ceramics


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Since ceramics are harder, they tend to have many advantages compared to other materials that would be used to spruce-up spaces. Owing to their stiffness than steel they withstand heat and are corrosion resistant than metals. Its advantage of being less dense than most metals and their alloys makes its raw materials plentiful and inexpensive.

Ceramic materials display a wide range of properties which facilitate their use in many different product areas with the most common areas being glassware, windows, pottery, Corning¨ ware, magnets, dinnerware, ceramic tiles, lenses, home electronics, microwave transducers.

One of Kenya’s outsnatding ceramic powerhouses stands out to be RAK Ceramics whose initiatives are promoted by Solai Group of Companies.

Its prided Joint Venture partnership with RAK Ceramics in United Arab Emirates, a world’s renowned multinational which thrives in quality manufacture of ceramics has necessitated the company to offer the market enviable tiles and sanitary ware products.

RAK Ceramics, UAE, adjudged as the number one ceramics producer globally in 2009, commits to add value in Kenya’s building industry that is equally growing faster and with an ever increasing demand of stylish and more appealing aesthetics.

As RAK’s manufacturing plants are ISO 9001: 2000 certified and their products meet ISO standards, the range of the company’s product lines meet international acceptance and approval by leading Architects, Contractors, Specifiers and other relevant agencies.

Tiles and sanitary-wareTiles and sanitary-ware manufactured by RAK Ceramics, The mother company of the RAK Group, the company has more than 13 tile plants in Ras Al Khaimah producing over 250,000m2 of porcelain and non-porcelain tiles and 10,000 pieces of sanitary ware items per day.

In addition to adherence to ISO standards of Quality parameters, the company manufactures special products like 20 mm thick Porcelain slabs, Swimming Pool tiles, anti-microbial and luminous tiles.

For external cladding applications on high rise buildings RAK Ceramics has developed 4.5mm thick SLIM TILES in porcelain which can also be used for tile-on-tile applications avoiding the removal of old tiles.

In Sanitary ware production, RAK employs robotic machines to perfect the glaze application

which is the most stringent quality requirement for sanitary ware.

Water closetsThe company’s water closets use dual and single flushing of 6/3 liters per flush or better still 4.5/ 3 liters per flush in some models resulting in enormous water saving. The facilities’ are reliable as they last longer.

Kitchen and bathroomsBoth kitchen and bathroom fittings of RAK are manufactured at Ras Al Khaimah by RAK

KLUDI, an associate company of RAK Ceramics in technical collaboration with Kludi of Germany, one of the top 5 manufacturers of bath room and kitchen fittings in the world.

At the moment RAK Kenya holds sufficient stocks of the various products in Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru and has show room and sales outlet in Nairobi’s Industrial area, and sales outlets and display centres at Kijabe Street and Parklands respectively. Besides having other showrooms in Nakuru and Mombasa, the company enjoys over 30 distributors located across Kenya for effective distribution of products to its growing customers.


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Feel of goodnessContrary to popular view of having some private four-walled private room with white walls and white sanitary ware, bathrooms are increasingly becoming more than mere places to wash hands or respond to the natural relieve call but a special place whose design shouldn’t be an after-thought in the house, hotel or office writes Zack Osolo.



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Imagine coming from a long, tiring day at the office and rejuvenating your body in a luxurious bathroom! Does this picture elude you often? Not any more! It is not always that you have to go to a five-star hotel or spa to experience such a delight.

Luxurious bathrooms can also be created within the privacy of your home. Little changes and a nose for perfection can completely change the look of your current bathroom, paving way for a new, luxurious one. For one, luxury does not always mean that it is expensive but exclusive.

Though designing a luxury bathroom at home is a tough job, it can be made easy if you resort to the tips and ideas shared by Laxcon Hardware & Spares Ltd without digging so deep into your pockets.

For one, a good-looking bathroom always strikes a unique balance between utility and aesthetics and it is important for a bathroom to have adequate lighting, storage facilities, standard fixtures and fittings. A bathroom has to pull off all these requirements for it to appeal to eye.

Design IdeasTo really create the perfect environment for your daily routines, you need to maximize the space you have and be sure to include items that make a bathroom comfortable.

It doesn’t matter if you’re planning on redesigning/decorating your bathroom or even planning on building a new one from scratch. What matters is this - you have got to fulfil your creative desires and do the same within your budgetary restrictions. You do not want to go overboard; keep in mind that it defines your personality.

Here are some of the ways to make a bathroom feel more modern and luxurious.

AccessoriesIf your bathroom seems boring to you, change it up, add some sparkle, by just changing your hardware you can make an amazing difference to your bathroom.

While larger and bigger bathrooms that can be turned into personal retreats are the trend of the day, quite a number of new homes being built are having bathrooms that seem to be getting smaller.

Usually, a toilet, sink or tub slightly smaller than average can make your bathroom look more expansive, especially in rented apartments where you cannot build additions to your home or break down a wall or closet to free more space for your bath. Small and petite fixtures are available with many customized options and you can find some easily in our specialty showroom. The goal here is small but functional.

Colour You can first choose your bathroom suite and then dress it up with the colours of your choice so if you love Ferrari red that’s fine as a bathroom suite will always blend in. If you opt to use bold colours and textured paints it will revamp your restroom into a luxurious one.

However, remember that the colour you opt for the walls should go well with the flooring and accessories in the bathroom.

FlooringWhile creating a luxury bathroom, flooring is the first consideration you need to make. Replace the present tiles with fresh looking ceramic 12x12 inch tiles with contrasting shades. The colour of the tiles should go with the feel of your bathroom. You don’t want to have bathroom tiles that do not complement the dominating colours in your bathroom. Visualize the tiles on the floor of your bathroom before purchasing the same. Also, steer away from tiles that tend to look dirty and difficult to clean.


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Bathroom VanitiesInstalling new vanities is a great way to give your bathroom a brand-new look. The term “Bathroom Vanities” encompasses bath furniture, bathroom faucets, basins, grab rails, or mirrors.

The end of the cabinet vanity is always a nice place to hang a towel ring for a hand towel. If there’s more than one of you, how about a double towel bar at a lower level and then hang a beautiful piece of staggered shelves, a few decorative perfume bottles, be creative and have fun with it.

Luxury Shower headsWith these luxury shower heads, a bathroom shower can get a modern makeover. A growing number of home owners are going for showerheads with a more spa-like feel. These shower heads can mimic raindrops, a waterfall or pelt the body like a massage providing you with a wellness factor.

A luxury shower head won’t necessarily increase your water usage, because most products from major manufacturers comply with regulations when the nozzles are measured individually. The showerheads can be combined with wall-mounted spouts and adjustable wall-mounted mini showers to create your ideal environment that will leave you feeling cleansed and refreshed.

Keep it Clutter FreeAny room will feel cluttered if you have everything out and in sight. That’s why it’s a great idea to tuck everything except the necessities into a vanity or stylish cupboard. Wall storage makes even a compact space more easily navigated and lets you store extras out of sight. There are plenty of options for beautiful cupboards. Look for light colours to keep the visual impact to a minimum.

While making small luxury bathroom design, your prime goal should be to increase the functionality of the bathroom and at a same time make its look attractive. To utilize the maximum space in your small bathroom it is better to use compact furniture with sleek structures to store the daily basic requirements like shampoos and shower gels. It helps to reduce the clutter in the bathroom creating more space.



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Kenya is known for its beauty, warmth and hospitality, and Patricia Amira, Kenya’s host of the Pan-African ‘The Patricia Show’, certainly

embodies these qualities.

Patricia’s life has been eventful. Having left Kenya at the tender age of 13 with her parents and seven siblings, she travelled to Switzerland, Ethiopia and finally settled in England to pursue her education.

Living in England was certainly an experience for Patricia, studying, working and even living in the front room of a friend’s one-bedroom apartment. Searching for her true path in life and being open to new opportunities and experiences finally led her to return to Kenya.

Fun and loving Patricia’s Chinese animal sign is the ‘Monkey’ and she’s very true to many of the qualities of that sign. Monkey people are fun and loving; always cheerful and energetic, intelligent and great conversationalists, talented and creative. They are sociable and diplomatic and can charm anyone they meet, with good humour to boot!

Monkey people are drawn to show-business and usually have a good chance of becoming famous. For Patricia, this is depicted with her debut on the Kenyan scene as a presenter with unique qualities at Capital FM, one of the country’s leading radio broadcast stations.

Yearning to do something bigger and better, she started her

Taste and style that are innate characteristics of the designing and furnishing of a valued residence reveals another side of Patricia Amira’s passion in making an amazingly inviting home, writes Kalpana Jai, a Feng Shui Consultant who visited the media icon in Nairobi.

Warmth of Patricia’s home

media company with her husband David. She now hosts the highly successful Patricia Show that reaches out to an audience across Africa and beyond.

Patricia, David and their beautiful daughter Kaya, live in a quite suburb in Nairobi. For her, the family and home are very

important. This is reflected in the home’s cosy comfort and the couple’s warmth and hospitality.

While visiting the home, you’ll notice that the garage doors are left open as this is where the children within the neighbourhood freely play with Kaya with top of their fun being bike

riding down and up a gentle slope that leads to the family’s house. The water feature which I had advised Patricia to place at her front entrance last year was subsequently removed as she couldn’t say ‘no’ to the neighbourhood children from playing in it!


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Homely homeThe main entrance to any home is very important as it is through the front door that the beneficial energy enters the home. Ideally it should face one’s positive personal directions according to their date of birth.

The front door of Patricia’s home faces north, which does not coincide with any of her auspicious personal Feng Shui directions. However, all is not lost as there is a very lucky ‘flying star’ in this sector which brings her fame, recognition and acclaim, as well as good wealth-luck through the front door. During this interview, she promised to reintroduce the water feature at her entrance to activate the luck of the positive ‘flying star’.

At the front door, there is an open hallway which enjoys a ‘bright hall’ effect where positive energy is collected and then dispersed to the rest of the house. The entrance is bright and sunny with up-lifting colours, which makes anyone entering the home feel happy and welcome.

Under the staircase, there is a healthy plant which prevents the energy from stagnating in the empty space. The hallway leads into the living room which exudes a homely ambience. The southwest is the direction which relates to the ‘mother’ of the house as well as to harmonious relationships, and is the perfect location for the living room. The room has large windows and doorways, which allows plenty of bright light and fresh air to enter the living environment, keeping the energy constantly clean and uplifted.

The wood energyNatural light and fresh air is very conducive to one’s health and well-being. Keeping fresh plants brings the ‘wood’ element (the only living element of the five elements) into the environment. Wood energy is especially beneficial for young children in the home.

The piano takes focus in the room, creating an

active, dynamic energy, which is very important where the family gathers. Family photographs and personal mementos create harmonious energies for this relationship corner.

The warm tones of the carpet and cushions placed in the southwest corner contribute to Patricia’s fame and recognition and bring beneficial energy for advancements in career-related matters. Large glass doors lead out from the living room to the south garden. The south is the ‘fame and recognition’ corner.

The fireplace‘Fire’ element colours of purple and red, as well as the placement of red lanterns with candles activate the south sector. In this home, the ‘flying stars’ in the south bring good luck, not only to all work-related matters, but harmony in the relationships and well-being of the family.

The fireplace is located in the east corner of the room. This is not the ideal place for the ‘fire’

element but the metal grill (‘metal’ element) and the wood and flowers (‘wood’ element) help keep the negative energy at bay.

The wealth corner The predominantly wood furniture perfectly complements the ‘wood’ element of the southeast sector where the dining room is located. The southeast represents the wealth corner and for this home, the positive relationship star is located in this corner, further enhancing good relationships. Family photographs bring harmony to this sector and the lamp, representing the ‘fire’ element helps to control the negative flying star.

Leading out from the dining room is Patricia’s favourite corner of the house. The ambience of the patio, resplendent with lush plants and gentle chiming of wind chimes bring peaceful, calm energies. This indeed is where she sits to unwind, contemplate and energize. Again, the wood element of the fresh and colourful plants



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balances with the wood element of this sector.

As with the rest of the house, the small, cosy kitchen, located in the east sector, is adorned with family pictures. The east sector relates to ‘family and health’ and the light green colour works in perfect harmony with the ‘wood’ element of the east.

With regard to David and Patricia’s personal direction, the east is a negative direction for both; thus it’s a good direction for the kitchen to be located in.

In Feng Shui, it is an ideal configuration for the kitchen to be located in one’s negative personal direction.

The television room located on the first floor is also Patricia’s ‘den’. It doubles’ up as the family room too. Being a talented artist, Patricia uses this room to create her beautiful art-work which is displayed around her house.

The Feng Shui of the bedroom is considered the most important aspect of the home, after the main entrance. Every effort should be made to make the bedroom as conducive as possible for a happy life. The main focus is always on the master bedroom first as this determines the luck of the parents, which governs financial, material and happiness luck of the household.

Personal positive direction Location of the bedrooms should ideally be in one’s positive personal direction, as well as taking into account the presence of positive

ABOUT FENG SHUIThe principles of Feng Shui explain the interaction of people with their environment. Feng Shui

governs every aspect of human life from the seemingly trivial features of our living spaces to our inner-most aims and motivations, and ultimately, our physical and mental well-being.

The particular focus of Feng Shui is the influence of physical spaces, both of living and working environments. We analyse the Feng Shui effect of these spaces on our lives and activities and

to use that knowledge to create environments that are favourable rather than unfavourable. In doing so, it maximizes the potential for success, health and happiness.

‘flying stars’ in the particular location. Equally significant is the placement of the bed in the room.

In this home, the master bedroom is located in a corner of the house that is in harmony with the occupant’s personal positive direction. An added bonus is also the presence of a very positive ‘flying star’ in this corner of the home, which enhances the relationship as well as the fame and recognition luck.

The master bedroom is decorated with soft, pastel hues; this is most beneficial to give a restful night’s sleep. The bed is also appropriately placed in the occupant’s positive direction and this corner also has a positive ‘flying star’ bringing not only good health and relationships, but also advancement and recognition.

Patricia has also cleverly introduced a small amount of ‘fire’ element in her bedroom with the

two bedside lamps that have deep-red shades (rather than bright red), a perfect introduction of the ‘fire’ element in the bedroom! She’s keen that bright colours in a bedroom make the environment too active and therefore not ideal for a good night’s rest. If the bedroom environment calls for the ‘yang’ fire colours, it is a good idea to introduce them in a deeper or softer hue.

In contrast, Kaya’s room is a typical young child’s room with an active, ‘yang’ environment. Young children need more ‘yang’ (active, life-giving) energy in their environment to aid good growth, instead of the ‘yin’ energy.

Indeed, Patricia’s career has marked her out as one of the best-known names, not only in Kenya, but also on the African continent. She also has the good fortune to enjoy auspicious Feng Shui in her home and is definitely on her way to bigger and better things. We haven’t heard the last of Patricia Amira!


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As buying and selling of property continues to gain momentum in Kenya, the law demands that right

procedures be soundly followed. For one this makes the seller and buyer have the peace of mind in the business dealing.

Well, the first step one must take while selling and purchasing Property in Kenya is to search for the Title of the Property at the Lands Registry. The search establishes identity of the true registered owner of the Property that’s lined for sale. It further shows if there is a charge or mortgage registered against the Title or indeed, if there is a caveat registered against the Property.

After the search an Agreement for Sale is drafted. For one, in almost every case the Advocate acting for the seller drafts the Agreement. The Agreement spells out the details of the whole transaction encompassing the terms and conditions of the sale and purchase.

In most cases at the time of signing the Agreement, the buyer will usually pay the Seller’s-Advocate a deposit on account of the purchase price of the Property. The deposit is normally ten percent of the purchase price, however sometimes the deposit may be varied.

Sufficient notice Next, the Advocate for the seller holds the deposit as stakeholder until the completion of the purchase. Sometimes where the parties agree, the deposit may be released to the seller early, especially when the buyer is given possession of the Property earlier.

A non-occupied Property is then promised to the buyer, this is called vacant possession. Here the parties agree the Property will be vacant when the Property is handed over. This avoids a future hurdle for the purchaser, for example where there may be squatters on the Property or if there is a tenant occupying the Property.

Where there is a tenant on the Property, the buyer’s Advocate should normally make every effort to ensure that the tenant is given sufficient notice by the seller to leave the Property in good condition before the Property is handed over.

The Agreement for Sale also includes the payment outstanding on the purchase price,

Path to property ownership

including a date for completion, minus the ten percent deposit, which was paid by the buyer on signing the Agreement.

Transfer of the Property This balance is normally paid to the seller’s advocate on or near the completion date, to hold as a stakeholder until the registration of the Transfer of the Property by the buyer’s advocate. It is worth noting, that if the balance of the purchase price is paid and the sale deal falls due to the fault of the seller, the balance monies have to be returned to the buyer. This is why there is need to ensure that monies are held by the

seller’s-advocate as stakeholder.

The agreement will include a completion-date, which is generally a date agreed by the parties, when the buyer pays the seller’s-advocate the rest of the purchase price. It also includes the date that the seller’s-advocate gives the buyer’s-advocate a number of documents such as the Title of the property and a signed Transfer (being an instrument by which the title of property is transferred from the seller to the buyer).

Rates Clearance Certificate In most cases the buyer’s-advocate prepares the transfer, which is then approved by the seller’s-advocate. Thereafter, a currently paid-up Rates Clearance Certificate is presented showing that all rates have been paid.

Sometimes the property may be leasehold, and here a Land Rent Clearance Certificate should be produced. This shows the land rent for the property has been paid. This is produced together with a Letter of Consent for the transfer by the Lands Commissioner.

A Stamp Duty Valuation Form is also completed and presented, including receipts for utilities like electricity and water.

At this juncture, it is worth clarifying, the

The procedure for sale and purchase of property in Kenya may appear lengthy but it pays to adhere to spelt-out rules writes Imran Dev Dhanji.



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completion date is not the date when the transaction is actually completed, but the date when an exchange of documents for payment of the balance of the purchase of price is conducted. The completion date is normally between 30 and 90 days after the sale agreement has been signed.

When the buyer’s-advocate has received the completion documents, he or she should submit the Transfer or Conveyance to the Stamp Office for stamping. It is mandatory to supply to the Stamp Office the PIN numbers for the parties involved.

Transfer and TitleThe Stamp Duty payable often depends on the value of the Property at the time of stamping the Transfer. This is normally four percent of the value of the Property for municipal land and only two percent if the land is Agricultural Land.

When the transfer or conveyance has been

stamped, it is filed at the Lands Registry together with the clearances and consents for registration against the Title of the Property.

After the Transfer or Conveyance has been submitted for registration, it is submitted to the Valuation Section which must be satisfied that the purchase price represents the true value of the Property. Once this is done, the registration process continues.

Following the registration and delivery to the buyer’s Advocate of the registered Transfer and Title, in the name of the new owner, the transaction is usually complete and the buyer can ordinarily take possession of the Property. Usually, only after the transfer document has been registered, transferring the Property into the buyer’s name, is the purchase price released to the seller.

The writer is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a part-time Journalist. Edited by Mr. Humphrey Odhiambo, Email: [email protected]


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Baraza Resort & Spa, which is located along Zanzibar’s beach-line was recently named one of the top 30 island beaches in the world

by Conde Nast Traveller magazine. Standing out as one of Zanzibar’s most exclusive boutique resorts, it was also voted by Trip Advisor in the Top Ten Amazing Hotels of the Tourist Trail.

With just 30 villas, this stunning resort evokes the heritage of Zanzibar dating back to the era of the Sultans. A fusion of Arabic, Swahili and Indian design, with Swahili arches,

intricate hand carved décor, beautiful antiques, handmade furniture and brass lanterns talks of marvellous creativity.

The architecture showcases the skills of the local craftsmen and is reinforcement of iconic designs and traditions in a celebration of Swahili design. Architecturally, Baraza is a journey through the grand, beautiful designs of the Sultans Palaces of Zanzibar and offers unparalleled standards of luxury on the Island of Zanzibar.

Each villa features luxury interiors, beautiful fabrics, hand-carved furniture and brass lanterns, large bathrooms with luxury fittings as well as a spacious terrace and private plunge pool.

Baraza Resort & SpaBy Shueb Eltaff



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Favourite continental offerings The menu is designed to feature the very best produce that the island has to offer, inspired by Arabic, Indian, Persian, Asian and Swahili flavours using the local Spices for which the island is famous as well as our favourite continental offerings. Every evening features a different influence showcasing the islands produce and spices. Baraza offers many opportunities to experience the magic of Zanzibar and celebrates its magnificent location.

A visit to Baraza is a journey inspired by the rich heritage and culture of this exotic island and you are transported to a magical time. You can try your hand at cooking Swahili food with celebrated chefs, learn Swahili under the palm tree and enjoy the wide selection of books and information on Zanzibar in a well stocked library.


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Signature treatmentBaraza’s Frangipani Spa is an oasis featuring its own lap pool with underwater music, indoor and outdoor relaxation rooms, Sultans bath that is the resort’s signature treatment for two. The resort has equally a yoga centre, fitness centre and tennis court.

In this beautiful setting, reflecting a sophisticated Swahili style enhanced with candlelight and spice scented aromas, you can enjoy a variety of treatments and therapies, all aimed at relieving the negative impacts of a modern lifestyle such as stress and exhaustion.

Complete relaxationMost of the resort’s professional therapists come from Thailand, Bali and India. They offer a wide array of specialized massage techniques and treatments, including the renowned Thai massage. The highest quality natural skin care products are utilized in all our treatments, as well as a selection of local spiced essential oils.

The Frangipani Spa is a tranquil sanctuary, designed to stimulate your senses and allow you to experience a complete relaxation of body and mind. For the adventurous traveller, Baraza offers many opportunities to enjoy the best of the Indian Ocean.



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The Rising Sun Dive Centre is the only PADI 5* Gold Palm and National Geographic Dive Centre in Zanzibar that was the first to discover this unexplored region and takes divers from complete beginners up to professional level and have a massive variety of diving guaranteeing something for everyone.

The Water Club offers expert instruction in Kite surfing, windsurfing and sailing, as well as snorkelling safaris to the nearby lagoon.

For those looking to experience the magical island of Zanzibar, there is a wide variety of excursions and day trips such as the exotic spice and historic Stone Town tours.


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Choosing the right surface to sleep addresses some constant backaches and after-bed time exhaustions. Thanks to doctors’ prescriptions and the choice of Mekan to specialize in the production of a range of life saving orthopaedic mattresses writes Humphrey Odhiambo.

Furnish your sleep

The week-long uncomfortable sleep which prompted Mr. Adnan Merdin to establish Mekan East Africa, that

has since become a household name in comfortable bedtime furnishing, is paying off as families, hotels and hospitals are fast appreciating the prescription of using orthopaedic mattresses.

In an effort to offer solution to his disturbed sleep and after bed-time stressful hours, Adnan’s choice to invest in a quality mattress and equally make other people’s lives happy motivated the thought of plunging into the business of furnishing households, hotels and hospitals with comfortable mattress solutions.

“It is important that the eight hours that we spend on bed everyday remains comfortable,” says Adnan noting that sleep-time which constitutes a third of one’s lifetime ought to be harnessed with qualitative mattress products.

The bold move to invest in Kenya’s competitive furnishing industry with a quality sleep product prompted Mekan East Africa to put-up an orthopaedic and posture-pedic mattresses plant in Nairobi in 2006. The effort has since prompted the company to manufacture high quality mattresses locally though with superior

technologies imported from Turkey.

As dealers continue to ask for more and more quality mattresses to address people’s low moods, Mekan has hastened its tempo of producing 10 year warranty range of mattresses with new technology springs and washable mattress cover fabrics.

“One thing that we won’t for sure do is to produce anything in the name of economical mattresses,” said Mr. Yassin Djenc one of Mekan’s directors stressing that sleep should be whole and not economised.

The strength of the company according to Djenc rests on customised sales services. “We impress on the need for the customers to try-out the

mattresses and follow-up on their comfort even after they secure their preferences.” He notes that Mekan encourages the customers’ show-room visit because what may be orthopaedic to one might not be to another person.

When it comes to choosing mattresses, doctors, chiropractors and orthopaedists have several things to say. “Most will tell you to sleep on a firm mattress but what exactly is firm? Djenc wonders. He explains that firm is a subjective term as what one person may call firm, you may wonder “why bother,” because it feels more like sleeping on the floor anyway.

Surveys amongst orthopedists show that the majority recommend medium to firm mattresses over firm. This is because if the sleep surface is too hard, it can cause uncomfortable pressure points at the shoulder, hip, and knee. This pressure can aggravate arthritis and even cause deterioration of the joints over time.

To reduce the firmness of existing mattresses, you can place a layer of padding on top. Most doctors recommend that this padding be one and a half to two inches thick. It can be latex foam, memory foam or layers of material such as cotton, wool or down. Whatever type of mattress pad you choose be sure that your sheets will still fit snugly over the entire sleep set.

Adnan Merdin, MD Mekan East Africa


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Pocket Spring Mattresses

Latex Pillows

Latex Mattresses

Sofa-Cum-Beds

Trunk Beds

Goose Down Products

Hotel Divans

Medical Pillows

Hotel Mattresses

Hotel Textile (Duvets, Pillows, Bedsheets, Mattress

Protectors)

It all Wow! The treasured pleasure of landscaping coupled with deliberate commitment to see her home ooze real

quality life in every corner has paved way for Kate’s evidently admirable outdoor living room. There’s a nostalgic life here. The warmth, the breeze and variety of plants brings life into the landscape with singing birds.

The gentle slope, indeed one a plush site to behold speak volumes of Kate’s zeal and smart work in what really is her ‘Garden of Eden’. As she welcomes Jenny Mbogori, my colleague in marketing and I, Kate is elated to offer us a real moment at what is an outdoor living room caring for nature and developing empathy for living things.

This ever-green landscape would not be as good were it not for solid commitment to ensure it thrives. “Love for environment comes with responsibility,” Kate says as we start our tour round the enviable garden.

Well trimmed spongy Kikuyu Grass spreads on

Going beyond a gardenThe front and back yard of homes are becoming more than just places to barbeque on the weekend as depicted by Catherine Doyen’s transformed landscape to give the tinge of an expansive out-door living rooms at its finest, writes Humphrey Odhiambo. Pictures by Natacha Prigogine and Clozer Africa.

her upper yard to kiss the fence and a pathway adjacent to her cozy home. This is where she relaxes while not in any other part of the garden that overlooks a tributary of Nairobi River.

Wow! … And How? Awesomeness greets us and in every minute of our conversation with Kate, a once imagined outdoor living room is in reality reflected us. Nature can truly be beautiful and miss-able.

In every corner there is a natural Wow effect. It is this wow factor that prompts the “how” questions. With beaming motherly smile she notes; “Virtually everyone exclaims Wow! They then ask several “how” questions. This explains that they love the natural beauty that is truly God given.

The landscape akin to an open air living room exudes the pride the nature can give. That care of environment speaks volumes of Kate’s personality. Her effort to transforming the previously bushy ground into an inspirational landscape speaks of Kate’s creativity and spontaneity that cherishes beauty.



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for mini-games. The yard graced with a range of carefully selected African plants also serves as show-stop for parties.

Kate’s secret of making this fascinating garden hinges on tender, love and care (TLC) she says. “Everyone keen on having an open-door functional living room must embrace TLC,” she stresses noting that it prompts hard but fun-filled and enjoyable work to sustain the garden.

The garden has thrived owing to her commitment to watering, pruning, enhancing the soil with manure and matching it with her flexible ideas of arranging a fresh and vibrant cozy out-door living room. Add pool decking, change the coping and tile, set variable pool depths, and create

multilevel pools and decking, and much more. Pools and spas can be any shape and size.

With so much time spent inside, it is easy to neglect your garden and patio area. Many people don’t think about what their outdoor living space needs until they are out using the space, and then you might not use the space that often because it doesn’t have the comforts you have inside your home. But adding a few garden decor pieces to your patio and yard can make the outside just as comfortable as the inside, says Kate.

Ever thought of becoming a full-time nature’s friend? Start by putting some effort into decorating and furnishing your patio using the latest décor and furniture. Gone are the days

Catherine’s pure outdoor living landscapes canvas into the pleasant home which provides an open space that children and all other ages can work-out. The open green courtyard is friendly


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are in your living room or on your patio. It’s hard to beat the ambiance of candle light, but if you don’t want to mess with the hassle of candles blowing or burning out, then these outdoor lamps might be perfect for you.

Need more ideas? Just think of all the other things that make your indoor living space so comfortable to you and be creative and figure out how you can apply the same concepts to your outdoor living area. You’ll leave your guests wondering if they are in your living room or on your patio!

of cookie-cutter patio furniture. Patio furniture really has morphed to fit the needs of the consumer.

Now days, you’ll find plenty of styles beyond the basic table and chairs. Available in many stores are bars and bar stools, low chairs with cushions that are designed to be placed around an outdoor coffee table. Benches, luxurious lounges, and pillows made of special fabric that is made specifically to hold up to outdoor weather are popular additions to many patios.

Add to the atmosphere of your patio by applying some of the same decorating ideas you’d use inside your home. For example, you can purchase outdoor curtains made from weather friendly materials to provide privacy and create the perfect mood. Make your new outdoor living room even cozier by using a nice outdoor rug that’ll allow you to kick off your shoes and relax.

Lighting makes a great impact on the overall feel of your patio. Companies are now making outdoor lamps that can be plugged into an outdoor outlet, making guests wonder if they Natacha PrigogiNe:

Photography/interior Design/staging

Nurturing a passion for Photography and interior Design since an early age, Natacha took her first steps as a photographer working for the Belgian Press agency, international Press Center. she has recently moved from Washington

DC and she is now focusing her array of lenses on the kenyan landscape with an interest in capturing everyday Nairobi streetscapes. integrating design, functionality and ethnic influences has been her guiding principle in transforming interior and outdoor spaces into lush and comfortable living areas.



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For SaLe

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION VALUE (KSH)

Kitisuru (Land)

Very prime 2.5 Acre piece of land; ideal for the construction of townhouses or maisonettes

150 m

Peponi Road (Land)

An ideal 1.1 Acre piece of land suitable for development of maisonettes and townhouses

77 m

James Gichuru

5 bedroom bungalow all en suit with 2 bed room guest wing on 3/4 of an acre on a free hold.

110 m

Lavington

Newly built ambassadorial 5 bed rooms all en suite, master with a Jacuzzi and a shower cubicle, family room, Dining and a sunken lounge and a lockable garage for 3 cars lying on 1/4 of an acre with a plinth area of 500sqm.

50 m

Kilimani 4 bed room maisonette 3 rooms en suit with a Dsq a garage for two and back yard. 16.8 m

Spring Valley

A plush newly-built 4 bedroom town-house, all ensuite, and featuring a domestic servant quarters. Other features a unique family room, a balcony on the master bedroom and a well-tended lawn.

38 m

Kileleshwa

4No. Elegantly built 5 bedroom town houses; 4 bedrooms are ensuite with a DSQ; 4 units in a compound of one acre; ample parking and enough water supply

25 m

Westlands3 Bedroom Apartment, all ensuite, with a DSQ, on a First Floor of an Apartment Complex.

16.5 m

Kileleshwa

A 4 bedroom maisonette (Corner house) featuring a spacious lounge/dining room, guest bedroom, fitted kitchen with pantry and a DSQ, pool, parking for 5 cars

22.7 m

Spring ValleyAn all ensuite 4 bedroom newly built townhouse featuring a DSQ, pool, gym, barbecue area,

28 m

to Let Per Month

Kileleshwa

3 Bedroom Apartments for Leasing; featur-ing modern open kitchen, master ensuite and ample parking; in a quiet neighbour-hood

65,000

Ole Odume Road

3 bed room apartment master en suit with DSQ and a club area; ample parking and a fitness center.

65,000

Brookside 2 Bedroom all ensuite apartment 80,000

State House Road

A 3 bedroom maisonette with a DSQ; two bedrooms ensuite, featuring a garden 85,000

KileleshwaA 3 bedroom bungalow; master ensuite with a DSQ, and a garden – in a quiet neighbourhood

85,000

Brookside 3 Bedroom apartment with an SQ, all ensuite 100,000

Westlands A spacious 5 bedroom townhouse with a DSQ, a well-tended lawn 100,000

Kileleshwa

A 4 bedroom maisonette (Corner house) featuring a spacious lounge/dining room, guest bedroom, fitted kitchen with pantry and a DSQ, pool, parking for 5 cars

120,000

Kileleshwa A fully furnished 3 bedroom apartment 125,000

Kilimani A fully furnished 3 bedroom apartment with a DSQ featuring a pool and a gym 150,000

Lavington 4 bedroom townhouse; all ensuite, and featuring a DSQ, a garden 150,000

BrooksideA 4 bedroom townhouse, all ensuite and featuring a pool, a barbecue area and superbly finished interiors

150,000

Westlands Fully furnished 3 bedroom apartment with a DSQ, pool, gym, sauna, lift 160,000

Spring ValleyA plush newly-built 4 bedroom town-house, all ensuite, and featuring a domes-tic servant quarters.

200,000

Kileleshwa

6-bedroom townhouse; four bedrooms are ensuite; three DSQs, a lockable garage for two cars, a secure perimeter wall (electric fence) and sitting on a one-acre piece of land

200,000

Kilimani(Riara)

A 6-bedroom bungalow featuring a mature garden, a well-tended lawn and sitting on a one-acre piece of land

200,000

Lavington

Newly built ambassadorial 5 bed rooms all ensuite, master with a Jacuzzi and a shower cubicle, family room, Dining and a sunken lounge and a lockable garage for 3 cars lying on 1/4 of an acre with a plinth area of 500sqm.

250,000

email: [email protected]


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ANTARC LTDKellico Complex, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-6530970/1/2/3, CELL: 0736-788244, 020-3583403/4, FAX: 020-2191796, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.antarc-ke.com

AUTHENTEAK INTERIORSNgong Road, Next To Lenana Forest Centre, TEL: , CELL: 0733-380373/0715-378141, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

BRAZAFRIC ENTERPRISES LTDGodown No. 10, Kenbelt Industrial Park, Off Msa Rd, TEL: 020-820257, CELL: 0722-925611, FAX: 020-821334, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.brazafric.com

BUCON FURNITURE SOLUTIONSUnited Complex, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-2221656/2245505/2214475, CELL: 0728-547224, FAX: 020-2230229/343053, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.buconfurniture.com

CLASSIC MOULDING LTDKellico Complex, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-828241/828242/828243, CELL: 0722-387784, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

COAST LAMPS LTDMoi Avenue, Mombasa, TEL: 041-2227960 , CELL: 0722-412074, FAX: 041-2224486, EMAIL: [email protected]

CONTRACT CARPETINGOccidental Plaza, Westlands, TEL: 020-2017887, CELL: 0722-517989, 0719-123432, 0737-112799, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

CREATION ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY 100m Behind Liberty Plaza, Off Mombasa Rd., TEL: , CELL: 0722-881771, 0752-111735, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

CREATION FURNITUREBehind Liberty Paza, Mombasa Road, TEL: 020-8098333, CELL: 0725-365466,0719-848999,

CROWN BERGER(K) LTDIndustrial Area, Likoni Road, TEL: 020-533603/4450955/760, CELL: , FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

CRYSTAL TILES LTDSilverstone Godowns Off Mombasa Road, TEL: 020-821026/040/6031361, CELL: 0725-988683, 0733-864130, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

CUBE MOVERS LTDElephant Soap Building, Shimo La Tewa, Off Lusaka Road, TEL: 020-554408/6530826, CELL: 0722-773663/0736-400240, FAX: 020-532118/554408, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.cubemovers.co.ke

DESIGN FREELYGreat Jubilee Centre 1st Flr Langata Rd, TEL: 020 _ 890730, CELL: 721382222, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

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DESIGNWEAR LTD Semco Industrial Park, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-3580513, 020-3580512, CELL: 0722-620332, 0733-601243, FAX: 020-3958899, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: [email protected]

DIAMOND CERAMICS & INTERIORSBaricho Plaza 2nd Floor, Hola Road, Off Baricho Road, TEL: 020-551216, CELL: 0723-972223, FAX: 020-551216, EMAIL: [email protected]

DOLSONGround Floor, Showroom No.1, Aqua Apartments, Jamhuri, TEL: +255 22 2128044, CELL: , FAX: , EMAIL: Email:ò [email protected] , WEB: www.dolsoninteriors.co.tz

ENCANTO FURNITUREK-Rep Plaza, Wood Avenue, Hurligham, TEL: 020-8010693, CELL: 0728-069332, 0738-378645, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.encantofurniture.co.ke

FAB UNIQUELangata, TEL: , CELL: 0771-283502, 0721-269434, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

FLAMIGO TILES (K) LTDClifton Park, Mombasa Road, TEL: 020-2135971/2, CELL: 0731-963001, FAX: 020-2135973, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.flamingotiles.co.ke

FLORAL INTERIORS LTDVumira Hse Ground Floor, South B, TEL: 020-551350, CELL: 0722-221223, 0733-781744, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.floralinteriors.co.ke

FORESIGHT INTERIORSNgong Road, Opposite Jamuhuri Park,Karen, TEL: 020-3862477-9, CELL: 0721-904266, 0719-670640, FAX: 020-3862480, EMAIL: [email protected]

FURNITURE PALACE INTERNATIONAL (K)LTD Mombasa Rd, Opposite Zain Headquaters, TEL: 020-828844/5, CELL: 0737-999000, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

FURSYS SYSTEMS OFFICE FURNITUREHeilelberg Hse 2nd Floor, Mombasa Road, TEL: 020-6000332/351/325, CELL: 0723-544177, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.eng.fursys.com

INSIDE STORY LTDKileleshwa, TEL: 020 _ 4347279 , CELL: , FAX: 020 _ 4347279, EMAIL:

INTERIOR AFFAIR LTDWoodvale Grv, TEL: 020 _ 3747011INTERIOR DESIGNS CO LTDGarage Rd Off Dar-Es-Salaam Rd, TEL: 020 _ 554569 , CELL: 733876105, FAX: 020 _ 559811, EMAIL:

KAPITAL PANORAMA Liberty Plaza 1st Floor, Mombasa

Road, TEL: 020-821749, CELL: 0721-297487, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.kapital.co.ke

KEGA LTDSikoka Place, Loresho Shopping Centre, TEL: , CELL: 0722-519947, 0773-104866, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

KENYA LAMPSHADES LTDApic Centre, Muthithi Road, Westlands, TEL: 020-3740929, CELL: 020-3862135, FAX: 020-3862136, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.kenyalampshades.com

KIMATHI FURNISHINGS LTDKimathi St, TEL: 020 _ 2227397 , CELL: , FAX: 020 _ 2211214, EMAIL:

LAFARGE GYPSUM (K) LTDHyandan Complex Unit, TEL: 020-551831, CELL: 0726-144286, FAX: 020-552396, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.lafarge.co.za

LAXCON HARDWARE & SPARES LTDLaxcon House, Limuru Road, TEL: 020-3747624/6624/4892, 020-2689327/8, CELL: 0752-200105, FAX: 020-3750796/341473, EMAIL: [email protected]

LE _ DEZZINEN H C Bldg 7th Flr, TEL: 020 _ 2241168, CELL: , FAX: , EMAIL:

LIGHTING MANIACorner Plaza, Parklands, TEL: 020-3751572 , CELL: , FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

LIGHTING SOLUTIONS LTDMobil Plaza, Suite 27, TEL: 020-2317548, CELL: 0722-516179, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.ilight.co.uk

MAYU LTDMobil Plaza, Ground Floor, Muthaiga, TEL: 020-3750114, CELL: 0724-785480, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.mayultd.com

MEKAN [E.A] LTDBrick Court Bldg, 1st Floor, Woodvale Grove Rd, TEL: 020-4454416, CELL: 0737-550025, FAX: 020-4454417, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.mekanea.co.ke

MOBIL CASADiamond Plaza 1st Floor, TEL: 020-238753, CELL: 0722-580485, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

MODA TURKISH CARPETSUnited Complex, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-651074, CELL: 0724-696253, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

MONTA DESIGNSLiberty Plaza 2nd Floor, Mombasa Road, TEL: 020-2518189, 020-2022550, CELL: 0722-703166, 0738-170666, FAX: 020-3752393, EMAIL: [email protected]

NAMSI INTERIORS LTDBishop Magua Centre, Ngong Road

Or Brookside Grove,Westlands, TEL: 020-4448881, CELL: 0721-32276, 0716-065125, 0733-721435, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

NOOR LAMPSHADES LTDGround Floor, Sarit Centre, TEL: 020-3747569, CELL: 0733-730525, FAX: 020-3747569, EMAIL: [email protected]

ODDS & ENDS LTDMombasa Road, After Vision Plaza, TEL: 020-556743/551515, CELL: 0722-528238, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

PALACINA INTERIORSPalacina Court, Kitale Lane, Off Dennis Pritt Rd, TEL: 020-2729333/8826,2715517/8, EMAIL: [email protected] or [email protected] WEB: www.palacina.com

PG BISONKampala Road, Industrial Area, TEL: 020-8088882/3, CELL: 0722-763947, FAX: 020-8088880, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.pgbison.co.ke

PURE FLOWSMachera Court,Suite A2,Komo Lane,Off Wood Avenue Kilimani., TEL: 020-2367055/6, CELL: 0722-594821, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.pureflow.co.ke

QUINN PEAKS UNIQUE FURNITUREMasaai Road, Off Mombasa Road, TEL: , CELL: Anju:- 0722-744303, Carlos:- 0733-221265, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.quinnpeaksfurniture.com

ROSEWOOD OFFICE SYSTEMS LTDMombasa Road, TEL: 020-3524514/5/6/7/8, CELL: 0722-205134, 0733-633916, FAX: 020-3524519, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.rosewood-furniture.com

SILENT NIGHTKitui Rd, Enterprise Rd, Industrial Area, TEL: 020-65328822, 555670, 6533460, CELL: 0733-512273,0722-203471, 0733-724540, FAX: 020-6537479, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.silentnightkenya.co.ke

SLIMS FURNITUREJabavu House - Jabavu Lane Argwings Kodhek Road Hurlingham, TEL: 020-8014881,3004330, CELL: 0722-703037, 0722-711996, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.slimseastafrica.com

SPIEGEL INTERIORSMobil Plaza, 1st Floor, Muthaiga, TEL: 020-3010516, CELL: 0734-240843, 0724-552941, FAX: 020-3008442, EMAIL: [email protected]

STAN INTERIOR DESIGNER LTDKaren, Langata Road, TEL: 020-2306002, CELL: 0723-296875, 0735-552840, FAX: 020-84981, EMAIL: [email protected]

SUNNY DAZE LTDPeponi Gardens, Off Peponi Rd, TEL: 020-4182718/4183607, CELL: 0725-826050,0733-607358, FAX: 020-3599595,3585508, EMAIL: [email protected]

SUPER BARGAINS KENYA LTDRoyal Ict Business Park, Ground Flr, Opp City Cabanas, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-2673252/352, CELL: 0711-572058, 0731-066554, FAX: 020-2063833, EMAIL: [email protected]

ULTRA INTERIORS LTDBandari Road, Off Dunda Rd, TEL: 020-8085177/555137/736, CELL: 0722-372448, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.ultrainteriors.co.ke

VILLEROY & BOCHKellico Complex, Mombasa Rd, TEL: 020-828407/8/9/10, CELL: 0722-715072, 0735-888999, FAX: 020-2318777, EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.villeroy-boch.com

VITAL OUTLOOK LTDPelican Hse 1 Floor, Opp. Nyayo Stadium, Uhuru Highway, TEL: 020-2633180, CELL: 0715-425042, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

WOOD PRODUCTS69 Enterprise Road, TEL: 020-651577/8/9, CELL: 0733-788498, 0722-788498, FAX: 020-554862, EMAIL: info@woodproductskenya WEB: www.woodproductskenya.co.ke

WOODCHARMKijabe Street, Behind Norfolk Hotel, TEL: 020-2215259/2215306, CELL: 0733-436436, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.woodcharmkenya.com

WOODLEY WEAVERSNgong & Menelik Road Junction, TEL: 020-3873759, CELL: 0733-612028, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

ZHUO HENG BUILDING LTDHomabay Road, Off Enterprise Road, Industrial Area, TEL: , CELL: 0733-881188, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

ZIDAKA INTERIORSNgong Road, Nicholson Drive, TEL: , CELL: 0736-340705, 0722-366069, 0770-174088, FAX: , EMAIL: [email protected]

ideal interiors east africa issue 2

Documents

ideal home

palacina interiors

boost interiors

interiors directory

ideal property

ideal garden

ideal hotel

villa nova range