Ideal Interiors East Africa Issue 4

The region’s top-notch interiors exhibition is gaining momentum. Come and marvel at mouthwatering creativity at its best. Come and be spoilt for choice. This is a crème-de-lacrème show. It is the best of the best.

expo@interiors.co.ke

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Editor’s Viewpoint........................ 06 Greater optimism..................................................................... 06

Trends.......................................................12 Italy’s premier kitchen brand lands in Kenya..........................12 Interior décor stores expanding rapidly..................................12 Zuku to change face of pay TV.................................................12 Classic Mouldings launches roofing product......................... 14 Crown Berger to supply flooring material............................. 14 Sankara ranked top in Conde Nast Traveller Hot List 2011... 15 Safaricom connects with interiors ........................................ 16 Let’s sustain creative craftsmanship .................................... 16

Interiors & Law................................. 17 Have you signed a contract with your interior designer?.......17

Industry focus.................................18 Principles of design................................................................. 18

Exhibitors, visitors speak out.................................................. 28 Confidence demonstrated at Village Market......................... 29 Amazing transformation......................................................... 30

Ideal Bathroom............................... 36 Excitement and fun in the shower........................................... 36 Beautiful, quality bathroom spaces!...................................... 38

Ideal LIGHTING...................................41 The art of light......................................................................... 41

Ideal KITCHEN.................................... 36 Remodeling your kitchen on a tight budget........................... 42

Who is “murdering” our interiors?.......................................... 20 Secrets of interior design professionals ............................... 22 A masterpiece world-class expo............................................. 24

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

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44

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68

Ideal furnishing............................ 44

IDEAL art................................................. 64

Marvel your windows.............................................................. 44

Walk in love with stone art...................................................... 64

living room........................................ 46

IDEAL OFFICE.......................................... 66

The perfect living room........................................................... 46

The trick in designing an executive office............................... 66

Ideal Bedroom.................................. 48

Ideal Hotel.......................................... 68

Desirable bedrooms for adorable kids................................... 48

Swanky Ole-Sereni Hotel turns heads.................................... 68

Transform your sleep ............................................................. 50 Be lulled to sleep..................................................................... 52

Ideal Technology...........................72 Automation goes hi-tech......................................................... 72

Decor pebbles..................................... 53

Breathe easy............................................................................. 74

DĂŠcor Pebbles lights up your world....................................... 53

surfacing.............................................. 54

Relocation............................................75 Make moving a pleasant experience...................................... 75

Wallpaper revolution............................................................... 54 Crown Berger: Next generation paint collection................... 56 Selecting perfect wall-to-wall carpeting............................... 58 Which ceiling should you prefer?............................................ 60 Nurtured naturally................................................................. 63

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

KOMMA

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06 Editor’s Viewpoint

EDITORIAL Managing Editor:Humphrey Odhiambo, humphrey@interiors.co.ke Asst Managing Editor: Oliver Owuor, oliver@interiors.co.ke Staff Writer: Kelai Wanjiru kelai@interiors.co.ke Contributing Writers: Cathy Mputhia, Alnoor Juma, Hildah Otuga, Kalpana Jai, Robert Yawe, Shahin Rajwani, Zack Osolo, Shueb Eltaff, Alnoor Amlani, Sarah Bayley

ART & DESIGN Creative Director: Sam Morara, sam@interiors.co.ke Show Photography: Home Audio Production:-Martin Kihara & Peterson Kariuki

SALES & MARKETING Marketing Director: Jennifer Mbogori, jenny@interiors.co.ke Sales & MarketinG Team: Godfrey Gichuki, geofrey@interiors.co.ke; Daniel Mulli, daniel@interiors.co.ke; Alex Kamore, alex@interiors.co.ke

CIRCULATION Administration Manager: Lydia Opwaka, lydiah@interiors.co.ke Circulation Manager: Paul Okun, paul@interiors.co.ke Distributed in East Africa by Jetsam

CONTACT US: Tel 0700 333 888 Mobile 0721 912 565 0733 585480, 0721 658788 email: editor@interiors.co.ke www.interiors.co.ke 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.

Greater optimism

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OW! HOW TIME FLIES. This edition marks the first anniversary of the Ideal Interiors publication. Its idea was mooted last year by the interiors design industry sector players. As they could earlier on only make reference to publications produced abroad; they longed for something qualitative, something homegrown, something stylish, something original and inspirational.

In this edition we celebrate the step-up and step-out of fulfilling that quest of an interiors industry magazine.

It is all about you. Your interiors! For this, we are indeed grateful to players who’ve since inception of this magazinecontinued to jog-up our minds to share more insights about the hotel, office and home interiors.

We’re indebted to the decisive customers and sector players who are making this industry vibrant. You’ve all upped the notch. Technical know-how and talented services and quality products have greatly changed dynamics in this industry. There is certainly greater optimism within the East African interiors landscape.

Quest for knowledge is changing the region.

Developers, homeowners, potential home-buyers, contractors, interior designers, home appliance vendors and service providers, furniture-makers and dealers among others conversant with this publication are waking to the reality that consumers thirst for more.

It is evident that consumers don’t need uniform

interiors. This is not a school-uniform affair. It is about customers’ varied tastes and budgets. They’re stylish and yearn for aesthetically appealing, technologically advanced and sustain-ably sound breed of creative interiors. And for this we say kudos to those taking advantage of details in this publication and at the Ideal Interiors Expo to engage with decisive customers.

With preparations for the third Ideal Interiors Expo 2012 already underway, it is timely to catch a glimpse of what to expect and what transpired in the immediate past event. Amazingly each expo has strongly denoted that room for growing interiors design is limitless. Our advice – Exhibitors plan for it the earliest. Visitors, diarize it. The stakes are high. The best in the world are already finding their footing here. It is one ideal business platform that you can’t afford to miss.

As we all toast to the success of finally having a magazine that if transforming our interiors, we’ll forever remain grateful to industry players who pushed us to publish this sector copy.

Quality content, well-thought out design and crisp production will remain our virtue for this is what you impressed on us. We remain upbeat to share your insightful and transformative ideas on interiors.

Reason! There’s greater optimism and despite the rigourous challenges in this industry, it is all fun in the interiors arena.

Happy anniversary!

Humphrey Odhiambo MANAGING EDITOR

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:

Vol. 2 Issue 5 - Oct-Dec 2011 Deadlines Editorial: 6/8/2011 Advertising: 15/8/2011 Press: 18/08/2011 Circulation from 26/8/2011

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

THE ART OF HARDWOOD FLOORING

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08 IdealTeam

OLIVER ODHIAMBO

The assistant managing editor, of this East Africa’s premier Ideal Interiors magazine, reviews the copy right from the inception of story ideas to the time the copy goes to press.

He underscores the basic functions of the magazine, which is to

disemminate information to an audience that is targeted, and is often looking out for new trends in the interiors market.

He ensures the copy is styled properly in terms of content, so it can suit that market at all times, during all seasons and for the end user’s benefit.

JENIFFER MBOGORI Being the Head of Sales and Marketing, Jeniffer has since inception of the Ideal Interiors initiative been a pillar of success for both the publication and the Ideal Interiors Expo. She is passionate about innovation and remains an ardent supporter and idea-builder for upcoming businesses. A strong team-player she is. In the spirit of growth, nothing stands in her way to share leads and networks that add value to focussed establishments yearning to thrive.

ROBERT YAWE We like calling him Bobby as he is a friend to all and likes challenging and fires straight. His is about issues. In this anniversary edition, he couldn’t wait to share inspirational ideas that trigger the thought on who is ‘murdering’ our interiors.

Owing to his consistency, you’ll not help but continue reading his articles that endeavour to address the shortcomings in interiors.

SHAHIN RAJWANI Following her over 18 years valuable experience in the creative and fun-filled world of interiors, Shahin the managing director of Spiegel Interiors set the mood of actualizing show-stopper houses at the Ideal interiors expo. In this edition, sample her best shots taken during the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo hosted at the Village Market.

Alnoor Amlani Alnoor is a prolific interiors décor writer having been a contributor for the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Nation Newspapers for years. His love for interiors equally endears him to photography. He is assertive that continuous creative works that goes down on paper through photography and writing guarantees ways of shaping people’s lives. It is from such that talents emerge.

HILDA OTUGA Emphatic that in a bedroom is where we take most of precious relaxing time; Hilda notes that it ought not to be too simplistic to demean the essence to quality time with this room. This anniversary edition set her mood to weave for us on a better way that we could weave for our children bedroom they would be proud to keep clean.

ALNOOR JUMA With experience spanning 20 years in the flooring industry, Alnoor shares amazing ideas on floor treatments that you’ve ever yearned for. Read more about flooring surfaces that will make your mind stunned, make your underfoot warm and space to step on incredible courtesy of Alnoor’s exposure.

JAZ GHARIAL Having set-up a powerful top of the range Citron Interiors show-house that certainly is one of the outstanding references for kitchens and bathrooms in the country, Jaz commits to share with you insights on how to actualize elegant cooking or bath space with inspiration décor ideas and products.

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

10 IdealTeam

NEHREEN SADIQUE The love of information technology and vast experience of automating spaces has technically engaged Nehreen on to the platform of engaging with us – the readers. You’ll be fascinated with both awesome and interesting ideas of enhancing homes, offices and hotels on the technological front.

CATHY MPUTHIA She is one of the few lawyers in Nairobi who have dedicated themselves to writing legal pieces that inform the public on the need for safeguards that will keep us safe from legal suits.

In this publication, Cathy opens our eyes every often on the need to put crucial safeguards on our designs by protecting them using legal means. It is extremely crucial to do so, she says.

KELAI WANJIRU With passion to design and energy to run, Kelai with experience of writing gathers information to run in the Ideal Interiors magazine. She’s keen to meet and discuss with you interiors oriented storylines an experience that has been sharpened over time.

GEOFREY GICHUKI Ever raring to make the best, Geofrey consistently engages corporate clients and works with them to ensure that they reap the optimum benefits in this drab and competitive marketplace. He’ll be your worthwhile partner during the Ideal Interior Shows and in every production of this quarterly magazine.

SIDHRA KHALID Exposure in the field of design decoration and engagement with architects yearning for quality interiors has not only polished Sidhra to work on cutting edge projects but to now share with you enviable concepts that’ll adorably change your space.

LYDIAH OPWAKA Humbled and charming, Lydiah will always be keen to hold your hand to ensure the issues you raise are addressed. Mail her your interior design queries and be guaranteed of a response. An event manager per excellence, she certainly is with experience spanning five years in Kenya and Botswana. Has an extra energy in various aspects of administrative work and prides in making her client to smile.

PAUL OKUN Always charged for duty, Paul delights in ensuring that you receive every edition of Ideal Interiors magazine. Be in his register of the copy’s subscribers to be guaranteed of your individual and corporate copies. Find your subscription forms in the publication as well as other goodies which from time to time his circulation’s office ensures the readership benefits from. His advice is: Yes, you’ll find this magazine in popular publication vending outlets but to be sure you’ll have yours for keep – subscribe today.

SAM MORARA Always motivated when challenging design work that demand thinking louder lands on his seemingly over 24 hour situation-room desk. With utmost inspiration, Sam cherishes creativity and will be on hand to help you with your range of graphic design requirements.

His motto is ‘If it is to be, it is up to me’ .

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

FakRo RooF windows Turn your attic/roof space into living space by installing ‘FakRo’ roof windows

12 Trends

Interior décor stores expanding rapidly

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ith the interior décor and design industry growing in leaps and bounds, various stores and show houses are fast expanding by opening up new show houses and store in various suburban areas of the city.

Italy’s premier kitchen brand lands in Kenya

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taly’s leading kitchen brand Scavolini has entered the Kenyan market. The brand, which is locally assembled and sold exclusively

by Prafulchandra & Brothers Limited, is an embodiment of beauty and class as was witnessed recently during the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo at The Village Market in March 2011.

Scavolini kitchens are specially designed to exude homeliness, comfort, flexibility and coziness in a kitchen environment. The ambience that emanates from the mix of the right color scheme, breathtaking design and plenty of space for family gathering makes the brand attractive to individuals seeking to turn their kitchens into a point of convergence for entire family.

“We have introduced Scavolini kitchens to the Kenyan consumer, and it’s our hope they will appreciate the value that emanates from the quality in these kitchens,” says Kalpesh Desai, marketing director at Prafulchandra & Brothers Ltd. Scavolini as a brand is a huge success in Italy, and Kalpesh hopes the company will ride on this success to make effective inroads in the Kenyan market. He says competitors should know the entry of Scavolini means standards have got to be raised when one is in consideration of designing kitchen for clients looking for stylish designs that suit their tastes.

The kitchen brand was declared the best overall kitchen brand during the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo, in which it was officially launched by the Italian Embassy’s First Secretary.

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Renowned interior décor store Classic Mouldings, the premier provider of ‘High Class Interior’ decoration work is expanding.

According to Franklin Mwirigi, a technical interior designer with the firm, the store had to be expanded to match with the growing line of varied interior products.

“This expansion is ammed at making customers have a better feel to the exquisite servives and products that reflect their personalities and needs, adds Mwirigi.

Power Innovations have recently opened a store at the newly expanded Junction Mall as a means of coming closer to the consumer. The company, which is a wholesaler and Importer of Electrical Equipment and light fittings in Kenya, has other stores at Yaya Centre and Unga House.

Décor Interiors, another fast growing design

house is set to move to a new location in the Westlands suburb, while Furniture Palace are preparing to open a new state-of-theart showroom in the same area in the near future.

The moves come hot on the heels of Antarc, a big player in the provision of office and home furniture, which recently opened a mega showroom on Muthithi Road in Westlands.

Citron Interiors are also constructing a state-of-the-art showroom in Westlands, along Muthithi Road as well.

This goes to show that the industry is fast growing in the East African region and now more than ever, home and office owners are very interested in the interiors of their living spaces and want to keep up with modern trends in the industry that are in line with new and changing lifestyles.

The top movers in the industry are expanding and opening new stores around the city to meet the growing demands for tasteful living and are doing this with the aim of getting closer to the trendy and conscious consumer who has a strong shopping power, is looking for quality products and wants value for money.

Zuku to change face of pay TV The Wananchi Group has launched a satellite pay-television service known as Zuku TV to East Africa. The new service, according to Mr. Richard Bell, the company’s CEO is set to revolutionize the Pay TV industry with the affordable Direct to Home Line up that will comprise four bouquets all within the price range from Ksh 999 to Ksh 2,999.

In collaboration with South Africa’s Global satellite operator SES, the service which will be officially launched in July this year, will provide affordable and quality TV options to the East Africa’s mass market.

The Pay TV service will be rolled out in the East African countries which have a pay TV penetration of less than 1%, a figure that the Wananchi Group hopes to increase this percentage with the service that targets all age groups.

The launch of the long anticipated Zuku TV shows the need for reasonable world class TV channels, quality programming and the growth potential of the African television market with Nairobi being a gateway to the economic market in the African continent.

The service will have Zuku Classic, Zuku Premium, Asia Classic and Asia premium with varied content and pricing to suit individual needs.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

14 Trends

Classic Mouldings launches roofing product

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TOP RIGHT: Classic Mouldings General Manager Joy Mbuthia

eading interiors company Classic Mouldings has launched yet another revolutionary product in the market.

The product, known as Fakro breather membrane, is an underlay for roof tiles that will prove vital in the quest to attain long lasting roofing.

warm moist air which rises up from the building and into the roof construction can pass freely through the breathable underlay. Tests indicate that Fakro breather membranes will resist the passage of water and windblown dust into the interior of the building.

The breather membrane, identified by product name of Eurotop N 35 is an excellent material for use as a fully supported or unsupported roof underlay on tiled or slated pitched roofs.

“It can be laid directly onto insulation and allows it to be used at full rafter height,” Ms Mbuthia says. “As a wind protective material, it does not allow heat to be drawn away from the insulation.”

“It may be used in cold and warm roof details,” says Classic Mouldings General Manager Joy Mbuthia. “It has a high tear resistance and a unique combination of parameters like waterproofing and water vapour diffusion that enables the fabric to vent moisture whilst remaining fully waterproof, and also guarantees that insulations will remain dry.”

Eurotop N 35 consists of three layers. It is a modern product manufactured by a lamination with an electrostatic field of a water vapor permeable and waterproof film between two layers of non-woven polypropylene spun bond to form a flexible sheet. An outer spun bond layer in green is tear resistant. The middle layer makes the underlay waterproof and breathable and the third, white layer protects the middle layer against mechanical damage and also assists in tear resistance.

Ms Mbuthia says Eurotop N 35 has high waterproofing properties that protect the roof against penetration of water from condensation and a leaky outer roof cover. The product also resists penetration of water and consequently may be used as temporary waterproofing prior to the installation of slates or tiles. Excellent watervapor transmission performance ensures that

Eurotop N 35 technology and the materials provide long-term resistance to UV and heat radiation. It is 100 per cent recyclable and capable of re-use as a raw material. It can also be applied on boarded roofs.

Crown Berger to supply flooring material

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rown Berger has entered into a distributor partnership with leading South African firm Flowcrete, that will see the paint company manufacture and supply resin floors locally.

According to Managing Director Rakesh Rao, the partnership which runs for five years, targets the high end property market like shopping malls, homes and office blocks. This will see Crown Berger cover Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Burundi on behalf of Flowcrete, and in the future venture into the manufacturing of flooring products in Kenya.

The partnership gives Kenya’s only public trading paint company the opportunity to diversify Crown Berger product range Quarterly Magazine

Crown Berger’s Rakesh Rao (right) and South African Flowcrete MD Ian Harrison after signing the deal in Nairobi.

that has largely been centered around the competitive paint market, while at the same time giving the South African firm a grip on the Kenyan market.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Trends 15

Sankara ranked top in Conde Nast Traveller Hot List 2011

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ankara Hotel in Nairobi has been ranked among only 65 of the most ‘extraordinary’ new hotels and resorts around the world in the Conde Nast Traveller Hot List 2011.

The hotel, which is relatively new in the local market, is lauded as a contemporary and luxury state-of-the-art boutique hotel and the décor is termed as luxurious, chic and inviting. The service is described as friendly, charming and always excellent.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Since it opened its doors in August 2010, the hotel has received rave reviews and has been listed in the annual Wallpaper and Fortune magazine’s best new business hotels around the globe shortlist. With only 40 hotels on the shortlist, Sankara was the only property featured from the region.

This reaffirms Sankara Nairobi’s positioning within the region as a distinctive destination for the discerning traveller, who is looking for a personalized experience that resonates with their lifestyles, and is deeply inspired by the spirit of Africa.

As home, hotel and office furnishings get brighter; you can get better styles by subscribing to Ideal Interiors Magazine today.

Quarterly Magazine

16 Trends

Foreward

Since inception over a decade ago, Safaricom has taken an active role in nurturing Kenyan talen various disciplines and giving it a platform on which to showcase its capabilities and seek just rewa

Even going by our own history in which innovation has always been a key pillar, the VITI (Swahili for ch Exhibition is a ground-breaking novelty.

As Safaricom, we are immensely proud to host and support this unique exhibition here at the Mic Joseph Centre. The VITI Exhibition seeks to provide a platform for Kenyan furniture makers designers to showcase their work, network with peers and buyers and most importantly, seek expand into new markets, thereby carving out economic empowerment for them.

It is the first time an exhibition is being mounted on such a scale and with such a diversity of disp The three-month exhibition will highlight, among others, the diversity of skills available in the of furniture making in Kenya; the use of locally-available raw materials; creativity, innovation skills development and how furniture makers are helping to achieve sustainability by conserving environment.

A major component of VITI Exhibition is the display of rare masterpieces from local communi which is crucial in giving a historical perspective to furniture-making in Kenya.

This partnership with the local furniture industry extends a live collaboration with Kenyan art. Safari has invested in supporting the artist community through various initiatives besides sponsorin growing portfolio of exhibitions. Here at the Michael Joseph Centre we have dedicated a whole floo hosting exhibitions on all forms of art.

I thank you for your support to Kenyan art and industry and welcome you to enjoy the VITI Exhibi being hosted by the Michael Joseph Centre.

Bob Collymore, Safaricom CEO

Safaricom connects with interiors 4

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afaricom, one of Kenya’s leading mobile service providers in the country, recently organized a Viti Exhibition, an event aimed at nurturing talents in various creative interiors disciplines.

VITI (Swahili for chairs), emerged as the cellular service company’s one of the many ways it focuses at rewarding mobile phone users as they come to a platform to showcase ingenious capabilities.

Going by the company’s history in which innovation has been a key pillar, the VITI event that was ground-breaking novelty according to Bob Collymore, the company’s CEO. The event, he says, sought to provide a platform for Kenyan furniture makers and designers to showcase their work, network with peers and buyers and most importantly, seek and expand into new markets, thereby carving out economic empowerment for them.

In a rare-planning, the three-month exhibition held at Michael Joseph Centre highlighted,

Let’s sustain creative craftsmanship

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he infusion of creative craftsmanship, functionality and beauty are the hallmark components of Quinn Peaks’ parade of quality furniture works.

Talk of the curve of a back-rest, the twist of a leg or the angle of seats that reflects the state of mind of the designer and skillfulness of a carpenter and you won’t stop talking and enjoying the hands-on support.

Quinn Peaks furniture designer Carlos Nathwani takes a lead role in this initiative, and gives guidance to colleagues at the expansive workshop off Mombasa at the Maasai Road turn-off.

“My passion is to create and actually make elegant and comfortable furniture within every quarter, that can tell stories of the society we live in,” says Nathwani.

Quarterly Magazine

Viti Exhibition Bob Collymore CEO, Safaricom

among others, the diversity of skills available in the art of furniture making in the country; the use of locally-available raw materials; creativity, innovation and skills development and how furniture makers are helping to achieve sustainability by conserving the environment.

According to some of the visitors, chairs which often go unnoticed or are simply taken for granted offer firm support and comfort when we are tired.

“Their coziness shape a moment’s delight when we are with loved ones,” says Décor Interiors Managing Director, Ms Kamni Mehta who was one of the exhibitors at the event. She added that chairs also express dignity when we want to show our status.

It is interesting how obliquely chairs hear the whispers of souls when they are deep in thought, in solitude or allow them to enjoy a moment of togetherness when shared. Chairs are a part of people lives much as they often do not get the attention they deserve. More than any other piece of furniture, the chair has been feeding the wildest dreams of designers.

A major component of VITI Exhibition was the display of rare masterpieces from local communities, which was crucial in giving a historical perspective to furniture-making in Kenya.

Carlos Nathwan, Quinn Peaks furniture designer Under the grasp of his skillful hands and dedication to creativity is also the fundamental aspect of conserving environment. He notes that Kenya has great opportunity to build environmentally-friendly furniture using reclaimed hardwoods and sustainableharvested timber.

“The event remains a partnership that Safaricom will uphold with the local furniture industry,” said Collymore, while adding that the company will extend a live collaboration with the Kenyan art. Safaricom has invested in supporting the artist community through various initiatives besides sponsoring a growing portfolio of exhibitions.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Interiors & Law 17

Have you signed a contract with your interior designer?

Many developers have often engaged an interior designer when the project shell is almost complete. But what they never realize is that the engagement of an interior designer at the very onset of the project is critical for success, writes Cathy MPUTHIA

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he interior design industry is picking up in Kenya due to the fact that there is an increased demand and increased appreciation of

the benefits of interior design in a building.

Just as with every building project; whether it is a house, hotel or an office, the client approaches his architect to come up with drawings and a design of the building structure.

Important clauses The agreement between the client and yourself must contain the scope of works. It should be clearly set out what the client desires to achieve from hiring you. Where possible, drawings should be included as part of the scope. Where there are other professionals engaged and their output affects your performance, then it must be clearly set out in the agreement that you shall not be held liable if the other professional fails to perform his work satisfactorily or on time.

terminate the contract if performance is found wanting. The client may get orders for specific performance of the contract. This means that where the works have been partly finished but not yet completed, the client may get an order forcing you to complete the rest of the work.

The client may claim damages whether general or specific. A specific damage is something that can be quantified and can be proven. A general damage happens where the court is of the view that some award should be made to the client for damages suffered.

For example, if during your work, the client or his servant is injured, or if you damage the client’s property as you conduct your work, it would attracts general damages.

Breach of contract On the flipside, the interior designer can also make claims against the client where there has been a breach of contract. The breach here relates to non payment for services rendered and failure to perform. The interior designer can terminate the contract where the client fails to perform his obligations.

Once the client is happy with the structure, then the architect engages his quantity surveyor to do a cost estimation of the entire project. Upon its finalization, the contractor is engaged and the work begins.

The contract must contain a time frame. This is to cushion you owing to the likelihood that it may be affected by a third party’s performance.

Therefore it is note worthy to include a liability exemption clause for any delays from third parties.

Right from the start

Subject matter

When an interior designer is engaged, he or she should be engaged right from the start of the project and should work together with the architect to achieve the client’s overall desired outcome. However, this is rarely the practise.

Most clients engage the interior designer once the building is completed. Howsoever one is engaged, the need for a contract cannot be underestimated.

The subject matter of the contract and the contract worth must be stated clearly in the contract. The subject matter is the work at hand while the consideration is the amount that you as an interior designer shall charge for your work.

The interior designer can also seek orders for specific performance of the contract, which means having the client compelled by court to perform his obligation under the contract.

The interior designer may also sue for specific damages or general damages where he has not been paid for services rendered.

A force majeure clause should be included which is a clause that exempts the interior designer from liability in specific cases. Some of them being strikes, trade disputes, lock outs and any acts of third parties like architects and contractors.

The potential for litigation where a contract is drawn is very high. This is why it is important to include an arbitration clause in the contract.

The arbitration clause pre-empts court action as any disputes should be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the parties.

This having being said, then what happens if the works contracted for are not performed satisfactorily? Very important is the penalty clauses.

Howsoever you have been hired, it is important to ensure that the agreement is done in writing.

Gentlemen’s agreements based on good faith and MOUs are not enforceable in Kenya.

The other professionals enter into agreements with the client and with each other regarding the works at hand. As an interior designer engaged by a client to carry out some works on behalf of that specific client, it is very important to ensure that an agreement is executed not only between you and the client but also between you and the other professionals whose work output would affect your performance. You would not want to bear the liability for someone else’s fault.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Options for client The client has various options. One is that he may rescind the contract. That means he will simply

Cathy is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya practising with Muthoga Gaturu Advocates. cmputhia@mgmail.co.ke Quarterly Magazine

18 IndustryFocus

By Sidhra KHALID

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hen starting the design process, the principles of design serve as the fundamental guidelines that should govern the elements of design (shape, space, form, mass, line, texture, pattern, light and colour).

The right scale This deals with the actual size, relative size and virtual weight.

Scale is one of the most important principles of design, as the size of the furnishing you select could potentially destroy the dynamics of the interior you are trying to create.

In some cases, two objects of the same size may vary in scale because of their material. For example, a glass table seems visually lighter than a same sized wooden table. Similarly, heavy patterns and bright colours have more visual weight than plain patterns and lighter colours. If you are dealing with a small space, avoid visually heavy materials.

Principles of design

Considering proportion This is closely related to scale. Some schools of thought don’t recognize proportion as a principle of design because of its similarity to scale. It is expressed in terms of the relationship between one part and another of a “whole”.

For example, proportion is the relationship between the back of a chair to the seat or the legs. If the ratio is pleasing, the furniture

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IndustryFocus 19 piece looks well proportioned.

On average the human torso is proportionate to the legs. For this reason we judge the appropriateness of objects with our bodies.

Proportion can be toyed with to create a focal in a space. For example, a small scale chair with a bold printed fabric instantly catches the eye because the visual proportion is off.

Understanding balance In simple terms, it is equilibrium. We naturally seek balance in our interiors because of the balance we seek in our lives. Equilibrium can be achieved in two ways:Symmetrical balance: can be described as the placements of items that create a mirror image through the central point. For example, placing two matching candle stands on either side of a fireplace mantle or by placing two identical tables on either side of a sofa. Symmetrical balance is predictable and adds a sense of steadiness and durability to interior design.

Asymmetrical balance: is more complex and difficult to achieve. This can be achieved by placing objects of similar visual weight, equal distance apart. For example, placing a thin long

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candle stand of one side of a mantle piece and a short, wider vase on the other end would look extremely ideal.

Rhythm dynamics In interiors, it is similar to the rhythm we seek in music. In interior design, rhythm creates a visual flow/path from one space to another. Rhythm can be used to let the eye flow to the focal point in the room. This can be achieved by repetitive use of colour, patterns, textures or furniture styles.

Alteration is the sequence of two or more components by which the eye can flow. Using two colours on a wall, thereby creating stripes, allows you to achieve rhythm through the alteration of colour.

Emphasis is crucial This is the art of creating a focal point, such as a fireplace, a view through a window or an art piece. It marks the location in a space that automatically draws the eye. Some interiors have more than one focal point with different levels of emphasis; progression from the most to the least dominant.

and vice versa. The elements of design can be manipulated to give the focal point more emphasis. Furniture can be placed to direct your eye to the focal point. Painting walls in bold colours draws your eye to the painting on the wall.

Feel the harmony This is the combination of design elements, into a state of agreement or a feeling of rightness.

Unity suggests oneness and can be achieved by carrying out similar colours or by keeping the style of the furniture and fittings consistent.

Unity can also be achieved by selecting materials, accessories and fabrics with a similar feeling.

Variety is the absence of monotony. Variety can be achieved through the contrast of hard materials with soft materials. For example, combining traditional furniture with modern printed upholstery. Every interior should have an identity of unity with the interest of variety.

Sidhra Khalid is the managing partner of Urban Innovations. Their mission is to be an integral part of the Kenya’s Vision 2030 by taking commercial and residential interiors to a new height.

Smaller interiors can handle fewer focal points

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20 IndustryFOCUS

Who is “murdering” our interiors?

By Bobby YAWE

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s I thought of this article, the title of a book by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (first Vice President of Kenya), “Not Yet Uhuru”, came to mind. I was profoundly driven to qualify my analysis here in the same breath. Allow me to declare before I narrate my argument that it is “Not yet Interiors”.

How do you turn a building into a refuge, a place to call home, and not just stone and mortar?

Through what we do with the interiors, as it is the only truly personal element of the structure that is the occupant; this makes even a rented house a home.

Why do our structures continue to remain plain and blunt? It’s because someone has been “murdering” our interior designers and by extension our interiors. I have used the word “murder” instead of kill because of the difference in meaning.

To kill is to take life while to murder is to take life in a premeditated manner. With murder, there is a plan and a motive unlike is the case with running over a pedestrian. Even in law, the two are treated separately and the penalties are different.

The jury might still be out on this one, but I have concluded from undeniable evidence that the interiors have been murdered.

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Visit any of the developments going on in Nairobi for instance, and those that have been completed over the past few years and you realize that even though the externals of the houses have become impressive, the interiors leave nothing to desire.

Many of us belittle those who run our public universities with statements like they are producing substandard graduates yet the school of the built environment at the University of Nairobi recently restructured the degrees of architecture and land economics to become reflective of the changes that have taken place in the industry.

Degree in Interior Design Yet, apart from me, no one else has seen it prudent to publicise this fact. The University of Nairobi has a degree in Interior Design and having interacted with some of the graduates, I am confident with the level of the qualification.

Now since I have decided to go academic on this article, here is a definition and function of an interior designer: Interior design concerns itself with more than just the visual or ambient enhancement of an interior space; it seeks to optimize and harmonize the uses to which the built environment will be put. Thus it is “practical, aesthetic, and conducive to intended purposes, such as raising productivity, selling merchandise, or improving life style.” Interior design is a practice

that responds to changes in the economy, organization, technology, demographics, and business goals of an organization.

These solutions are functional, enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants, and are aesthetically attractive. Interior design includes a scope of services performed by a professional design practitioner, qualified by means of education, experience and examination, to protect and enhance the life, health, safety, and welfare of the public (Source: National Institute of Building Sciences) So when the various city and county councils and state corporations such as NEMA who are entrusted with the wellness of the public at large have not seen it necessary to require the signature of an interior designer on building designs and environmental impact assessments, it becomes clear that a murder is being planned.

Culture and quality of life I like the part of the definition of an interior designer that states, and I quote: “. . . the quality of life and culture of the occupants”. In essence, we have interiors done for other cultures and enforced on us.

In the past few months when house hunting with friends, I have seen them reject houses because the so-called guest bedroom is not en-suite. This room is normally occupied by a visiting parent, so you can imagine the awkwardness, they said.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IndustryFOCUS 21 Most African cultures dictate that your in-laws should not sleep under the same roof. So why is it that architects who claim to subscribe to their cultural norms (unfortunately only with burial issues) design houses and forget to incorporate those norms? Simply detaching the guestroom a.k.a Servant Quarters from the main house and providing a cooking area will resolve the issue.

we hope that the masses will get to understand and appreciate the different players in the creation of a home or a healthy workplace.

Changing spaces

A cave man takes only the outer shape of the cave to shelter him from earth’s aggressive elements, and finishes the interiors to his needs and functions. On the other hand, the current Who knows interiors? generation allows itself to be forced to live From this, it is clear that the conspiracy also within predefined internal spaces by so-called includes some architects, who even though interior developers. design was separated from the profession over It is criminal how we have structural walls all 100 years ago, still insist that they can handle the across a house; which means that the layout has design of interiors. literally been cast in stone. Our lives change This has resulted in the houses having master and our use of the home needs to change as well. bedrooms sharing walls with children’s bedrooms, The only way to achieve this is to have flexible toilets opening into sitting rooms and dining partitioning. rooms, doors splitting en-suite rooms from The person jointly responsible for this cause bathrooms. It is obviously clear why there is so of events is called an engineer who looks much stress and tension in houses. for the least calculation required root when It is said that a jack of all trades is a master working out the support of the structure, be it a of none; and what is happening in the built house or office. Together with their close ally, environment is that one group is trying to the architect, they have forced us into boxes monopolize the entire industry from concept to within boxes, and within more boxes by placing design to sales of developments. The problem supporting walls everywhere. The whole day you might be due to a lack of awareness by the public are subjected to talk about “thinking out of the but through such publications as Ideal Interiors, box” while seated in a box just to go home and

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try and internalize the same while sleeping in a “box”.

With ancient materials like wood and brick, there has been no rationally justifiable reason why we have not been offering flexible spaces especially to the residential occupant.

Even the great fortified castles of yore were built with flexibility in mind, where the outside was built in solid impenetrable stone but the interiors where usually finished in soft sensual wood. Visit the older churches such as St. Andrews, St Francis and the All Saints Cathedral to appreciate the qualities of wood.

The verdict The Interiors were murdered and continue to be murdered. If International Criminal Court (ICC) lead prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo was to look into this injustice, he would have very few choices but to declare this a crime against “humanity”.

We need to stop this systematic elimination of individuality and freedom of expression by stopping and thinking serious before acquiring a box within a box in the pretext of a home. Insist on a shell then have a say on how the interiors are done.

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22 IndustryFocus

Secrets of interior design professionals

By Winnie LAU

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often wonder what goes through many people’s minds when they walk into a stunning hotel lobby, a fashionable meeting room, a mind boggling elegant

design is more than a question of good taste and appearance!

If your goal is to have a home or office or restaurant (you name the space) that could grace one of the covers of an interior design magazine, then hiring an Interior Designer is probably your living room or perhaps any fabulous interior best route to success.

space that literally made their jaws drop.

Consulting with an Interior Designer is about

Our environment and our life experience are client and designer coming together to create a greatly influenced by the design of spaces we live and work in.

For many of us, there’s knowledge that good

unique space. It is about helping you as a client to develop your vision while analyzing the design requirements. The end result is the creation of a flexible, functional environment that optimizes

your space and relates to your image, business and location.

Appropriate qualification Enlisting the help of these professionals need not be a daunting task, you just need to know what each is qualified to do. Hence let us look at the defining differences between an interior decorator and an interior designer, a contractor and an architect. While the distinctions may seem subtle, they are actually rather radical, and can make all the difference between the intended and finished project.

Interior Designer Interior designers deal with form and function, space and aesthetics that coordinate with the building shell and acknowledge the physical location and social context of the project. In addition to performing all the services of a decorator, they are professionally trained to create pleasing environments through interior space manipulation and planning.

Designs must therefore adhere to code and regulatory requirements and encourage the principles of environmental sustainability.

It is their responsibility to apply creative and technical solutions within a structure that are functional, attractive and beneficial to the occupants’ quality of life and culture.

Interior Decorator Ideally, a decorator works only with surface decoration such as paint, fabrics, furnishings, decorative lighting, and materials. They also design drapery treatments, specify carpeting and rugs, wallpapers, accessories, and other “soft” items.

An interior designer should have the following expertise: 99 Allocate, organize, and arrange a given space to suit its function 99 Identify, research, and creatively resolve design issues 99 Design and specify the type of lighting (such as cove lighting, down lights, etc.)

and/or the design of light fixtures 99 Monitor and manage construction and installation of the design 99 Select and specify plumbing fixtures, furnishings, products, materials, hardware, and colours 99 Design and supervise fabrication of custom furnishings 99 Develop documents and specifications relative to interior spaces (manuals and schedules delineating the plumbing, finish, hardware, paint, lighting schedules) 99 Help establish project goals and objectives

In short they furnish or adorn a space with fashionable things. Although they deal with tradesmen, their responsibility is limited to the degree to which they can read, interpret, or create drawings. They do not move walls, lower ceilings, or add any structural enhancements to the space. If you want to refurbish your space but like the existing plan and feel of the space, and have no desire to make any structural changes, then the services of a decorator should suffice.

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IndustryFocus 23

Distinctive disciplines Interior designers work in a wide range of environments, including restaurants, hotels, stores, offices, airports, hospitals and homes. Surveys indicate that a majority of interior designers practice in several areas, although they tend to favor one or two. Many interior designers work primarily as residential designers.

Interior designers also work as sales and marketing professionals in related industries. For example, an interior designer might be the sales and marketing representative for a major carpet manufacturer, providing product information to interior designers and architects. Listed below are some of the disciplines.

Architect Like the interior designer, architects mold and manipulate space to create aesthetically pleasing and well functioning homes or offices for the client.

Architects are knowledgeable about the mechanics of finishes and materials; “structures,” or the how and why things work the way they do; and the surrounding environment’s relationship to their creation.

The major differences between an interior designer and an architect are the architect’s education, training, and experience and their ability to create new structures from the ground up. They are typically not trained in, and customarily not interested in, the finishing of a space, that is, its decoration.

I say typically because until the latter part of the 20th century, most architects focused on buildings and houses. More recently,

however, they have extended their domain to include interior renovations.

The residential architect can be masterful in creating a satisfactory built environment, inside and out. But this is more the domain of the “design architect,” one whose interests veer towards combining great design with great structure. They are interested in the implementation of a master plan and the outfitting of its interiors.

The best projects combine the skills and abilities of the architect, the interior designer, and the decorator. It is rare, however, to find a firm or individual who can successfully bring all three skill sets into play. It’s always to the clients advantage when these design professionals team up, creating comprehensive design networks to better serve the end product and their clients.

Contractor Contractors implement the design drawings, taking direction from the aesthetic directives of the decorator, designer, or architect.

Contractors do not design; there expertise is in building. A well versed contractor will be an expert in the implementation of a design, not in its creation.

The homeowner that chooses a contractor in place of an interior designer or architect cuts out the most vital step of the design

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process: the vision, the creation, the style, the good taste.

In addition, when a contractor performs an architect’s job, he removes checks and balances that are vital to the consumer.

There is no one to oversee the contractor’s precision or attention to detail. A good contractor is vital to the success of the project, but he is there as the facilitator of the design, not as the creator of it.

Residential Interior Designer Are also called “Home Interior Designer” as they design various rooms inside and around peoples’ homes. Designers of this type enjoy the ability to liberate their imagination as their clients grant them the freedom to do so.

Commercial Designer A commercial designer uses the technological skills to design the interior of banks, hospitals, restaurants, offices, hotels, shopping malls, exhibitions, window displays etc. They choose the aspects of design related to space usage, style and aesthetics.

There is a great amount of room allowed for creativity but this career is very technology based.

Commercial designers can work for companies, work under contract or do freelance designing.

Functions and advantages Every cent in a building project is precious, hence as a client you want to make sure you get the most value for your money. And so you start to ask yourself the big question, is my money best spent hiring a designer to do the work for me, or should I save that money as I have a pretty good idea of what I want?

An interior designer is your guide through the many opportunities available to you in the worlds of furniture, appliances, fabrics, wall coverings, kitchens and baths, lighting, flooring...the list goes on and on. It is a maze of manufacturers, artists, craftspeople, retailers, and many others who, when creatively brought together, can make the world of difference in what your home can turn out to be.

Comments or questioned can be emailed to: info@fabuniquekenya.com

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Making of a world-class expo

By Oliver ODHIAMBO

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2011, on the backdrop of successful exposition in 2010. With a cumulative statistical count of close of 10,000 visitors, the expo drew quality and decisive buyers who were obviously yearning for new and trendy interiors aesthetics to change their home, office and hospitality environs.

the second time since inception, the event

The over 60 exhibitors drawn from the interiors sector and other closely related segments of real estate in the region expressed their deep gratification at the way the event turned out to be, and subsequently sought to participate in the Ideal Interiors 2012.

he recently-held Ideal Interiors Expo 2011 was a breathtaking affair, so effective and timely that most exhibitors and visitors were

left yearning for more. Coming to town for was billed a profound success story by both observers and participants.

The Village Market once again played host to the region’s leading interiors expo in March 10 – 13, Quarterly Magazine

Set-up and the opening day A breakfast briefing at The Tribe Hotel set the tone for what is arguably the best edition of the Ideal Interiors Expo so far. Exhibitors learnt sufficiently what was required of them, more so during set up. The organizers had to attribute the need for preparedness to previous lapses that were experienced during the assembling of the 1st Ideal Interiors Expo.

It was understood that numerous challenges hampered the successful execution of the first Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

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1. Palacina Interiors expo stand at the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo. 2. Breathtaking kitchen by Foresight Interiors designed to fit in the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo showhouse.

3A. Expo Visitors registering before touring the event. 3B. The busy-bee Classic Mouldings stand. 4. IVisitor admires the Wood Products impeccable garden furniture. 5. Chief Guest, Hon. Bishop Dr. Margaret Wanjiru, flanked by Real Wealth CEO Humphrey Odhiambo (left) and Lighting Solutions MD Mr. Rajeev Mediratta during a tour at the showhouse. 6. Facinating garden landscaped by Diani Flowers 7.Surface treatment by Crown Paints 8. Kalpesh Desai (extreme right) escort Hon. Bishop Wanjiru who is assisted by Italian Embassy fisrt secreatry Alberto La Bella to cut a ribbon at Prafulchandra & Brothers stand. 9. Display of Nobilia Kitchens. 10. Hon. Bishop Dr. M. Wanjiru, the event’s chief guest, flanked by Maina Njenga and other visitors step-out after touring the expo.

6 Eventually, through consultation and stop-gap measures, the structure was hoisted, and the design of the interior commenced.

As Shahin, who is the managing director of Spiegel Interiors worked tireless with her team, the organizers clawed frantically ahead into all the logistical aspects of the show, seeking to ensure this time round there weren’t glaring flaws.

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Indeed, the shell-scheme provider was on the ground on time to construct the exhibition booths. Events Solutions worked well ahead of time to provide a ground that was habitable for exhibitors, who equally did well to set up on time for the show.

The opening day’s highlights

9 edition of the show, and therefore the need to ensure this second edition was seamless.

As such, there was an advisory that set-up needed to be done early to avoid last minute rush, owing to the nature of exhibiting flare that was manifested in the four days that the event was held.

It emerged equally, that there was need for the team designing a show house to be showcased during the event to work tirelessly over the two weeks accorded for the construction of the house – so as to beat the tight deadline to the expo days.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

10 A buzz of activity Right from set-up, the venue was a beehive of activity. The construction of the house took centre stage, and challenges were abounding especially in relation to the house structure.

The lead design consultant for the construction and design of the house, Shahin Rajwani, together with the team assembled from different companies in the sector had to stare a huge obstacle in the face owing to this unforeseen occurrence where the structure was proving a nightmare to construct.

The chief guest on the opening ceremony did not disappoint. Housing Assistant Minister Hon. Bishop Dr. Margaret Wanjiru highlighted key and significant aspects of the show that proved vital in the overall success disposition for the organizers, the exhibitors and the visitors.

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Wanjiru said time had come for the interiors sector to emerge from a long silence and to use the Ideal Interiors as a platform, along with forming a strong association, so the issues within the sector can be lobbied and addressed effectively with relevant authorities.

She said the Ideal Interiors Expo was a crucial platform in showcasing what the interiors segment of the economy had to offer. Equally, she challenged that there was need for developers to realize it was time interior designers took a lead role in the conceptualizing of projects to ensure the end product suits the tastes of an everchanging market.

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And the winners were...

Soft furnishing

Quinn Peaks managing director, Ms Anju (centre) introduces the Housing Asst. Minister Hon. Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, to her elegant rustic furniture stand at the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo.

“Home buyers these days are looking to secure properties whose interiors are well-done,” she said. “That cannot be achieved if we continue doing projects by considering the shell before we consider how the interiors would look like.”

Dr. Wanjiru pointed out that she was deeply impressed by what she had seen in the show, and promised to support the sector through her minister to lift standards of housing in the industry.

Gala night celebrations

to appreciate the good turn out with an awards event?

A gala was subsequently hosted to celebrate the success of the event. The grand gala evening was attended by prolific interior design market players at the expo were commended for putting up a fascinating show.

Exhibitors whose stalls were adjudicated in two days by Quadrant Shift Africa, University of Nairobi and Planning Interiors at the expo managed by Real Wealth expressed satisfaction.

As visitors poured into the expo, there was obvious indication that this event was truly going to be a success. Exhibitors were all smiles, most of them intimating that the visitor profile was quality and there was lots of business made.

Robert Yawe, the Quadrant Shift Africa managing director who chaired the adjudication panel noted that his team was indeed privileged to access the standards of display and knowledge of the interiors industry stalwarts.

An exhibitor confessed to having sold products worth Ksh400,000 on the first day. Another said the company had signed a deal worth Ksh2 million with one of the leading entities in the diplomatic community. There was a story to tell at every stall, and what better way

Ideal Interiors Awards function acknowledged the Best Stand Awards, the Best Exhibition Awards, the Excellence Awards and the Memorable Events Awards.

The winners were announced eventually, and trophies as well as certificates given.

In this category, once again Spiegel Interiors came out tops, after topped the category in the 1st Ideal Interiors Expo. Spiegel was closely followed by Vitafoam Products on

second, and Woodley Weavers in Third.

Auxiliary décor and support services Here, Décor Interiors emerged the winners with Classic Mouldings and Madison Interiors coming in second and third respectively. The adjudication panel attributed Décor Interiors outstanding performance not only to their breathtaking exhibition stand, but equally to their exceptional customer service.

Accessories and Appliances Vishelectric took top honours in this category, followed closely by Hotpoint Appliances. Décor Pebbles came in third. The judges noted the competitiveness of this segment and said the manner of display was of high standards.

Furniture and Fittings This was one of the most competitive categories owing to its diversity. Tacc Store emerged the winners for a mouth-watering stand, and for customer-friendly stall attendants. Palacina Interiors took second position owing to the firm’s distinctive and top-end

quality furniture and fittings.

Quinn Peaks came in third, being a local manufacturer of hardwood furniture.

Visitor wins gorgeous kitchen

Heads turn to gather the quality presentation during the premier interiors networking forum organized by the Ideal Interiors magazine team.

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But the event wouldn’t have been complete without the visitors having a take home. Wood Products had assembled a magnificent kitchen to be won in a raffle.

The superbly designed kitchen had drawn the attention of the visitors the entire event days, and everyone had to wait with bated breath to find the winner.

In a ruffle that was conducted in the presence of most exhibitors and visitors, Mr. Shabbir of Ceramic Tile Market (CTM) pulled out the winner after a failed first attempt. Ms. Fowler was declared the winner of this fabulous kitchen after participating in the ruffle, this being the final highlights of the show as the curtains came down on the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo.

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The overall winner was Tacc Store. The company was recognized for a marvelous job, and for assembling an amazing stall with exceptional fittings and accessories.

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Kitchen awards 9

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The exhibition featured Kitchen Awards, which was conceptualized to recognize both international and local kitchen markers in the country. The judges placed Scavolini Kitchen by Prafulchandra & Brothers Ltd at the top of the pack for its user-friendly, exquisite and homely design. Kitchen and Office Interiors came in second overall. Wood Products was placed at number three. KITCHEN and Office Interiors was also duly recognized as the winner and subsequently presented with a Ksh 140,000 cheque from PG Bison who had sponsored the award.

1. Quality engagement in one of the expo stands. . 2. Anupa Sanghrajka (left) celebrates TACC Store win with a friend by displaying a second prize People’s Choice certificate. 3. Section of Foresight Interiors kitchen.

4. Masterbedroom at the master showhouse. 5. TACC store dinning-set arrangement. 6. Colours that bind by Madison Interiors. 7. Hon. Bishop Dr. Margaret Wanjiru shares a light moment with Decor Interiors Director Kamni Mehta. 8. Vishelectric Stall at the 2nd Ideal Interiors Expo. 9. Prafulchandra & Brothersteam display the top honours trophy the company scooped in the Kitchen Awards for their Scavolini kitchen brand. . 10. An eclectic kitchen by Wood Products. 11. The Spiegel Interiors team is all smiles as it displays a certificate in recognition of good work done.

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11 Peoples Choice Award Finally, the curtains came down on the Ideal Interiors Expo 2011. The show had a crowning moment when the People’s choice was determined as well. Visitors had been asked to vote for the exhibitor they considered most appealing and had served them well.

Indeed, this was a competitive award that saw Spiegel Interiors emerge tops for a second year running. Spiegel was closely followed by Décor Interiors, TACC Store and Diani Flowers.

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Exhibitors, visitors speak out

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s we head to the third Ideal Interiors Expo in 2012, the immediate past eventful show was in the overall hailed as a success by many attendees and exhibitors. That was great news for Real Wealth Limited, the event Managers.

Hosted at The Village Market in Nairobi for the second time, the Ideal Interiors Expo 2011 proved a one step-out event that was interestingly marked with incredible celebration by interior design sector players who include the customers.

Virtually every exhibitor and visitor exuded optimism as they expressed both challenging and encouraging remarks while touring the event that was opened by the Kenya’s Housing Assistant Minister, Hon. Bishop Dr. Margaret Wanjiru flanked

by Italian Embassy’s First Secretary and Head of Mission Dr. Alberto La Bella. These special guests were taken on a stall-to-stall tour by Humphrey Odhiambo, the event’s director.

Beneficial event Ehmed Esani, The Village Market managing director said that as hosts they found the expo beneficial as it added enormous value to shop tenancy at The Village Market and at Tribe Hotel! As a host partner, we’ve seen this event from fruition and its growth and improved presentation every year is exciting us the more.

What was striking about the 2011 interiors event was the sense of excitement amongst many of the exhibitors and customers yearning for rare interior designs that could up the value of their property.

This excitement and optimism was also expressed by the chief guest who proclaimed a new “golden age” for the interiors industry in Kenya.

Her comments came off the back of encouraging evaluation remarks and survey results of expo.

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What they said

Participating at this effective Ideal Interiors Expo has enabled us to start thinking about it as a tool within our overall marketing system and not as an event. It is a marketing process that we’ll always cherish.

the show that I would still like answered. How many visitors attended? What was the final exhibitor count? How many exhibitors signed up for next year?

Overall, the event was really an opportunity to educate people about changes they can make in their lives to lessen their impact on their environment, and how to find the products and services available to make those changes possible.

design ideas that ranged from outdoor to indoor lighting, to floor, wall and roof surfacing materials, to inspirational soft furnishings that made me rethink how to add value in my home.

Alnoor Juma - MD, Contract Carpeting

Prospective exhibitor

Ms Perveen Sagoo - Wood Products

Ideal Interiors Expo is young but refreshing. It still has some significant hurdles to overcome.

But thanks to the zealous organizers and managers who pulled off the Ideal Interiors Expo 2011. Kudos to the organizers.

Rahul Karia - Managing Director, Furniture Palace

We are pleased that this year’s Expo was so successful for our prospective customers. It was so important to us that we add value to their homes, offices and hotels as well as profile-building.

I now realize what the excitement of interiors is about! I now recognize what our local interior designers can do. I truly respect this impressive expo and will always recommend it to all those yearning for homes, offices and hotels.

We noted that this expo shifted us from monologue to an effective dialoguing marketing that started to bear positive fruits right at the expo.

Anju, managing director, Quinn Peaks

Sam O. - Sales Manager, Ideal Ceramics

Rajeev Medirratta, - MD, Lighting Solutions

Asif - Audio Visual Systems

Dr. Catherine MasitsaMD, Wedding Show

I suspect if the vendors were happy (and most seem to be) then more vendors will come next year. That will bring more significant announcements and a bigger show floor. There are some questions about

Preparations were tough. It all looked like we’d all be too late to be impressive. The 2011 Interiors Exhibition was however large and more interesting than the previous one. This depicts progress. We had good contacts and interesting discussions. We’ll follow the business leads as while planning for our improved participation in 2012. Congratulations.

Now I believe. The standard of this expo was surely high. It was an amazing opportunity.

I found myself ruing a missed chance. It’s is truly a four-day quality event. With all the worthwhile players on-board, it’s time we reviewed our absence. Let’s talk the soonest.

This was truly a more challenging event for interior design players. Standards improved. Quality spoke. Time was no issue as we worked round the clock. There were many visitors and they got value for their time. We are upbeat owing to market demands and can’t wait for the next expo. Thanks for the partnership that’s aimed to raise standards in interiors.

The exhibition was held at a high level, excellent organization, a wide range of well-thought out ideas that makes interiors an awesome event for everyone and for buyers with different budgets. It is a definite for us to participate next year.

Zacharia - General Manager, Mobilcasa Furniture It’s just wonderful to see so many people who are genuinely interested in new ideas of adding value into homes turning out in such large numbers.

Madison Interiors

Shahin Rajwani - MD, Spiegel Interiors

I took the tour of Ideal Interiors Expo. It was all quite impressive. Although I was aware of some of what to expect, hardly had I anticipated such high standards. Virtually everything was new to me. Fascinating

I enjoyed the exhibition. I received a lot of contacts for the future. I will participate in the next exhibition.

Mrs. Elizabeth O. – managing director, Kitchen & Interiors Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

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Confidence

demonstrated at

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n evaluation carried out on the last day of the second Ideal Interiors Expo held from March 10th – 13th 2011 depicts that the eventful platform was one with awesome creativity and a bridge to heightened business possibilities.

Exhibitors had four major reasons of participating at the expo. They were mainly driven by the need to look for new market opportunities as attested by 71.7%. An average of 85.2% affirmed of securing space at the expo so as to maintain contact with customers while another 61.7% noted that they had projected to establish new partnerships.

The event turned out as an opportunity to meet regional-based buyers which exhibitors do not see at any other expo. A demand for increasingly upscale interiors for hotels, offices and homes visa-avie the availability of exceptional caliber of decisive buyers created the much needed Wow factor of the expo.

About 58% wanted to introduce new products/services. Most of those who were introducing new products observed that the second Ideal Interiors expo heralded a return of optimism in the interiors market.

They noted that the show was largely dictated by new products, innovation, creativity and the receptiveness of buyers.

Over 73% of the exhibitors expressed optimism over the state of interiors business in the country and endorsed the expo as one which had the right end-user demographics considering the quality of visitors. Majority of the exhibitors were confident that they would yield significant sales and engage into worthwhile business relationship with varied industry players who visited the expo.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

First-time exhibitors rated the exhibits highly committed to participate in the immediate next expo. With the preparation of the 3rd Ideal Interiors already underway, 42% of the exhibitors recommended that expo be held at The Village Market citing it as a location frequented by decisive visitors.

The event which had both international and local based interiors oriented companies experienced an exponential exhibitor increase by nearly 12 percent. It attracted a record number of 72 exhibitors up from 60 when the premier expo was held in the month of August 2010.

An average of 51 percent of the exhibitors recommended that the expo be held once in a year and preferably in the month of March.

The motivation to secure space in the next expo was according to 70 percent of the exhibitors influenced by the need to engage with decisive buyers who constitute the growing list of The Village Market bonus card holders. They expressed optimism that the interiors market is gaining momentum.

Humphrey Odhiambo, the event director, said: “We are very happy with this remarkable result.

Despite this being the second expo, it continues to gain momentum and we have set new records for exhibitor and visitor numbers. In addition, the expo is establishing itself as both a major domestic and international event. This can be seen from our diverse range of visitor countries”.

In the overall, the outcome of the evaluation for the expo was as follows:What is your overall evaluation of the event?

Below Fair, 1%

In which month would you prefer the expo held?

Average, 1%

Good, 25%

Dec, 23%

Excellent, 42%

Very Good, 31%

June, 7%

Below Average, 1%

Fair, 2%

Yes, 90%

How do you rate the this venue (The Village Market) vs others?

7%

7%

15%

Would you like to join the newly formed Interior Design Association of Kenya (IDAK)

In general, how would you rate the content carried in Ideal Interiors

Magazine?

42%

Westgate

Fair, 1%

Sarit Centre

KICC

Other

How frequent should the expo be held in a year?

Thrice 6%

Good, 7%

29%

The Village Market

No, 10%

Excellent, 51%

Very Good, 32%

March, 51%

October, 18%

In general, how do you rate the exhibits?

Good, 14%

Other, 1%

Very Good, 20%

More 1%

Excellent, 72%

Once 51%

Twice 42%

What was the level of business transacted during the show?

Fair, 3%

Good, 10%

Very Good, 16%

Below Expectation, 1%

Excellent, 70% What was the profile of visitors?

20%

9%

6%

21%

25% 19%

Interior Designers Architects

Developers

Home-­‐owners

Contractors Others

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30 InteriorsEXPO

Amazing transformation

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Dramatic changes in form of appearance speak volumes, writes Alnoor AMLANI with special reference to Ideal Interiors Expo 2011, which experienced an inspirational metamorphosis.

n the same way that a writer or painter approaches a blank page, or a musician reaches for a sweet and elusive melody; a great interior designer approaches an empty space with acute awareness of a large number of factors.

would be anticipating an overall effect of serenity and comfort for guests; for a home environment, the feeling of a nurturing shelter emerges.

Where the space is intended for a retail function, designers seek to inspire confidence in the products and in a corporate office setting they seek to motivate.

Ultimately, a designed space is a sensory experience and through design these spaces should encourage the occupant to react in the desired way. For instance, in a hotel, a client

Light, colour, dimension, movement, temperature, ventilation, flooring, amenities and mood are direct considerations to name a few. And of course, there must be a practical

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knowledge of what options are available locally and abroad in line with the budget. Finally (and certainly not the least), the designer must be clear on what the client requires and the purpose of the space.

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InteriorsEXPO 31

Looking for inspiration Yet amidst all this, designers all ultimately search for something that is difficult to describe. It is commonly referred to as inspiration, but it inches closer to a kind of presence or character of the space that can only be sensed or felt within its context. Indeed great sculptors claim only to be releasing the form or feeling that is trapped within the wood or stone they are working with. Therefore by inference, great interior designers bring forth or release a form that potentially exists in the empty space.

When the sense of what the space wants to be is strong and clear, and the creative force is allowed free reign, the result is transformative design.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

The presence that could only be sensed is manifested and can be experienced. In being manifest in-turn, it affects those who experience it and hence the true artist lives through his or her work.

All creatives search for this effect. But without vision, it cannot be successfully achieved.

The Decor Interiors’ space at the recently concluded Ideal Interiors Expo at The Village Market is an example of how a space can be transformed with vision. Their style of contemporary earth led them towards the use of natural materials and tones. With a simple and powerful vision, they blended the various interior elements in a complex interplay that is ultimately pleasing and comforting.

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32

Surprise turn

Home away from home

Visitors to the first floor car park area discovered that the entire parking space had metamorphosed overnight into an unrecognizable interiors exhibition space, protected from the elements by canvas tents and filled with a range of furnishing, lighting, flooring, plumbing and even cutlery options.

After the exhibition closed for public display, the Decor Interiors space became an intimate meeting place for people to share, laugh and indulge; a testimony that the energy of the 36 sqm was indeed transformed into a home away from home.

The car park ordinarily is a rushed, hurried space with people seeking to park quickly, avoid the cold and deal with their shopping bags and children before someone runs them over! This transformation took visitors to a comfortable, warm and relaxing zone where they felt at ease to browse and feel.

DECOR INTERIORS won two awards at the exhibition for Best Stand in the Auxiliary DÊcor & Support Services category, and also came in an outstanding second in the People’s Choice Award and set a new standard for exhibitive display regionally.

Then they took it down and rebuilt it in their showroom in Viking House. The elements have moved somewhat in their showroom.

The bar is in the corner and the lighting fixtures have shifted. The stone gazelles are now standing on the sisal coffee table. But the feeling is the same.

And at the centre of this transformation is Decor Interiors; offering a modern, multipurpose space, with a tasteful dining setting, lounge sofas and a bar counter all manufactured in workshops run by Decor Interiors Ltd. The elevated flooring and dramatic angled pillars projected visually a creative energy that is impossible to restrict or contain. It is a design simply bursting into being however you approach it. The effect was particularly dramatic in the middle of an exhibition set in a car park!

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This is a tenet of good design. The elements flow together well, because they have been carefully thought through. The harmony within the space is evident and the

effect of calming, warmth and comfort can be transplanted, modified and, if necessary scaled up.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

34

Showhouse TEAM Lead Interior Design Consultant

IDEAL INTERIORS EXPO SHOWHOUSE 2011

PARTICIPATING FIRMS

Pierlite Ltd Homes and Spaces Foresight Interiors Lighting Solutions Poggen Pohl Contract Carpeting Diani Flowers Athi River Mining Thola Glass Crown Paints Hot Point Appliances Romyo International Wood Products

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

your products & services

Explore the expo SPONSORSHIP Streams!

Be the spotlight at the

.

Enhance Your Brand!

Validate Your Presence!

Showcase Your Uniqueness!

Book your sponsorship today 0721912565 || 0733585480 || sponsor@interiors.co.ke

36 IdealBathroom

Excitement and fun in the shower With latest innovative flipstream technology

By Jaz GHARIAL

I

n these unpredictable economic times, consumers are looking for easy and affordable upgrades in their homes that add pizzazz and convenience to their lives. One tip for a quick and effective improvement in the bathroom is installing a practical and good-looking handshower, either by upgrading an existing handshower, adding one to a current shower or as an upgrade over an existing showerhead. The benefits are immediate, especially if the product is as functional and fun as the new Flipside™ handshower from Kohler Co., a global leader in kitchen and bath design and technology.

A handshower not only provides more flexibility for the shower routine – for adults, kids and even pets – than a fixed showerhead, it also helps keep the showering space clean. Kohler tops off these functional benefits with a uniquely smart and fun design in its new Flipside™ handshower.

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IdealBathroom 37

Multi–function handshowers have traditionally featured a single sprayface with all spray options being located on that one sprayface. Not so with the revolutionary Flipside handshower.

With Kohler’s innovative Flipstream™ technology, the sprayface simply rotates on its axis, with each of the four sides of the sprayface being dedicated to one of the sprays.

This not only provides greater surface area for a superb spray experience, it also makes changing between sprays both intuitive and effortless – no more trying to grip the sprayface with soapy hands.

This feature also makes the Flipside handshower ideally suited for users of all ages and even those with limited hand mobility. In each spray mode, there is a range of movement so the users can easily angle the water stream to suit their particular requirements.

This fundamental reconfiguration of the sprayface allowed Kohler to create four totally unique experiences on one handshower as shown:

2

Koverage – for a traditional, everyday shower with maximum water coverage that is perfect for the morning shower routine

3

Komotion – a drenching spray that delivers an exhilarating, circular pattern to refresh the senses after a tightly-wound day

“The Flipside handshower is an ideal way for homeowners to instantly upgrade their total shower experience with a product that’s extremely easy to install,” says Les Petch, Performance Showering marketing manager for Kohler. “With its four unique experiential spray options, it is a quick and affordable way to introduce the features of a custom home spa to your own home. Your only challenge will be to decide which spray experience to try next.”

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Kurrent – provides a focused and invigorating massage spray to target tired or aching muscles

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

The Flipside handshower is available in three design options. The elegant, flowing lines complement nearly any bathroom décor; contemporary geometric lines are for lovers of modern design; makes a statement with its black handle. Finish options include Polished Chrome and Vibrant Brushed Nickel.

4

Kotton – streams a layer of dense, soft, enveloping downpour of relaxation that caresses your skin

Jaz Gharial is General Manager & Interior Designer, Citron Decor Centre Ltd.

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38 IdealBathroom

ABS SILK M11

ABS SILK M11 -Detail 1

ABS SILK M11-Detail 2

ABS SILK M11 - Detail 3& 4

BEAUTIFUL, QUALITY

BATHROOM SPACES! Quarterly Magazine

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IdealBathroom 39

ABS SILK M12

W

ith one of the widest array of bathroom choices, Alibhai Shariff is one of Kenya’s Sanitaryware powerhouses. Its purpose is to provide products and services that create beautiful quality spaces - for work and living.

True to its mission, Alibhai Shariff is introducing into East Africa Keramag, a high-end sanitaryware brand aimed at transforming bathrooms into chic contemporary spaces.

Keramag’s well appointed bathroom solutions comprise of suites that outline modern and timeless designs developed to entice the modern consumer’s needs.

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ABS SILK M12 -Detail 1

According to Carol Kimani, Project Sales Coordinator at Alibhai Shariff, “….this select bathroom series comes with special features and innovative touches like glazes, among others. The discerning Developer, architect, interior designer and home owner will find a range of washbasins with smart additions like overflow systems that create an optically clear and smooth surface for easy cleaning ” she says, stressing on the

ABS SILK M12 - Detail 2&3

significance of hygiene that Keramag is keen to take into account.

The range will undoubtedly add a new dimension to the East African Sanitaryware market and will be available for your viewing at a Showroom to be opened soon.

For further information and trade enquires now,

call 6905000

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40 IdealBathroom

ABS PRE - M2

For details contact: Carol Kimani Tel: + 254 (20) 690 5000 Fax: +254 2(0) 690 5111 Web: www.alibhaishariff.com

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ABS PRE - M2 - Detail 1

ABS PRE- M2 - Detail 2

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealLighting 41

L

The art of light

ight is the starting point for many art forms.

Light forms the basis for film, photography and painting. It not only gives people a sense of physical and mental well-being but also creates the visual environment for aesthetic experiences. Light is an inspiration behind artistic creativity, our perception and appreciation; something that has been explored but not always defined.

Grouping around in the dark is not exactly the most economical way to save energy. Where light is poor, the quality of life and productive efficiency suffer. It is essential to illuminate better, not less.

Space and Light and Order. Those are the things that a human need as much as they need bread or a place to sleep, wisely said by world renowned architect, Le Corbusier whose

buildings are a study in the interplay of these three elements.

Space and Light go hand in hand. Without light, a space cannot be experienced and with inadequate or inappropriate lighting it cannot be appreciated.

Lighting plays an essential role in interiors, but is probably given the lowest priority in most homes or commercial places.

Farshogar N T, the principle architect of Ranhildo Architecture Applied (RAA) says, “we are often asked as a design firm to add something different to our design solutions and we tell our client that a square building and lighting are two integral pillars of a good design in an urban setting.�

When selecting lighting fixtures and effects, practicality is key, as is understanding the requirements of the space. But once the basics are taken care of, it’s time to have some fun! Let there be Light, the way a space is lit is as important as the design of the place.

Author: Mr Kalpesh Desai. He is the Marketing Director at Prafulchandra & Brothers Ltd, a Nairobi-based company that offers lighting solutions

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

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42 IdealKitchen

Remodeling your kitchen on a tight budget

By Oliver ODHIAMBO

A

remodeled kitchen is a home improvement that can increase the value of your home as well as make it more comfortable to live and cook in. However, such a home improvement is also an expensive one, and if you have less disposable income available, you’ll want to know how to remodel a kitchen on a budget.

The short answer for this is that you need to plan carefully. However, there are details that will help you learn how to better remodel a kitchen on a budget. We all know too well that the economy, especially in the East African region has tended to get a little tougher, so the least you will spend on this venture, the better for your pocket.

Start small One of the basics in learning how to remodel a kitchen on a budget is to start small.

Little changes can spruce up the look of your kitchen or enhance functionality without breaking the bank. For instance, by purchasing a pullout faucet, you not only get new sink fixtures that will give your kitchen a fresh look, but you’ll make your Quarterly Magazine

faucet more functional, since now you can pull it out and aim it to better fill pots or rinse out containers.

Make priority The key to learning how to remodel a kitchen on a budget is learning to prioritize the changes you’ll make. Since it will be difficult to make all your changes at once, you should take your time and instead list which changes are most important to you.

Do you want more cabinet space? Then save up for new cabinetry before purchasing a fridge. Similarly, if you have a stove on its last legs, set aside money to replace that first. Learning how to remodel a kitchen on a budget means learning to identify what’s most important to change.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealKitchen 43

Redecorate Before you try to figure out how to remodel a kitchen on a budget, try to identify what it is you really want to change. If it’s just the look and colors of your kitchen, spend your money on paint and wallpaper instead of new fixtures and appliances. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint on cabinets will make your kitchen seem like new, or new wallpaper can change the look of your walls.

Basic fundamentals For starters, be sure the contractor you hire is professional. Always get references, and get a detailed contract that spells out every detail and step of the remodeling job.

99

The following tips could be very helpful:

Change the lighting Sometimes, figuring out how to remodel a kitchen on a budget is no more difficult than changing some lighting. If your kitchen has poor illumination in work areas, invest in some new work lighting to make those spots brighter.

Instead of having trouble seeing, you’ll find it easier to cook great meals and to clean up afterwards. Remember, when you’re figuring out how to remodel a kitchen on a budget, you must consider the functionality of the space and not just the looks. But as long as you keep a creative mind and don’t take on too much at once, you will quickly figure out a plan for how to remodel a kitchen on a budget.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

99 Try to keep windows in place. Moving windows gets expensive.

99 Think paint. Changing the color of a room is one of the most dramatic - and cost-efficient - ways to change your room’s appearance.

99 Try to stick with your existing appliances.

This can save up to Ksh200,000. If you do opt for new appliances, choose ones that are energy-efficient: this will save you money on your utility bills, and will be an asset when it comes time to sell your home.

99 Keep fixtures, appliances, and utilities in place so you don’t have to change plumbing, gas, and electrical outlets.

99 Go with neutral colors. Your new fixtures, appliances, and laminates will be less expensive if you go with a white or almond

Choosing less costly products will help bring the total cost down, so compare prices carefully. You’ll also need to find out how much labor is involved in some of the features you are seeking, like tile countertops.

The most important thing you can do to extend

99

99

99 99 99

sink and a neutral laminate. Plus, they won’t come and go as a passing trend.

If possible, use your existing floor. If you need new flooring, vinyl and laminate are less expensive than wood and tile. Choose a color that ties the kitchen to the adjoining rooms.

Carefully study your cabinet options, because this will play a big role in the cost.

You can delay some options to help reduce the initial costs. If you do decide to wait, make sure the option you want will be available and can be added after your new cabinets are in place.

Consider refacing existing cabinets. This will save money and you won’t need to install a new floor, countertops, and appliances.

Use standard cabinetry instead of custom.

Choose cabinets that are finger-pulled and don’t need additional hardware.

Think about laminate countertops. They are less expensive than tile and granite. You can accent it with wood or tile trim.

your budget is to plan ahead. Go through the design process with a fine-tooth comb and select all your new countertops, flooring, appliances, and fixtures. This will help keep you from making impulsive decisions down the road.

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44 IdealFurnishing

Marvel your windows

E

vidently, curtains are becoming design features rather than simply devices to keep the light out and provide privacy. Effectively, one of the easiest and most affordable ways to change the look and feel of the room is to change the window treatments a service that Marvel Lifestyle is passionately rendering with prided blinds made from the qualitative raw material and high density fabrics that are naturally reinventing rooms.

As curtains bring character into living spaces, Marvel Lifestyle, one of East Africa’s undisputed window treatment-powerhouses is making a significant mark in styling-up homes, offices and hotels since plunging into the market two years ago.

The company’s bid to offer awesome range of curtains that tell more about the user’s personality and taste has prompted various leading designer outlets to partner with it – a move that has since made the firm stay on toes with refreshing curtain ideas and window makeovers.

The company’s bid to match with awesome range of curtains that tell more about the user’s personality and taste has prompted various leading interior design shops to partner with it - a move that has since made the firm stay on toes with refreshing window makeovers.

“Stepping-out into the world of Marvel Lifestyle, fascinates one’s shopping experience considering that we are able to customize window treatment products for varied budgets,” says Mr. Bharat Thacker, the company’s managing director.

To sustain the tempo of gorgeous curtains, the window-treatment and dressing experts are clearly sending to homes, hotels and offices the clear message that spaces cannot do without blinds that measure with long lasting lifestyle.

Protective and light controlled Among the products offered by the furnishing company include fabric roller, bamboo, wood, aluminum venetian and vertical blinds in addition to curtain rods and tracks. Most of these blinds absorb sounds, improving your room’s acoustics.

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IdealFurnishing 45

Interiors among others.

According to Thacker, window blinds and curtains are a design feature of the home and this is what Marvel Lifestyle would like to educate office and home owners. “Your window should not have just the normal curtain and simplistic blind,” he says while passionately stressing that window blind is about a quality lifestyle.

Just as sun screen protects our skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays, Marvel Blinds gently filter the glare and protect our room interior and add to the life span of valuable possessions. Virtually every Marvel blinds filters out from 75% to 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays when installed.

Marvel blinds are available in a wide array of materials and colours, in arrange of opacities from sheer to opaque that offer varying degrees of privacy and light control options. our sheers and other select styles are also specially designed to diffuse and draw light deeper into the room and illuminate your Home and Office the natural way while reducing the need for artificial or electrical lighting. Marvel Blind creates more comfortable working or living environment because of rejecting 80 per cent of unwanted heat gain.

As a leading supplier of poles Marvel Lifestyle ensures that the right match is made to enhance the features of a room. It also offers a range of coordinating holdbacks designed to complement a range of stunning curtain poles.

“Our quality range consists of metal curtain poles, wooden curtain poles and bay window curtain poles, all at the best possible prices,” says Thacker adding that buying curtain poles is easy, since all of their poles are thoroughly checked and tested for quality.

Aesthetic value Since windows add the aesthetic value of your home and can do a lot to either spoil or add taste to the décor of your home Marvel Lifestyle swung with speed to stock a wide range of window treatments in selected outlets.

With showrooms in Nairobi’s major Nakumatt Supermarkets; Westgate Shopping Mall, Junction Mall and Prestige Mall, the store reaches thousands of consumers every day. The showcase of curtains, fixes and fittings pose an invigorating sight into the shopping malls as well as in other interior design outlets that have equally partnered with Marvel Lifestyle. The partners include; Antarc Furniture, Classic Mouldings, Furniture Palace, Henry West Furniture, Odds &Ends and Nishit &Company plus Spiegel Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Elegance and style Thacker is emphatic that windows are the focal point of any living space, so one has to make sure they are dressed in a manner that speaks your taste and design style. Visit any of the showrooms and experience the sheer bliss of dressed windows as you seek to give your windows a refreshing make-over.

The blinds, which offer elegance and style, come in many designs and colours all suited to different rooms in the home. The blinds offer superior UV protection and superb sound absorption features, which means once you put up a blind from Marvel Lifestyle, your furniture and accessories are well protected, and furthermore, you will be safe from unnecessary noise.

For those looking to give their homes a contemporary look, the way to go is blinds.

Whether you choose roman, vertical, horizontal or roller blinds, the warm colours and sleek look create an elegant and timeless look that brings your room together in a unique way. Easy to maintain and long lasting, blinds from Marvel Lifestyle are proving to be very popular.

The roller blinds are particularly handy and are very practical for the office. Bamboo blinds are more relevant for homes and hotels because they have a visual appeal and are designed to attract the eye.

PRODUCT RANGE Marvel Fabric Roller Blinds: Created and woven from high quality, high density fibres such as 100% cotton, Polyester-cotton blended fabrics and 100% polyester fabrics having very high tearing strength. Special acrylic coating provides resistance to cracking and fraying.

Marvel Bamboo Blinds: These are natural bamboo blinds which have been prepared from superior raw material of natural bamboo, which have been knitted perfectly with cord. Their translucency depends on how each design has been crafted.

Marvel Vertical Blinds: Marvel Vertical blinds are the most stylish, and affordable choice for patio doors and other large windows.

Marvel Aluminum Venetian Blinds: Versatile Marvel Venetians are the perfect blind for creating a modern and uncluttered effect in your home. One can choose from wide range of colours across a variety of slat widths for customisation.

Marvel Wood Blinds: Marvel Wood Blinds is a luxurious collection of handcrafted, basswood venetian blinds that reflect the beauty and elegance of nature. One can choose from stunning wood collections – Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany and Redwood.

Marvel Curtain Rods and Tracks From brass to stainless steel , gold, matt or wood finish, in legend and antique designs, the Marvel curtain rods are likely to make the work of window dressing all the more simpler.

These rods come in different designs, colours and sizes to suit different styles.

Tracks come in form of I-Track, Power tracks, Corded Tracks and Extendable rods. The Topper Valance is a cheaper option to those who love Pelmets/Curtain Boxes and they are also available in different sizes.

Quarterly Magazine

46 LivingRoom

The perfect

living room

By Kelai WANJIRU

W

hat do you see when you walk into a number of living rooms? Cluttered furniture all around the room, the must have leather seat, sofa sets lined up along the walls, white or cream walls, a wall unit in the living room, a brown carpet, the list is endless.

Of course you will not fail to spot the neatly arranged sets of different utensils in the wall unit, a television set to savour – and most certainly for the conservative types, embroidered fabric to cover the seats, table and the wall unit.

The room is so “filled”, yet the enormous space in it isn’t representative of what it should really look like. Take away all this clutter and you will be surprised what you end up with.

I’m sure this scenario rings a bell. We are so used to this traditional way of laying our living

rooms so much that it has ended up looking like a storehouse rather than an attractive homely aboard.

Extraordinary space Well, the living room can be as common or as unique as possible. The question is, how do you make your living room an extraordinary space to die for?

Turn your living room from the conventional stereo type of the common Kenyan home into a unique and contemporary space that will be the talk of town. You can make your space so exclusive that it will be very hard for anyone to replicate your style.

The design of the living room is something one can do whether you are building or buying your home, renovating, or just changing the overall look of the home. With modern housing trends today that has seen most people living in rented or leased homes, the design of the house is a luxury most people cannot afford. However, one can do a lot to personalise the living room as this is the one place where a home owner can express their taste and preferences.

If you are fortunate enough to be building or buying a house, you can get a builder who will let you have an input towards the interior design of the house. One can also work with interior designers who are better equipped to handle design. The size and shape of the living room is very important as it has to fit within the existing frame of the house.

Vital room elements Take into consideration the elements of the room.

Do you want to have a fireplace? Do you want a small bar in the room? If yes, make sure all these are put in the design layout and placed at proper Quarterly Magazine

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LivingRoom 47

points of the room. You do not want a fireplace that takes all the space in the room or does not serve all who will be sitting in the room.

Another very important consideration is the ceiling. When building, the ceiling is usually the one thing that is thought about last. There are very many variations when putting up the ceiling and creative adjustments are possible. Make sure the ceiling is not too low that some people have to stoop, and do not make it too high that installing a bulb becomes a problem. The common ceiling type in most Kenyan homes is the soft board which comes with some décor. One can put up a wooden ceiling or any of a desired kind. Many home décor and building supply companies stock a wide variety of ceilings.

Getting right arrangement Who said that the living room has to be full of furniture and that all of it has to be lined up along the wall? The living room is the one place where one can be as creative as possible. Personalise this space and show your taste. One does not need to have a leather seat and a flat screen TV along the wall. Think about what you like? Do you want a space that you can relax in at the end of the day? Do you want a neutral, rustic or urban feel in the home? Choose versatile furniture that’s easy to maintain and serves its purpose.

The walls in your home do not have to be the same colour – white being the common in homes.

Your living room can have a different colour of paint from the rest of the rooms. Be bold and place wallpaper. Wallpaper is a fairly new concept in Kenyan homes, but it is a very creative and interesting wall décor that will change the look of your walls affordably and make a big difference in the appearance of your living rooms.

Keep your space well organized and neat by avoiding the all too common cluttered furniture.

Even if your living room is large, you do not have to place a seat or accessory just to make the room look filled. Space is very important and you should be able to walk around the room without hurting your toes or knees.

Windows are the eyes Another area to look at when looking to make over your living room or design, is the windows.

Windows are the eyes into your home and they are the first thing people notice when they walk in. Windows should be put up in strategic points of the room to allow light in. Avoid hanging heavy drapery in dull colours. When buying a home or looking to rent a house, look for houses that have large windows and also have a good view.

Opposite the window, place a large mirror that will reflect the window and the view. Mirrors and windows have a way of expanding spaces to make them look larger, so make use of the windows in your space. Avoid placing furniture and heavy objects around the windows as this blocks view and makes the room look over-stuffed.

So, take a critical look at your living room, stretch out the space and make some décor and design changes. With a little bit of colour, re-arrangement of furniture here and there, your living room will be a sight to behold.

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48 IdealBedroom

Desirable bedrooms for adorable kids

By Hilda OTUGA

For most parents, the challenging part is finding a decorating idea for the kid’s room that will help in actualizing a customized transitional bedroom.

The truth is that it surely takes more than great ideas in styling up the little ones’ bedroom with design themes that will inspire them to keep their rooms neat consistently.

Decorating your child’s bedroom every two or three years can be expensive and time consuming. With a little décor planning tips for the kid’s bedroom, one can save money and time in this special room. Even if you are a do-it-yourself individual or you choose to use a Quarterly Magazine

decorator or designer to decorate your child’s room, you can save by asking them to follow a few simple guidelines.

doubles as storage and grows with the child.

Among the fundamentals in actualizing the kid’s bedroom is to try as much as possible to work within a friendly do-it-yourself budget or commission an interior designer who’ll actualize something that will compliment the kid’s desires, interests, lifestyle and needs. It is surely with this approach that one would be in a position to give a child a functional and appealing room he or she will love to keep clean.

squares and rectangles.

Factors to consider In this regard, it is important to help in maximizing on the use of space by factoring in storage space, children’s room furniture that

For one, building children’s bedroom furniture can be easier if you think of simple shapes, like Children like shapes and colours they can recognize. Indeed, achieving this is one among the many first steps of making the little ones happy. Using readily-available supplies and tools means the costs aren’t going to be outrageous, which will make your wallet happy as well.

So let’s start with the basics: a place to sleep, a bench that can be a table when kids sit on the floor, bright pillows or cushions and plenty of room for toys. It almost makes you want to be a kid again yourself!

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IdealBedroom 49

The way to do it

1

Go to your neighborhood carpenter shop and buy plywood, because they’ll also cut the ply-wood into the sizes you need, saving you a lot of work. Have them cut one sheet of standard plywood into a rectangle of 40 inches by 75 inches and make three length-wise cuts in the second sheet of plywood so you end up with four pieces of plywood which are each 12 inches by 96 inches. Save that odd L-shaped piece from the first sheet of plywood, too, because that’s going to be a long corner bench and sometime table for the bedroom.

2

Use a good saw and cut one of the 12 inch by 96 inch planks into 8 pieces which are one foot by one foot. Do the same for the other three planks. Use five of these pieces, the electric screwdriver and screws, and build a cube. Repeat this six more times for a total of seven cubes built from the second sheet of plywood.

3

Paint all the cubes in your child’s favorite colour, and also paint the three leftover one foot by one foot squares of plywood. When the paint has dried (usually this takes several hours), cover the rough edges of the plywood with the tape. Now line the finished cubes up in two rows of three cubes each. Space them evenly, and then fasten the 40 inch by 75 inch piece of plywood to the Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

tops of each cube, being sure again to keep the A side of the plywood face up. Paint the top the same color as the cubes, and let it dry.

4 5

Put the child’s new bed frame in its place in the room, and put the mattress on top of the plywood sheet. Next screw the three leftover squares to the wall above the bed as a headboard.

7

Finish the room with your child’s favorite stuffed toys and other accessories which can now be stored under the bed in lots of child-sized cubes. And of course, there’s plenty of parking for all kinds of small cars and trucks under the bench, plus games and puzzle boxes too.

Use the 2 by 4 cut into one-foot lengths, space 16 of them evenly along the outside edges of the odd L-shaped piece of leftover plywood. You can easily ‘upholster’ this new long bench before sliding it to fit snugly against the bedroom wall, by either covering the old pillows with the bright fabric individually, or making a long tube and stuffing it with the shredded foam. If your children like to sit on the floor (what kids don’t?), they can move the pillows or cushion and have a long table to draw or color on.

6

Scour the store or attic if you have one, for old furniture that can be cut down for a child’s use! Sand the pieces, if needed, and paint them in your child’s second favourite colour. Cut an old bar stool’s legs down to make a much shorter stool for your child and an old coffee table would make a great pretend “tea table.”

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50 IdealBedroom

Transform your sleep It is evident that the body demands comfort and support for total relaxation, a solution that although often ignored is found in a quality mattress, writes Kelai WANJIRU.

A

fter a hard day’s work, your bedroom becomes the only peaceful sanctuary you’d want to rush to, retire in and relax.

It is the place you relieve your tired and aching body. Speaking of the bedroom; is your bed one that cannot go without a piece of comfort detailed by a mattress?

Mattress is the bed’s heart Think about it. Are you having sleepless nights?

Do you toss and turn the entire night? Do you wake up each morning to an aching back and dull neck aches? Well, if yes, the answer could be no further from your bed. It’s got to be your mattress, the heart of your bed.

Considering we spend a third of our lives asleep, your mood throughout the day and your general performance is determined by how well you sleep. Incidentally, mattresses are usually an afterthought for most people.

Only after you have the perfect bed, do you think about a mattress, and often times, people tend to opt for the cheapest mattresses. But beware because, as the adage goes; cheap is expensive.

Mattresses have thus a lot to do with your quality of sleep. They therefore add more value into your day-time feeling and activities than you think.

5Ways big bang With this in mind, 5Ways has ventured into the East African market with a big bang. Starting off in Kenya with introduction of superior line of spring mattress products, the company, according to the managing director Mr. Suraj Shah, purposes to transform your sleep.

5Ways aims to supply the entire East African region with quality mattresses over time, to give more people access to better products.

Manufactured with the sole purpose of relaxing your body, the spring mattresses use the latest technology and designs, to provide the market with mattresses that have proven support and durability to provide the end-users with the most relaxing sleep.

designed to suit specific needs. Each of these mattresses can as well be customized to an individual’s taste and preference, Shah says.

Since the introduction of improved spring mattresses into East Africa by 5Ways, the products have become a popular preference in homes and steady choice in a growing number of hotels. Their stocking into major supermarkets across the region depicts the demand and gradual knowledge of a qualitative product.

In view of the growing demand of comfort, 5Ways intends to introduce Memory Foam, an even more superior mattress product that NASA uses in its space shuttles. This is a revolutionary product that caters for the needs of a person looking for added comfort and relaxation, reveals Shah. The mattress has a quality cover fabric, top notch finishing and are durable.

So, when selecting your next mattress, think not only of the comfort and relaxation that it will offer but also of the non obvious benefits quality sleep will add to your daily life.

So, why do you need to have a spring mattress?

Shah affirms that spring mattresses readily and easily adapt to body contours and movement. “In whichever way one sleeps, the gentle up thrust of the spring mattress lets the body to relax and allows moisture regulation and air circulation,” he says.

Customization Already in circulation by 5Ways are two types of spring mattresses: Bonnell Spring Mattresses and Pocket Spring Mattresses, all of which are

Quarterly Magazine

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52 IdealBedroom

Be lulled to sleep

I

mportance of eight hours sleep everyday remains comfortable bet only when sleep-time is harnessed with qualitative mattress products.

The choice to sleep on comfortable mattress addresses constant backaches and after-bed time exhaustions. Thanks to doctors’ prescriptions and the choice of Mekan East Africa to specialize in production of a range of life saving orthopaedic mattresses.

The effort to offer solution to disturbing sleep as well as stressful hours is steady paying-off for both Mekan and more especially the end-users of mattresses and pillows that lulls one to sleep.

According to the Mr. Yasin Cenk, one of the firm’s directors, the choice to invest in quality mattress seamlessly invites happiness to people’s lives.

It is in this vain that the company is motivated to furnishing homes, hotels and hospitals with comfortable mattress solutions.

Africa to put-up an orthopaedic and posturepedic mattresses plant in Nairobi in 2006. The effort has since prompted the company to manufacture high quality density mattresses locally 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.

The bold move to invest in Kenya’s steadily improving mattress furnishing industry with a quality sleep product prompted Mekan East

Quarterly Magazine

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

DecorPebbles 53

We complete what you start

Décor Pebbles lights up your world

H

ome lighting is arguably the most important element of interior décor in

every home. One can hardly imagine having a home that has no lighting. Lighting is very instrumental in setting the mood of your home and stir up different senses.

Décor Pebbles prides itself in providing superior and quality lighting options for your home or office. We provide and supply decorative accessories such as wall mirrors, wall hangings, artificial plants and flowers.

All our chandeliers and complimenting lighting accessories comply with all applicable local and international standards. Our lighting accessories are known for their guaranteed safety and quality, thus giving our customers the best there is in the industry.

Interior consultancy At Décor Pebbles, we provide the best interior lighting tips and ideas to our customers.

We have supplied and installed chandeliers, wall brackets to a large number of homes and office suites in the city.

Over the years, our interior décor store has widened its product base and increased its range of services to providing consultancy services in the area of interior

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

décor and lighting. We have provided lighting to various up market homes and apartments around the city and we increasing our client base daily.

Chandeliers

Basket lights

We have design consultants who guide and direct clients on various lighting trends and give advice on lighting options for your home or office, guide on various types of chandeliers and wall brackets right for a specific space, etc.

Lighting options

reCess lights

Ceiling lights

To ensure that you will achieve the desired effect for your rooms, it is important to understand the basic types of home lighting.

There is ambient or general lighting which illuminates the whole room. Second is Task lighting which provides sufficient light to help you perform the task at hand, e.g., reading.

Task lighting should be glare free and it should make things easy to see without tiring or straining your eyes. Third is accent lighting which is focused lighting that is used to illuminate a sculpture, piece of art, or architectural element in a room.

Accent lighting is about three times as bright as ambient lighting. Last but not least, we have natural lighting which is the light that comes through windows, doors, and skylights.

Depending on the time of day, season, or weather, it can vary in brightness and intensity.

Wall BraCkets

gate / garden lights

Visit our showroom at: Titan Building, Ground flr, Chaka Rd off Argwings Kodhek Rd, Hurlingham P. O Box 46146-00100, Nbi, Ke (t) 020-260 4283/4 (c) 0722 272 193, 0723 302 462 (e) sales@decorpebbles.co.ke floor lamps

Quarterly Magazine

Wallpaper revolution

54 IdealSurfacing

T

here is no doubt that wallpaper has sipped into the market with a big-bang despite its application being harder than paint. Its variety, texture and durability, which spans longer than paint tend to offer the endusers a good deal.

By virtue of modern wallpapers lasting for ten to fifteen years, whereas, repainting often has to be done as often as every couple of years; depending on your household it gives one the inspiration to rethink the wall treatment. Since they can last five times longer than paint under normal conditions, it makes it a very economical choice. Over time, one can save over 30 percent of repainting costs, simply by choosing wallpaper.

Wallpaper is unmatched in the aesthetic value that it brings to a room. It adds warmth, character, and beauty, and can be used to create an astonishing variety of effects. It changes the entire look and feel of a room. Some effects Quarterly Magazine

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-1 that you can get with wallpaper include texture; paint it yourself wallpaper, custom wallpaper that has been printed with a pattern of your choosing, a natural feel, leather look, timber look. These are effects that simply cannot be replicated with paint.

For one, wallpapers are no longer difficult to remove with new removal systems. This implies that it is possible to remove the paper from the wall in long strips. Taking the time to apply the wallpaper properly and using a good primer will also make removal easier in the long run.

Spiegel Interiors, is one of the lead wallpaper outlets in the country and

loosening and actually causing the wallpaper to peel from the wall.

Shahin Rajwani, MD - Spiegel Interiors

according to Ms Shahin Rajwani, the company’s managing director, the texture is back in the African market full throttle because this locality does not experience humid conditions to prompt the glue from

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-2

She is however quick to observe that if not handle with care, wallpaper can get easily soiled and damaged. “Over time it can be nearly impossible to match the colour or pattern of your wallpaper should it become damaged and need replacing,” she says noting that the best remedy to overcome the challenge is to keep a few spare rolls when one first wallpapers but be aware that the wallpaper already on the walls may look faded in comparison to the new rolls thanks to fading by the sun over time.

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IdealSurfacing 55

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-4

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-5

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-6

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-7

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-8

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-9

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-10

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-11

SPIEGEL INTERIORS 04-12

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58 IdealSurfacing

Selecting perfect wall-to-wall carpeting

By Alnoor JUMA

Over the last decade, carpeting has relinquished its predominant position in the floor covering industry, to harder types of flooring, such as wood, laminates, ceramics and natural stone (marble, porcelain, granite) especially in the residential sector.

However, it still maintains a respectable 30 – 40 per cent of the floor covering industry due to important advantages, mainly aesthetics underfoot comfort, a feeling of warmth, coziness and excellent sound insulation.

Why carpet?

The primary advantage of a carpet over other types of flooring lies in the versatility of choice in colour, the myriad design and textures, availability, giving the interior designer virtually unlimited choice in selecting decorating themes such as classic floral to abstract, geometric designs. One can even obtain a neutral or minimalist look by selecting a leather or tweed pile type of carpet. The design possibilities are endless.

Another point to consider is cost – it can be an economical alternative to move expensive types of hard flooring, such as solid timber or marbles and yet offer a more luxurious appearance.

Carpet can easily hide imperfections in the floor – construction defects are easily covered up.

Sound insulation is a challenge easily solved by the installation of carpet and underlay. Higher slip resistance, very important to the elderly and young children is another important advantage of carpeting, especially in areas like bathrooms and staircases.

Most carpets today have an application of stain resistance so that most spills easily come off it and spot remover with towels is all you need for interior maintenance, which if done regularly, will greatly reduce the frequency of professional cleaning.

It remains the flooring of choice for bedrooms in both palatial homes and luxury hotels, primarily because it is the foundation of a rich, warm ambience. A thick, white carpet in your livingroom indicates a singular lack of compromise in entertaining your distinguished guests.

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IdealSurfacing 59

Choosing the

carpet

Selection of the appropriate carpet involves looking at several factors. When shopping for a carpet, look to buy the best quality that your budget can withstand. The better quality will be more economical in the long run, in terms of durability and cleanability.

How does one ascertain quality? Firstly, consider the type of fibre a nylon/wool blend or 100 per cent nylon carpets will last at least twice as long as any of the cheaper synthetic such as polypropylene, polyester and acrylic. Nylon and wool are also easier to clean and keep clean with only a good vacuum cleaner and a damp towel.

The right pattern Pattern is also very important in soil hiding. A plain colored carpet will always show footsteps and dirt more easily than a patterned one, the heavier the pattern the better the soil hiding effect.

This is why we see heavy patterns in ballroom hotel carpets, where food and drinks are spilled constantly and there is no time to clean in between functions.

Recently we have noted a greatly increased use of patterned carpet tiles in residential spaces. In the Kenyan market the carpet tile is an extremely versatile flooring product. It

can be easily installed by a lay person without adhesive, which means that it can be picked up when dirty and most of the available qualities can easily be washed under the kitchen tap, left out in the sun to dry and replaced within a few hours.

There are also quite a variety of patterns and color available locally. Coordinating solids can be mixed with patterns to create stunning designs. Inlaid borders of contrasting colors can be done very easily without the need for an expensive installer.

All that is required is any straight metal edge, a trimming knife and a steady hand. Move on this exciting new trend in flooring, in the next issue where we will showcase different exciting design – color combinations.

Secondly, look carefully at the density of the surface fibre. Fold the carpet backwards and check how much of the base is showing, look carefully along the length of each strand of fibre – its thickness and the number of twists. Different carpets can be compared directly in this way.

Remember – the longer the fibre, the greater the tendency to stumble. Hence, as a general rule, only use deeper pile carpets in bedrooms and rarely used boardrooms. The busy area should have a very short pile carpet with high density per square inch. This will greatly ease cleaning and give better appearance retention over time.

For those with a hectic lifestyle, selecting a soil – hiding pattern or colour is of paramount importance, earthy beiges, brown, taupe and rust tones will camouflage dirt. Stay away from ocean, off-white, pastel shades of blue, pink, grey and yellow, if you are looking for a practical carpet.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Alnoor JUMA runs Contract Carpeting, a firm that offers specialist carpeting and flooring services in the region.

Email al-juma@africaonline.co.ke

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60 IdealSurfacing

Stretch ceilings

Which ceiling should you prefer?

By Zack OSOLO

How do you pick the “right” ceilings for your home? Well it all comes down to making the most sensible and informed decisions regarding your climate, your aesthetic tastes, the amount of maintenance you’re willing to commit to, and the standard you can afford. There are a surprising number of different types of ceilings to choose from, each with its own advantages, uses, and shortcomings. Let’s look at each type in detail shall we?

Quarterly Magazine

A stretch ceiling typically consists of a piece of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material ‘stretched’ across an area, and held in place by an aluminium frame called a ‘perimeter profile’. The perimeter profile can be curved and shaped as required, and the PVC can be coloured or painted to suit just about any taste.

As a result, stretched ceilings offer a great deal of freedom in terms of shape, colour and lighting.

The PVC can be finished with high or low gloss paint, or printed/painted with images or patterns.

For this reason, stretched ceilings are popular in shops and displays.

It can disguise the poor condition of an existing ceiling, conceal wires, pipes or ducting can be installed in home theatre or music rooms to soundproof them or improve their acoustics though it can prove to be quite costly.

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IdealSurfacing 61

Hollow core slab ceilings A hollow-core slab ceiling is made from precast, pre-stressed concrete slabs which have tubeshaped tunnels running through them. The surface of a hollow-core slab ceiling can be finished by polishing or painting the concrete, or by spraying it with a soundproofing material.

Hollow-core slab ceilings are often used in multistorey apartment buildings as a cost-effective method of creating floors and ceilings over large spaces. As long as the interior voids are correctly aligned, they can be used to carry wires for lighting, heating and communication.

Although a hollow-core slab weighs far less than a solid concrete slab, it is still a considerably heavier arrangement than the typical timber and

plasterboard installation. Generally speaking, if you’re planning on installing a concrete slab ceiling, the rest of the house should be designed and reinforced accordingly. With inadequate reinforcement, the walls are likely to buckle, and at best you can expect the weight to crack plasterboard interior walls fairly rapidly.

Some advantages of hollow core slab ceilings is that it is a cheap option for large spaces & the hollow interior can be used for heating, wiring, and communication cables but it does have the potential to amplify and transmit noise and neither does it incorporate well into a timber framed house.

Beam ceilings A beam ceiling is one which features exposed joists and beams. They are normally made from timber, but other materials or a combination of materials can also be used.

Beam ceilings create visual interest and bring individual flair to your home.

It can also increase the re-sale value of your home but the materials and workmanship must be of a high standard and cost.

Coffered ceilings A coffered (or lacuna) ceiling is a decorative ceiling style, formed out of recessed panels framed by beams. A squareshaped pattern is used in most coffered ceilings; however other geometric patterns can be created.

They are mostly used to add a personal touch to ceiling design, add value to a home, and to improve a room’s acoustics. Installing a coffered ceiling is naturally going to be more expensive than installing a simple plasterboard ceiling, however the result is infinitely more interesting and impressive.

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62 IdealSurfacing

Gypsum ceilings In the past, the labor-intensive installation of plaster walls and ceilings was the only available option but since the advent of gypsum board, homeowners can now cheaply and quickly replace their old interior surfaces. Gypsum board is the most commonly used product for walls and ceilings in newly constructed homes.

Gypsum is a common mineral found in sedimentary rocks on every continent. Its use goes back thousands of years to the great pyramids of Egypt. But in modern times, it is used to make wallboard and plaster products for both residential and commercial buildings. Gypsum is often white or clear, but it can also appear in shades of gray, brown, yellow, pink or red when it contains impurities.

It generally comes in sheets 4 feet by 8 feet. There are other sizes as well, such as 4 feet by 12 or even 16 feet.

Pros of Gypsum ceilings For a minimal investment in shillings and time, you can totally transform any space with gypsum ceilings. Don’t settle for a boring white soft board ceiling!

Although experienced professionals will deliver the best quality, it is possible for homeowners to install and finish gypsum themselves. The drywall process requires less labour and drying time. Gypsum can be fastened to either metal or wood studs.

The drywall panels are cut to size and attached to the ceilings using drywall screws. The joints, or lines where two separate drywall panels

meet, are then filled with drywall compound and covered with drywall tape. After drying, the tape is coated repeatedly until it is hidden. Tool marks or ridges are sanded smooth. Finally, a coat of primer paint is applied to ensure a uniform surface for final painting.

Gypsum is not flammable. In its natural state, gypsum contains the water of crystallization bound in the form of hydrates. When exposed to heat or fire, this water is vapourized, retarding heat transfer. Therefore, a fire in one room that is separated from an adjacent room by a fire-resistance rated drywall assembly will not cause this adjacent room to get any warmer than the boiling point (100°C) until the water in the gypsum is gone.

Disadvantages of using Gypsum It is susceptible to moisture damage. For areas that have high moisture content, such as bathrooms or dank basements, you will need to use a chemically treated gypsum wallboard that is moisture resistant.

Gypsum does not absorb sound very well, so other types of material may be preferable if soundproofing is a concern.

Freedom of choice Homeowners today have many options when it comes to their ceilings. Ceilings that suit you and your needs will make a huge contribution to your comfort and quality of life. Whether you’re looking for a contemporary industrial look or something more old-world, it’s worth investigating what kinds of ceilings will suit your taste and budget.

The writer is Senior Marketing Consultant, Laxcon Hardware & Spares Ltd. Laxcon offer specialized products and services in roofing among other building and construction segments.

Quarterly Magazine

Nurtured

By Anthony Kamande

I

n a comfortable home with slight humidity variations through the seasons, wood flooring responds by expanding and contracting, a situation that calls for solutions. The problematic changes may be noticeable on the wood during warm and humid weather because the floors expand. During dry weather, wood contracts.

The seasonal movement is a normal characteristic of wood flooring, and it never stops, regardless of the age of the wood. One of the best ways to ensure that wood flooring will give the performance homeowners expect is to install humidity controls and ensure that they are functioning before the flooring is installed.

Humidity controls Homeowners who choose hardwood flooring literally invest in a floor that will last 40 years or more. Such owners should therefore protect that investment by installing humidity controls – a feature that helps the floor maintain a beautiful and trouble-free appearance.

Nearly every floor endures some separation between boards. In cold seasons, when homes are heated and the air is dry, wood flooring gives up some of its moisture and therefore shrinks.

When that happens, thin cracks appear between.

This is normal. As it is acceptable, customers Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

a humidifier in the furnace, or an exterior air vent for the furnace burner.

“Cupping and crowning” are common complaints that develop with high humidity. Both problems occur across the width of the flooring material.

Cupping is when the edges of a board are high and its center is lower. It can occur after water spills onto the floor and is absorbed by the wood, but high humidity is more often the cause. If the wood expands significantly, compression set can result as the boards are crushed together, deforming the boards at the edges.

naturally should not panic and start calling the installers at the first sign of cracks. Once the indoor heat goes off, and the indoor environment regains moisture, most of these cracks will close up.

Cure of cracks Floors with light stained woods and naturally light woods like maple tend to show cracks more than darker, wood-tone finished floors.

To cure the cracks, it is advisable for homeowners to add moisture to the air during dry periods. It’s their choice-live with the cracks and wait until warmer seasons, or else add humidity by opening the dishwasher after a rinse cycle, switching off the bathroom fan or hanging laundry to dry in the basement near the furnace. Better yet, install

Cupping is caused by a moisture imbalance through the thickness of the wood. The wood is wetter on the bottom of the board than on the top. The moisture imbalance can be proven by taking moisture meter readings at different pin depths.

Crowning is the opposite of cupping: The center of a board is higher than the edges. Moisture imbalance is sometimes the cause of crowning if excessive moisture is introduced on the top of the floor, perhaps from water used in maintenance or plumbing leaks from an overhead sprinkler system. However, a common cause is that the floor was previously cupped, but was sanded at the wrong time-before the moisture content returned to normal and the board flattened on its own.

It should be noted that some slight cupping and crowning may occur naturally, and should be tolerated.

Buckled floors The “buckling” of hardwood floors-when the flooring literary pulls away from the subfloor, lifting up to several inches in one or more placesis one of the most extreme reactions to moisture that can occur. Fortunately, it is not a common occurrence.

Buckling happens most often after a floor is flooded for a time, but there are numerous other causes. On nailed floors, insufficient nailing, incorrect nails or incorrect subfloor construction are possibilities. On glue-down floors, the causes range from the use of incorrect or insufficient mastics to an inadequate mastic transfer, a subfloor separation or a subfloor contamination.

In flooded hardwood strip flooring, the swelling stress is theoretically high enough to push out walls. However, before that occurrence the nails or the glue holding the flooring to the subfloor will usually give way, so that the floor bulges upward. If buckling floors are caught early, spot repair and replacement may be possible.

Anthony is the managing director of Natural Wood Floors based in Nairobi and can be reached on anthonykamande@ gmail.com

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

naturalwood Floors Limited

IdealSurfacing 63 Specialists in: Solid & Engineered hardwood Floors, Staircases, Hardwood Doors, Decking, Outdoorwood, Wooden Kitchens, Loghouses, Exotic Wood and related Product

Product Range • Supply and fit high end hardwood flooring including popular types and exotic and rare wood

• Supply and fit wooden stairs, ceilings, skirting and moldings, doors, architraves other matching décor wood fittings

• Log Homes and log cabins • Custom fittings e.g. bathroom wood, hand scratched wood flooring, aged wood flooring, carbonized wood flooring and other exotic wood including Mango tree, black palm, Zebra maple, rare Raintree wood etc • Unique furniture pieces i.e.

Kitchens made to match

Phone: 020 3744808, 020 2166117, 020 2655156, 0722566044 Quarterly Magazine

64 IdealART

Walk in love with stone art

S

tone art can be traced to ancient civilizations in Rome, Italy as well as Athens in Greece where they made historical statements

stone designs. The design powerhouse assists in decorating needs, whether residential or commercial.

The company stocks products that make homes and offices homely and “rock steady” affirms Sakhuja noting that the products are carefully designed by hand craftsmen in Rajasthan, India, where only the finest materials are used in strict adherence to standards.

that just couldn’t easily be matched. There is also evidence that ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt had prominent stone art incursions and advancement for building and construction.

Fast forward to the 21st century, you will be surprised how this has evolved. Today, Ancient Rome is awake again, but with modern imitations of what existed then in unrefined forms. Stone art has gripped parts of the region and is fiercely contesting for a place on the top in terms of surfacing and finishing for modern buildings today.

“When looking for old world craftsmanship for timeless décor, you need not look any further,” says Mr. Pankaj Sakhuja, director at Integrated Interiors. “We specialize in custom made gazebos, fountains, building façades, feature walls, murals, fireplaces and much more,” he notes.

The indoor and the outdoor of your home, office will be carefully crafted by artisans and craftsmen, once you engage Integrated Interiors for this assignment.

Whether you want to increase the value of your home or property, or you just want it to look its best inside and out, nothing beats the look of

Whether it is a unique wall cladding, floorings, furniture or building façade, the artisans will create fascinating décor that is solidly constructed and meant to give you years of great and trusted service.

Integrated Interiors has been specializing in stone art for many years, and has since its inception continued to roll refreshing interior and outdoor stone art designs.

Timeless décor Years of this art has fronted Integrated Interiors which has plunged in both Kenya and Cameroon with a big bang as the leading firm in stone art in the region.

Integrated Interiors Ltd www.integratedinteriors.org

Quarterly Magazine

Fascinating decor

“Selecting quality stone is essential in ensuring the long life and attractive weathering of garden ornaments and sculpture,” says Mr. Atul Mawani, also a director at the company. “The sandstone used exclusively, is chosen for its fine grain, beautiful warm colouring and high specification,” adds Mr. Mawani.

Integrated Interiors Stone Sculpture brings the

Former Budget compound, After Vision Plaza, Mombasa Rd, Nairobi, Kenya Email: info@integratedinteriors.org, Say2pankaj@yahoo.com Mobile: +254 727 818181 || Also working PAN India, Mobile: +91 9910262225

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealART 65

Handmade murals The firm produces unique high-end decorative handmade murals. The firm makes fine art tile murals, decorative insert tiles, medallions and more. From kitchen backsplashes, to bathrooms, walls and floors, Integrated Interiors has many unique building products for the beautification and personalization of spaces, both residential and commercial.

great tradition of incorporating ornaments in a garden to the present day, designing and making features that are both practical and original. The range of sundials, birdbaths, troughs, planters, tables and benches, boot scrapers and letter cutting are all crafted from sandstone.

The murals provide an impressive array of tiles crafted with the utmost attention towards artistic detail. They are tiled with your choice of tumbled marble or slate tile and can be customized to different sizes to fit your mural needs.

When considering outside furniture, garden ornaments and stone facades one has to the components of the design must take into account the fact that these designs are supposed to endure all seasons. With bit of the right mix, they should be enhanced by the natural process of weathering.

Beautiful fountains

Statue natural stones

The firm’s garden fountains are a popular amenity for gardens large and small. The pleasant flow of water helps block background noise and enhance the tranquillity of your outdoor living areas and patios.

Many different types of stone are used in creating statues and sculptures. Examples include marble, limestone, and rock. Sculptors, however, have created stone substitutes in order to make manufacturing statues a quicker and more accurate process. Other products include natural stone floorings and hand carved gazebos.

The serenity and tranquillity of water is an essential element to complete a garden or outdoor living space.

Made from premium natural stone, to the space saving feature of wall fountains, the added element of water enhances any environment. “We are proud to offer a great selection of top-of-theline garden fountains and weathered stone and sandstone finish garden wall fountains that are suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Our garden fountains are engineered to give maximum utility and beauty with a minimum of maintenance,� says Mr. Sakhuja.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Quarterly Magazine

IDEAL OFFICE

66 IdealOffice

The trick in designing an executive office

Since executives spend so much time in their offices, it’s no wonder their offices often resemble apartments, equipped with comfortable couches, mini-fridges filled with beverages and snacks, fancy coffee makers and the like, writes Oliver ODHIAMBO.

D

esigning an office fit for an executive takes thoughtful planning and incorporates details that appeal to the professional side of a busy executive who uses his office for important business meetings, as well as the practical side of the executive who uses his office as a place to retreat and catch up on email after a long day.

When it is time to decorate an executive office, it can be easy to get carried away with impressive furniture and artwork. An executive office, however, needs to be professional, yet simple. Keep these steps in mind as you plan the perfect executive design.

Design functionality The design for an executive office should be welcoming, but also be practical for what it is going to be used for. For example, a couch is a nice thing to have, but only if the executive really has a need for it. You don’t want to take up room with fancy furniture and other items that aren’t really necessary to have in the office -- even if they look nice.

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Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealOffice 67

Take into account the taste of the executive. If the executive has traditional taste, don’t give him or her a contemporary office. No matter what the design of the other offices in the company, the executive should have a space where he or she feels comfortable and where production is the most important thing, not the style of the office.

The executive will be the one spending the most time in the room, so it should reflect at least some of who he or she is.

1

Choosing colour scheme

Interior designers give an advisory that you should select a colour scheme that is both professional and appealing. Opt for colours that reinforce the branding of your business.

Draw from your business cards and marketing materials and pick complimentary colors. Pick stimulating colors like orange, yellow and spots of red to motivate your employees.

Executives will likely be meeting with many types of people in their offices. The color scheme should be something that is warm and welcoming to anyone. Nice, warm neutral tones are a good choice to give the office some color, but aren’t overwhelming. A neutral color palette is also very easy to match when it comes to furniture, carpeting and decorations.

Select a neutral paint color for the walls and select neutral carpeting to cover the floors.

Invest in a high-quality plush carpet and have it treated to prevent staining. If the office has hardwood floors, have them buffed and cleaned.

Paint the walls and lay the carpet before moving the furniture into the space.

2

Furniture and equipment

Measure the office and make a space plan for furniture and equipment.

Don’t crowd the office and reduce walking space. You should be able to move from one area to the next without getting caught in wires or bumping into over-sized furniture. Essential furniture for an executive office includes a desk, a comfortable chair for the executive and chairs for guests.

4 3 5 6

Pick ergonomically designed furniture to ensure comfort and proper support. Purchase a work table, filing cabinets and book cases. If space permits, you may also consider a couch, minifridge or an additional table as an extra work area. The floor plan should help with space planning by detailing where each item will go.

Wall hangings and decor

Select wall decor based on the executive’s preferences. If he or she has a favorite artist, opt for reprints of the artist’s work or originals, if they’re available. Framed motivational quotes, may also be placed on the walls. The pictures should complement the colour scheme, have sturdy frames and be appropriate for the work setting.

Honors, awards and diplomas can go on surface areas as well as the walls. It is beneficial to the executive design process to check with the executive about what types of things he or she has to display so you can allot the appropriate space for them.

Accessorizing

Accessorize the executive office with area rugs, a chrome trash can, a coffee mug, fresh, unscented flowers or plants and desk items like a name plate, business card holder and a file tray. Choose a desk lamp and floor lamps to provide adequate lighting. Use eco-friendly lights to cut down on your electric bill. Select throw pillows to decorate the couch. Hang sturdy, professional blinds at the windows.

Determining storage

Determine how much storage is needed. Add shelves to the walls, if necessary. Don’t forget to leave enough space for filing cabinets and bookcases to allow the executive plenty of space to stay organized. It is easy to get wrapped up in the aesthetics of the office, but it is important to remember that someone needs to work in this space. Again, consulting the executive about the type of organizational system he or she prefers will save time.

What you need Things you will need include:

99 3 chairs, a desk and 1 large work table 99 Bookcase and filing

99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

cabinet Mini-fridge (optional) Couch (optional) 3 pieces of wall art Framed diplomas and certificates 1 desk lamp and 1 or 2 floor lamps Fresh plants or flowers and an area rug Business card holder and a file tray Nameplate and family pictures Computer (laptop) and printer

Quarterly Magazine

68 IdealHotel

Swanky Ole-Sereni Hotel turns heads

L

ocated just off Mombasa road Ole-Sereni is the only hotel bordering Nairobi National Game Park. The hotel derives its name from the Maasai ethnic group in Kenya, which name is loosely translated as the “place of tranquility”, and which is in reference to that particular location where the hotel was put up.

Ole-Sereni captures the essence of Nairobi, which is the only city in the world that boasts a natural game park within its precincts. The hotel offers its guests views of animals in their natural surroundings at the waterhole in the park from the restaurants, bar, swimming pool and other parts of the facility.

Combining features

institutions, government offices and the industrial areas of Nairobi.

Ole-Sereni Hotel offers guest 134 exquisitely furnished, air-conditioned rooms and suites spread over three floors. Guests will have the opportunity to relax and unwind at the Roof top heated swimming pool that overlooks the park, the Gymnasium and Aerobics Room or the Sports Lounge.

As “The City Hotel by the Game Park”, OleSereni combines the best features of a modern City Hotel and a traditional wildlife lodge to present guests with a cocktail of breathtaking fundamentals of nature’s tranquility from a very close range.

One can also enjoy special therapies and treatments at the Massage Centre. The Sauna & Steam Facility and Unisex Salon are other places guests can visit to pamper themselves.

Ole-Sereni is strategically positioned close to the Airport and the city center, offering worldclass facilities and personalized services to business as well as leisure travelers. The hotel also enjoys proximity to the Central Business District, international organizations, financial

The hotel boasts some of the best facilities in the industry, state-of-the-art interiors and efficient spot on service for all guests. The management commissioned one of the best interior design firms in the world to do the magnificent interiors of this facility, and they are truly amazing.

Quarterly Magazine

Facilities available

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealHotel

General manager with a difference For Ghulam Samdani, the journey to become Ole Sereni Hotel’s general manager has evidently been one long but inspirational path of success.

From a humble background of a restaurant intern in 1994 for six months, Ghulam has kept his pulse in the hospitality industry and has since then served in four continents - Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

His first steps as a hotelier saw him rise through the ranks in Switzerlands four leading city hotels before proceeding to the US where he became an assistant restaurant manager at Wellesley Country Club for almost an year. Boylston Palace tapped him for a restaurant manager’s job and opportunity that gave him yet another step of becoming the director of food and beverage at Holiday Inn in the US.

Rooms and amenities There are a total of 134 city park-facing rooms.

Out of these, 58 are marked as Superior Rooms, 48 are Deluxe, 26 are Club Rooms and two are suites.

The amenities available include a direct dial telephone, cabled high speed internet, private shower & WC, tea and coffee dispenser, hairdryer, mini-bar, a safe, satellite TV, sound proofing (double glazed windows) and security locks.

Other services include currency exchange, laundry and dry cleaning services, gift shop, baby sitters (available on request), 24-hour room

service, spacious and fully equipped Business Center, automatic wake-up phone system, Wi-Fi Spots in the public area; smoking rooms and a travel desk.

Other services which are available include air conditioning, balcony, bath tub, bathrobe, bedside lamp, Channel music, complimentary bottled mineral water and fruit platter, complimentary toiletries, flat-screen TVs, full length mirror, hangers, in room heating, in-room Menu, laundry bag, parallel phone line in bathroom, shower cubicle, slippers, table lamp, temperature control, turn-down service, Voice Mail, weighing machine, wireless Internet access, wooden flooring, writing desk and VOIP phones.

For more details log on to www.ole-serenihotel.com Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Holder of a Hotel & Restaurant Management degree and masters in Organizational Behaviour at Johnson & Wales University in the US, Ghulam’s nudge to acquire more experience saw him polish and rise through various ranks in the hotel industry. Among them was being the event manager at Eagle Pond Lodge in USA for nearly three years before scooping a more challenging general manager’s job at Sarovar Premiere Hotel in Kerela, India. This awesome responsibility had Ghulam manage the entire food and beverage operations of domestic and international airport of “Trivandrum”, which is leased to the hotel owners.

Humbled, assertive and jovial, Ghulam who been at the helm of Ole Sereni Hotel since August 2010 is affirmative that besides the wonderful aesthetics that hotels should have it is service delivery in hotels that renders the business worthwhile results. He further notes that effective hotel management is the pillar that contributes to the most profitable business to the hotel and the economy as a whole.

In 2005, Ghulam initiated Foreign Internship Program with German based Hospitality Institutes.

His effort to initiate a corporate social responsibilty programme led him initiate a foundation branded SMILES, which offers a helping hand to the mentally and physically challenged persons. Numerous fundraising activities have been conducted since inception of the initiative in 2006.

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70 IdealHotel

Restaurant and bars The hotel features some of the best restaurant and bar facilities in the region. They include the following;

The Big Five Restaurant and Bar It is located on the 1st floor, overlooking the waterhole in the Game Park. It is a five-inone restaurant done in an open kitchen style, specializing in Mongolian, Grills, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisines.

The Waterhole Snack Bar This is the main bar set in a verandah overlooking the waterhole. Along with snacks, it also serves food from the Big Five Restaurant.

Quarterly Magazine

Ngong Pool Bar This is a pavilion bar on the verandah with dining option. You can get ice-cream, healthy snacks and drinks here.

Eagle’s Bar & Grill Room Located on the 4th floor of the hotel, Eagle’s Bar & Grill Room overlooks the waterhole of the Nairobi National Park as well as the Nairobi skyline. The bar also provides daily evening entertainments. Fine dining options are available at the Eagle’s Grillroom, which features a luxurious lounge-like setting. The restaurant can host about 100 people.

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IdealHotel 71

Conference and Meeting At Ole-Sereni, all your needs are taken into account. It is not just a family retreat environment. The hotel also takes care of your crucial business needs. The hotel’s conference rooms are available in a range of sizes; from large conference rooms to medium sized meeting rooms and smaller boardrooms fitted with hitech modern equipment.

The Pride Conference Center This is the hotel’s main conference center, with a capacity to host 500 people. It can also be divided into different combinations of five individual rooms, namely Lulu, Dickens, Jones and Makora (so names after the ‘Lone Tree Pride’ of the national park), and Solo (one of Jonathan Scott’s cubs).

Features of the conference rooms include, but not limited to the following; 99 55 decibels sound proof foldable partitioning 99 Cork tiles (to ensure warmth and enhanced sound proofing) 99 Well manicured garden for coffee breaks 99 Baby Sitters available on request 99 Conference help desk

projection screens, overhead projectors, inbuilt PA system, C LCD TV sets, CD, Video & DVD players, cabled internet, telephone, fax, Wi-Fi hot spots within the room, Video and audio conferencing.

Other conference room facilities In addition to the above mentioned features, the hotel also has three additional meeting rooms with a capacity of 40 to 60 people each, including one large fully equipped boardroom and four smaller meeting rooms that could comfortably accommodate 12 people.

The conference and banqueting menus are designed to cater for guests’ meeting requirements for food and beverage.

There is also a large Business Center that is fully equipped with high speed internet, photocopy services, fax and lamination, and which is manned by a professional customer care team.

It also has an area set aside for secretarial needs during conferencing.

Equipment in this facility is extensive in terms of detail. There are LCD projectors, drop-down

Health Club & Fitness center The health club and fitness center at Ole-Sereni is spread across three floors. The fully equipped fitness center features a gym, aerobics room, each with changing rooms, massage center, sauna and steam room.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Quarterly Magazine

72 IdealTechnology

Automation goes hi-tech

In a world that is constantly changing, preferences change too in terms of automation. It could be in the home, in a hotel or a corporate business environment. Whatever the case, modern technology has dictated how automation is done today, writes Nehreen SADIQUE.

H

ome Automation allows individuals to automatically control various facets within their home through the use of technology. These facets include

lighting, heating and cooling, security systems, entertainment, and many more.

For example as you arrive home, you can automatically turn off the sprinklers, unlock the

front door, disable the alarm and switch on the necessary lights. Benefits of home automation include: 99 Security systems which can be set up to alert home owners on their cell phone when an alarm is triggered.

99 Pre-set modes for lighting and sound can be selected for various occasions within the home which in return saves time.

Though it sounds futuristic, this technology has been there for decades and is now available in Kenya at Audio Visual Control Systems Ltd. After consultation, a layout and drawing will be prepared so as to provide a customized home automation system for clients.

Hospitality automation In today’s competitive environment, organizations in the hospitality industry with high quality standards cannot do without a network of advanced technological products.

Users can save energy simply and efficiently by up to 30 per cent on air conditioning, 20 per cent on heating, and 15 per cent on electricity.

All facets of a luxury hotel including guest rooms, ballrooms, meeting rooms, pool, spa, restaurants, and nightclubs can be controlled virtually. Hotel guests can easily control their environment and various Audio Visual products in their hotel room. These solutions maximize the Quarterly Magazine

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealTechnology 73 communication experience during formal meetings or conferences by enabling automation and control of the room environment, lighting controls, multimedia equipment (DVDs and VCRs), Audio Visual Components (microphones, cameras, speakers, projectors, screens, and computers).

Internet television Internet Protocol Television (IPTv) is one of the services that now can also integrate with the structured cable network of a building.

Such revolutionary change in the way TV signal is distributed significantly improves signal quality, interactivity and control, giving the operators several options to monitor, add services, maximize audience and improve the Return On Investment (ROI). Such solutions are important in the hospitality sector as they provide the tools to increase the comfort level of their guests or patients as well as overall revenue.

For any company, the boardroom provides a solid foundation which

is important as internal meetings and sales pitches to potential clients are made. In order to have a technologically up to date boardroom, a company can ensure that it has lighting control systems, good quality projectors and screens, good quality sound system, video and audio conferencing system etc.

as to act as an active point for presenters to connect their laptops and other gadgets to make their presentations come to life without the cumbersome and messy wiring.

Customized unit

It is important to note that commercial screens are highly recommended for the boardroom because of their quality and the fact that they last three times longer than normal screens.

As an added advantage, a customized pop-up unit within the boardroom desk can be placed so

In this era of dispersed teams and reduced travel budgets, it is difficult to build trusted

relationships with stakeholders.

Therefore, it is ideal to setup videoconferencing within boardrooms so as to interact and share content in High Definition which increases overall efficiency and productivity of organizations.

Travel reduction is the easiest expense to calculate when determining Return on Investment of a video conferencing investment.

Nehreen Sadique is the Head of Sales and Marketing at Audio Visual Control Systems Ltd

a perfect balance between AV and IT Ever thought of integrating your boardroom’s audio visual?

Ever thought of videoconferencing at your offices?

Commercial Projects

Ever thought of enhancing your home theatre and cinemas?

We can fill in the blanks to make your projects easier.

Residential Projects Call us now to book for consultation; Tel: (020) 2613146 or 2647017; Mobile: 0727 560 850; Email: info@audiovisualcs.com

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Quarterly Magazine

74 IdealTechnology

Breathe easy Hotpoint introduces ultra-modern air con

H

otpoint Appliances Ltd has newly introduced into the market, the TITAN range of air conditioners under its Room Air Conditioners

division.

The TITAN AC comes with a built-in AVS (Voltage Stabilizer) though that is just one of its numerous advantages, says Rabinder Kanani, one of Hotpoint’s Sales Managers. The TITAN comes with other premium advantages such as virus and allergy filters, powerful three way airflow, quiet operation, greater airflow swing action, modern design, faster cooling achieved by powerful compressor and a function for economical consumption of energy.

The firm’s Commercial Air Conditioners division equally introduced the LG MULTI V III commercial Air conditioner this year. “This inverter unit is your premium solution for all commercial air conditioning needs. MULTI V Inverter system offers one of the world’s largest capacity units, essential for high-rise buildings,” Ms Magon says.

“We are proud to say the system will ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. Multiple indoor units are connected to a single outdoor unit thereby creating an efficient system that offers outstanding energy saving of up to 35 per cent.”

Simple, easy installation, and connection to different types of indoor units, makes it easy to design and set up. With air conditioning, your environment is also assured of optimum conditions regardless of season or space with the ability of a single outdoor unit simultaneously handling heating and cooling via synchronous operation.

Quarterly Magazine

Products and solutions Hotpoint provides a host of products and solutions for its customers. In the business area, there are residential and commercial products, air conditioning and heating products as well as accessories such as solar energy and LED lighting and solutions.

LG’s residential air conditioners have been leading the global industry since the year 2000 in terms of market share, trendsetting and performance. They are unique in that they offer both heating and cooling modes.

The products’ health-conscious features are one of the key distinctive elements. Hotpoint for instance, have the world’s first anti-dengue mosquito technology and the Dual Action Virus Protector, which kills 99.9 percent of H1N1 viruses in 24 hours of constant operation.

Features like these are upgrading the firm’s consumers’ lives and helping them stay in healthier environment.

Rabinder Kanani and the world’s – first continuous heating system can generate heating without interruption (on a contrary to conventional type with 7 to 8 minute’s interruption per an hour operation) which consequently results in energy efficiency.

The commercial horizon

Good conditions

LG air conditioners have been designed to achieve maximum energy savings. By sensing body heat, the Eco Eye sends out the optimized direct or indirect airflow, thereby making big savings in energy consumption. Also, the Inverter technology reduces energy use by up to 60 percent compared with non-inverter units.

All of their grilles and diffusers are manufactured in our modern Sri Lankan factory and thanks to LG’s 34 years in the air movement sector and competitive pricing structure, the firm may be well placed to offer value and quality.

The new flagship Multi V III, LG’s new VRF system, enables world’s highest energy efficiency.

It is also the most compact-sized air conditioner in its class, occupying up to 30 percent less space than others drawn from competition. The firm’s –

Hotpoint’s range of products create optimal living and working conditions by enabling their customers to control their environment including temperature, humidity and air quality to make them more comfortable. Their products are safe to operate and easy to manage. Hotpoint provides clients with reliable and cost effective solutions.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

IdealRelocation 75

Make moving a pleasant experience

By Jeniffer MBOGORI

T

he thought of moving is enough to bring strain to someone’s mind.

Whether one is moving house or office, the process of organizing and facilitating a move is not an easy task and can be a strenuous one.

There are quite a number of things to consider when contemplating a move. Obviously, everyone remembers the important things like paying outstanding bills, redirecting mail and taking the last electricity meter readings, but the nittygritty in relocating is what matters.

Are you one of the people who wait until the last minute to look for the nearest lorry and help hands to move your home or office? Do you start worrying about packaging and you do not even know where to begin? Really, are you just totally confused about the whole moving process?

Pleasant experience This is where Armstrong Movers & Storage, a company incorporated in 2008, comes in. The company ensures that your move is a pleasant experience as it specializes in the relocation of household and office removals for the middle and upper class in the East African region.

Cost fundamentals

Spacious facility

Prior to making a move, a major concern for every home owner or office occupier is always the costs one will incur when planning and executing the move. Well, there is no cause for worry because at Armstrong Movers & Storage, budgets are negotiable and cost is never a hindrance to the peace of mind when moving.

With the long traffic jams we are experiencing in the city, it is easy to miss a flight, so when this occurs (we hope it doesn’t happen), one can store luggage at the spacious facility. International travel can prove a challenge to anyone, thus we provide full-service global mobility management by arranging sea or air transportation, packing, and the preparation of shipping documents for our clients, thus ensuring smooth transition from one location to the other.

According to the Managing Director, Mr. Joseph Ndichu, Armstrong Movers & Storage have created a niche service in the market by providing personalized and friendly services that are professional and surpass expectations of clients.

Before embarking on any task, the friendly staff will take time to enlighten clients on what is involved in the moving process. While walking a client through the process, the staff members will ensure they get acquainted with the locations involved in the moving process. After booking services in advance, time is allocated to the client, a no-cost, no-obligation consultation for your residential moving needs survey is undertaken, and only then is a quote created to match the job description.

“Relocation should be well-planned,” quips Ndichu, while noting that Armstrong Movers carefully plan and execute your move from the first phone call to the final drop off. Armstrong Movers & Storage are known for their specialized packaging materials that are designed to absorb shock, protect delicate items and offer all round protection for each and every item one is moving from the home or office.

A plus for clients moving out or into the country is the large warehouse facility located very close to the airport. Knowing very well the high cost of warehouse facilities at the airport and the limited durations of time for storage, it is a welcoming relief to note that you can store your items for as long as you like at the Armstrong warehouse located just a few metres from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The company is steadily plunging into the international freighting of goods which at the moment rests mostly with international firms.

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Armstrong Movers & Storage delivers total logistics solutions to our clients, combining an efficient fleet service along with supply chain management of all your transportation needs.

Our performance tracking provides ongoing system analysis for our customers, reducing overall costs and enhancing function throughout their enterprise. Armstrong is always on call and available to handle fluctuations in demand as well as emergency shipments, enabling you to operate at peak efficiency while delivering exceptional value and unparalleled service to your customers.

In addition to home and office relocation services, other services offered include international relocation, packing and crating services, moving supplies and equipment and data storage solutions.

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A

Akswood Interiors Location: 353 Diamond Park Tel: 020-555130 Cell: 0722-724364 Email: em.okado@yahoo.com

Alibhai Shariff & Sons Ltd Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-6905000 Cell: 0720-927601 Fax: 020-6905111 Email: rose@alibhaishariff.com

Anisuma Traders

Location: Mpaka Rd,Kimathi st Tel: 020-44442363 Fax: 020-44440189 Email: nairobi@anisuma.com

Antarc Ltd

Location: Kellico Complex, Mombasa Rd Tel: 020-6530970/1/2/3 Cell: 0736-788244, 0203583403/4 Fax: 020-2191796 Email: neha@antarc-ke.com

Apex Concepts Limited Location: Plessey House, Near Nakumatt Mega Tel: 020-2623352/51 Cell: 0737-149998 Email: apex.concepts@yahoo.com

Armstrong Movers & Storage Ltd Location: Reliance Industries, Godown 7, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2197131/8113873 Cell: 0720-322873/ 0723-901176 Email: joseph.ndichu@ armstrongmovers.co.ke

Arthi River Marble & Granite Location: Chiromo Court, Chiromo Road, Westlands Tel: 020-3742633/ 3742715/ 3742506 Cell: 0733-511190 Fax: 020-3742479 Email: armgltd@armltd.co.ke

Location: Mayfair Suites, 3rd Flr, Parklands Road Tel: 020-2613146/ 2647017 Cell: 0727-560850/ 0724-171619 Email: asif@audiovisualcs.com / asiflatif2@gmail.com

Authenteak Interiors Location: ngong road, next to lenana forest centre Cell: 0733-380373/0715-378141 Email: info@authenteakinteriors.com

B

Basco Products Kenya Location: North Airport Road,Embakasi,Nairobi Tel: 020823555/6 Cell: 0733333940/0722204300 Fax: 020823954/6 Email: mital@bascopaimts.com

Bevaj Furniture Limited Location: Gateway Business Park, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2048000/1 Cell: 0722-518348 Fax: 020-829077 Email: info@bevaj.com

Bizzline Interiors

Location: Village Market Tel: 020-3522651 Cell: 0720-216925/ 0722-817717 Email: judith.bizzlineinteriors@gmail. com

Bobmil Industries Limited Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2032120/1 Cell: 0722-205387/ 0733-618574/ 0770-127948 Fax: 020-2443464 Email: sharad@bobmilgroup.com

Brazafric Enterprises Ltd

Assa Abloy (E.A.) Limited

Location: Godown No. 10, Kenbelt Industrial Park, Off Msa Rd Tel: 020-820257 Cell: 0722-925611 Fax: 020-821334 Email: info@brazafric.com

Location: Dunga Close, Off Dunga Road, Industrial Area Tel: 020-6531569/762 Cell: 0729-356575/ 0734-356574 Fax: 020-6532077 Email: kenya@assaabloy-eastafrica. com

Location: United Complex, Mombasa Rd Tel: 020-2221656/2245505/ 2214475 Cell: 0728-547224 Fax: 020-2230229/343053 Email: info@buconfurniture.com

Bucon Furniture Solutions

Audio Visual Control Systems Quarterly Magazine

C.E.S.P

Fax: Email:

C

Contract Carpeting

Location: ABC Bank Building Tel: 020-2509854 Cell: 720332952 Fax: 020-2509863 Email: cgichari@cespkenya.com

Ceramic Tile Market (CTM) Location: Ngong Road, Opp Caltex Petrol Station Tel: 020-2420775 Cell: 0722-439111/ 0733-786124 Email: shabbir@ctmkenya.co.ke

Chege Designers

Location: Design Centre 2nd Floor, Tausi Rd Westlands Tel: 020-3741603, 020-3743286 Fax: 020-3741822 Email: eric@chegedesigners.co.ke

China Tiles Ltd

207120430 info@climacento.co.ke

Location: 14 Kijabe Street Tel: 020-3533900 Cell: 0701-0080091 Email: chinatilesltd@yahoo.com

Ciface Creation Limited Location: Nanak House, 1st Flr Suite 108, Kimathi Street Tel: 020-3568592 Cell: 0721-955999 Email: masinde@createciface.co.ke

Citron Interiors Limited

Location: occidental plaza, westlands Tel: 020-2017887 Cell: 0722-517989, 0719-123432, 0737-112799 Email: al-juma@africaonline.co.ke

Cornices & Interiors

Location: Bunyala Road, Industrial Area next to Mobil Petrol Station Tel: 020-557346 Cell: 0722-528566 Fax: 020-554647 Email: fkabuta@yahoo.com

Creation Aluminium Industry Ltd Location: 100m Behind Liberty Plaza, Off Mombasa Rd. Cell: 0722-881771, 0752-111735 Email: creationaluminium@gmail.com

Creative Curtains & Soft Furnishing Cell: Email:

0723-355390 creativefurnishin@gmail.com

Creative Innovations Limited Location: Road A, Off Enterprise Road, Industrial Area Tel: 020-559742/ 555915/ 533991 Cell: 0721-540387 Fax: 020-533992 Email: samm@creative-innovation. com

Location: Avocado Towers 2nd Flr, Muthithi Road Tel: 020-3748148/ 3748154 Cell: 0728-606716 Fax: 020-3748147 Email: rohit@citron.co.ke

Crown Berger(K) Ltd

Classic Decor Limited

Location: silverstone Godowns off mombasa road Tel: 020-821026/040/6031361 Cell: 0725-988683, 0733-864130 Email: info@crydtaltiles.co.ke

Location: Apic Centre, Muthithi Road, Westlands Tel: 020-4450787 Email: info@classicdecor.co.ke

Location: Industrial Area, Likoni Road Tel: 020-533603/4450955/760 Email: sales@crownberger.co.ke

Crystal Tiles Ltd

Classic Moulding Ltd

Cube Movers Ltd

Location: Kellico Complex, Mombasa Rd Tel: 020-828241/828242/828243 Cell: 0722-387784 Email: class@classic-mouldings.com

Location: Elephant Soap Building, Shimo La Tewa, off lusaka road Tel: 020-554408/6530826 Cell: 0722-773663/0736-400240 Fax: 020-532118/554408 Email: sales@cubemovers.co.ke

Climacento

Location: Warwick Centre off U.N Avenue,Gigiri Tel: 0202202456/0202136906 Cell: 0733213337/0722153041

Customs Aluminium East Africa Location: Industrial Area, Busia Road, Off Enterprise Road Tel: 020-652354

Cell: Fax: Email:

020-2300664 020-652355 info@customsaluminium.com

D

Decor Interiors Kenya Location: Viking House, Ground floor, Westlands Tel: 020-2325583 Cell: 0722-703090 Fax: 020-2146888 Email: kamni@decorinteriorskenya.com

Decor Pebbles

Location: Titan Building, Ground Flr, Hurlingham, Chaka road, Off argwings Kodhek Tel: 020-2604284/ 2604283 Cell: 0722-272193/ 0723-302462 Email: helen@decorpebbles.co.ke / sales@decorpebbles.co.ke

Design Corporate Limited Location: Bandari Road, Off Dunga Rd Tel: 020-2466140 / 555733/5 Cell: 0725-365977 Fax: 020-555735 Email: ndegwa@designcorporate.co.ke

DesignWear Ltd

Location: Nairobi Kenya Tel: 020-3958000 Fax: 020-3958899 Email: sales@designwear.net

Dharamshi & Company Ltd Location: 17, Biashara Street Tel: 020-2223670/ 2247058 Cell: 0722-701858/ 0734-586813 Fax: 020-2223541 Email: mail@dharamshi.com

Diamond Ceramics & Interiors Location: Baricho Plaza 2nd Floor, Hola Road, Off Baricho Road Tel: 020-551216 Cell: 0723-972223 Fax: 020-551216 Email: bnjoroge@mail.com

Dzinescapes

Location: Mombasa Kenya Cell: 724415152 Email: m_tajbhai@hotmail.com

E

Electric Link International Ltd Location: Electric Link House, Mombasa Road

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

77 The Interiors Directory is the comprehensive resource guide featuring companies in 100+ product categories, accessible online and in print. You’ll also find the A-Z Company Listing and more, making the Interior Directory most frequently updated, complete resource for those planning to purchase, and the #1 company, category and product directory for professionals & end users.

To advertise in print or online, e-mail us at directory@interiors.co.ke.

To get your free listing, go to http://directory.interiors.co.ke add your company or call us on 0700 333 888 Tel: Cell: Fax: Email:

020-824415/9 0733-606707/ 0722-552969 020-824405 nairobi@electric-link.com

Elle Interiors

Location: Daykio Apartments, Chania Ave, Off Ring Road, Kilimani Cell: 0752-439809, 0751511725 Email: elle.reg@gmail.com

Encanto Furniture

Location: K-REP Plaza, Wood Avenue, Hurligham Tel: 020-8010693 Cell: 0728-069332, 0738-378645 Email: sales@encanto.co.ke

Engineers Brass & Allied Foundry Location: Industrial Area, Busia Road, Off Enterprise Road Tel: 020-554135/ 558965 Fax: 020-557072 Email: info@brassandallied.com

Eurocon Tiles

Location: off north airport road, opposite transami, embakasi Tel: 020-823040/823965/7 Cell: 0722-205133, 0733-622688 Fax: 020-820384/574/271063 Email: sales@eurocon.co.ke

Fab Unique

F

Location: Langata Cell: 0771-283502, 0721-269434 Email: info@fabuniquekenya.com

Fairdeal Furniture

Location: Kellico Complex, Mombasa Rd Tel: 020-829051/2/3, 2018451 Cell: 0727-114488/ 0733-810020 Fax: 020-829054 Email: ywajihi@fairdealgroup.biz

First Choice Ltd

Location: Uniafric Hse Ground Floor, Monrovia Street Tel: 020-2242907/2211615 Cell: 0727-634648 Fax: 020-2242907 Email: info@kenyacompanies.com

Fiveways Limited

Location: Health First, Ring Road, Westlands Tel: 020-2696133 Cell: 0717-722050, 0734-555055 Fax:

Email: info@5waysltd.com

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

Location: Clifton Park, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2135971/2 Cell: 0731-963001 Fax: 020-2135973 Email: venkat@flamingotiles.co.ke

Flooring & Interiors Limited Location: Industrial Area, Funzi Road, Off Enterprise Road Tel: 020-5500136 Cell: 0722-200467 Fax: 020-536285 Email: info@finteriors.co.ke

Floral Interiors Ltd

Location: Vumira Hse Ground Floor, South B Tel: 020-551350 Cell: 0722-221223, 0733-781744 Email: info@floralinteriors.co.ke

Foam Mattress Limited Location: Athi River Factory Tel: 020-2155431/ 2023366 Cell: 0733-808398 Email: arsales@foamatt.com

Foresight Interiors

Location: ngong road, opposite jamuhuri park,karen Tel: 020-3862477-9 Cell: 0721-904266, 0719-670640 Fax: 020-3862480 Email: info@foresightgroup.co.ke

Furniture Elegance

Location: Paramount Plaza, Kipande Road Tel: 020-2390550/ 3748664/9 Fax: 020-3748670 Email: monica@furnitureelegance. co.ke

Furniture Palace International (K) Ltd Location: Mombasa Rd, Opposite Zain Headquaters Tel: 020-828844/5 Cell: 0737-999000 Email: info@furniturepalace.co.ke

Fursys Systems Office Furniture Location: Heilelberg Hse 2nd Floor, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-6000332/351/325 Cell: 0723-544177 Email: elvis@fursys.co.ke

G

Flamigo Tiles (K) Ltd

Goodies African Interiors & Gifts Location: Viking House, Ground floor, westlands Tel: 020-4441485/ 8012235 Cell: 0727-516877/ 0733-714746 Email: goodie@africaninteriors.co.ke

Goodies African Interiors & Gifts Location: Viking house, Off Waiyaki Way, Westlands Tel: 020-4441485/ 8012235 Cell: 0727-516877/ 0733-714746 Email: goodie@africaninteriors.co.ke

H

Hali Carpets Ltd

Homecare & Hardware Limited

Location: Mobil Plaza, Muthaiga Tel: 020-3765967 Cell: 0722-786110/ 0736-236096 Fax: 020-3760100 Email: orientalbazaar@wananchi.com

Harley Timber Engineering Services Ltd Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2528613 Cell: 0700-719230 Email: htes@africaonline.co.ke

Location: Ground Floor, Yaya Centre Tel: 020-3872110/ 3870786 Fax: 020-3861535/ 2713206 Email: homecare@wananchi.com

Homes & Spaces

Location: Vision Plaza, 3rd Flr Room 1A, Mombasa Road Cell: 0717-169329/ 0734-877494 Email: fnjuguna@homesnspacesea.com

Hong Kong Ceramics Location: Mombasa Road, next to Falcon signs Tel: 020-6752372/ 8099999 Cell: 0722-515518/ 0722-837999 Email: hkceramics@hkceramics.com

Hotpoint Appliances Limited Location: Sarit Centre, Westlands Tel: 020-3747022 (pilot 8 lines) Cell: 0722-234902 Fax: 020-2635450 Email: ritu@hotpoint.co.ke

House To Home

Herbo D_cor

Location: Chambeke Hse, Shimo La Tewa Road Tel: 020-600246 Cell: 0725-852349 Email: herbo2008@gmail.com

Hilton Home Products

Location: Bishop Magua Centre,Ngong Road, 0r Amee Arcade, Westlands Cell: 0701-561888/ 0716-408581 Email: info@house2home@gmail.com

Henry West Furniture Location: Ramboo Building, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-828506/7 Cell: 0733-240998 Fax: 020-828508 Email: nicki@interiordesigns.co.ke

Ideal Ceramics

I

Tel: Cell: Email:

020-2696241/ 2636967 0733-648715/ 0722-523596 interioreleganceltd@gmail.com

Interior Evolution (K) Location: Sclaters Hse, Parklands road Tel: 020-3754323/4 Cell: 0726-209171/ 0733-209171 Email: info@interior-evolution.com

Iron Art Ltd

Location: Chevron Plaza, limuru road, parklands Tel: 020-824763/821774 Fax: 020-824769/821776 Email: ironart@mitsuminet.com

Italian Design Furniutre Ltd Location: Mobil Plaza, Muthaiga Road Tel: 020-3760515/ 30000869 Cell: 0733-618646 Fax: 020-3764864 Email: idf@wananchi.com

Jimlet Crafts Cell: Email:

J

0723-773063/ 0728-135370 estheroriku@yahoo.com

K

Kapital Panorama

Location: Mombasa Road, Opp Sameer Africa Tel: 020-553034 Cell: 0722-205534, 0733-468441 Fax: 020-559931 Email: sunir@idealceramics.com

Instyle Design Furniture Ltd Location: Parklands, Limuru Road Tel: 020-740191/ 745387/ 746678 Cell: 0720-519028 Fax: 020-745963 Email: nisha@wananchi.com

Location: Westend Place, Mai Mahiu Rd, Off Mbagathi Roundabout Tel: 020-2430307 Intergrated Inteiors Limited Cell: 0725-747341/ 0738-238553 Email: hiltonhomeproducts@yahoo.com Location: Former Budget compound, after Vision Plaza, Mombasa Road

Tel: 020-3745071 Home Decor 1001 Pots Cell: 0718-849241/ 0737-849241 Location: Alibhai Shariff Builders World / Email: info@integratedinteriors.net School Lane, Westlands

Tel: 020-3596992/ 4440009/10 Interior Elegance Cell: 0721-417322/ 0733-622119 Location: Purvi House, Next to Email: adenter@homedecor.co.ke IguanaWestlands

Location: Liberty Plaza 1st Floor, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2329106 Cell: 0721-297487/ 0733-770937 Email: info@kapital.co.ke

Kashmir Arts Limted Location: Sarit Centre, Westlands Tel: 020-4449677 Cell: 0734-256784/ 0733-616415 Fax: 020-4444423 Email: kashmirarts@yahoo.com

Kega Ltd

Location: Sikoka place, Loresho Shopping Centre Cell: 0722-519947, 0773-104866 Email: info@kega.co.ke

Kenya Builders & Concrete C0. Ltd Location: Airport North Road. Off Mombasa Road Tel: 020-823965/7, 820382/3 Cell: 0722-205133/ 0733-622688 Fax: 020-820574/384, 8561628 Email: sales@kenyabuilders.com

Quarterly Magazine

78

Kenya Lampshades Ltd

Mambo Interiors

Location: Apic Centre, Muthithi Road, Westlands Tel: 020-3740929 Cell: 020-3862135 Fax: 020-3862136 Email: info@kenyalampshades.com

Location: Dunga Close, Industrial Area Cell: 0722-247547 Email: jp@mambointeriors.com

Kimpton Limited

Location: Kampala Road, Industrial Area Tel: 020-2345862 Email: dipan@trigg.co.ke

Kitchen & Office Interiors Limited Location: Alpha-Center, Unit 79, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2092837 Cell: 0726-491750 Email: info@designpoint.co.ke

Kualam Limited

Location: Jabavu House - Jabavu Lane off Argwings Kodhek Road Hurlingham Cell: 0733-786100/ 0722-786420 Email: engineer@wananchi.com

L

Location: laxcon house, limuru road Tel: 020-3747624/6624/4892, 020-2689327/8 Cell: 0752-200105 Fax: 020-3750796/341473 Email: laxcon@laxconke.com

Location: Corner Plaza, Parklands Tel: 020-3751572 Email: lighting@creative-innovation. com

Lighting Solutions Ltd Location: Mobil Plaza, Suite 27 Tel: 020-2317548 Cell: 0722-516179 Email: rajeev@lightingsolutions.co.ke

Location: Factory Street, Industrial Area Tel: 020-650290/553814 Cell: 0728-436506/0733-467642 Fax: 020-650299 Email: mangoltd@zmail.co.ke

Manson Hart Kenya

Location: Ruaraka, Baba Dogo Road Tel: 020-8561244/ 8561160 Cell: 0733-616654/ 0722-670802 Fax: 020-8560832 Email: jmacharia@mansonhart.com

Marvel Lifestyle Limited Location: No. 2 Mandev Complex, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-358899/ 532290 Cell: 0734-444111/ 0737-991011 Fax: 020-532239 Email: marvel@vivek-group.com / chin@vivek-group.com

Location: Mobil Plaza, Ground Floor, Muthaiga Tel: 020-3750114 Cell: 0724-785480 Email: info@mayultd.com

Mekan [E.A] Ltd

M

Location: Old Mombasa Road Tel: 020-6427000 Cell: 0735-511196 Fax: 020-6427506 Email: skiruhi@mabati.com

Location: City Centre, Twiga Towers, 4th Floor, Suite 403 Tel: 020-3512168 Cell: 0712-502916 Email: muthoni@ madisonpropertygroup.com

Location: Brick Court Bldg, 1st Floor, Woodvale Grove Rd Tel: 020-4454416 Cell: 0737-550025 Fax: 020-4454417 Email: mekan@mekanea.co.ke

Mend A Bath International Kenya Location: Westlands Tel: 020-4444697/4 Cell: 0722-513818 Fax: 020-4183080 Email: mab@swiftkenya.com

Mimosa Furniture

Mabati Rolling Mills Ltd

Madison Interiors

Mayu Ltd

Laxcon Hardware & Spares Ltd

Lighting Mania

Mango Limited

Location: School lane, Westlands Tel: 020-444009/10 Cell: 0721-360484 Fax: 020-3547810 Email: shalodyne@mimosafurnitures. com

Mobil Casa

Nairobi Office Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2387531 Cell: 0722-580485 Email: Benamule@yahoo.com Kampala office Location: Jinja Road, Next to New Vision Newspaper Cell: 0701 975 955, 0753 975 955, 0711975955, 0776975954

Quarterly Magazine

Moda Turkish Carpets Location: United Complex, Mombasa Rd Tel: 020-651074 Cell: 0724-696253 Email: m.issa@yahoo.com

Monta Designs

Location: Liberty Plaza 2nd Floor, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2518189, 020-2022550 Cell: 0722-703166, 0738-170666 Fax: 020-3752393 Email: montafurniture@yahoo.com

Monta Designs

Location: Liberty Plaza, 2nd Flr, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2518189/ 2022550 Cell: 0722-703166/ 0738-170666 Fax: 020-3752393 Email: montafurniture@yahoo.com

N’ Design

N

Location: Bandari Plaza M3, Woodvale Groove, Westlands Tel: 020-4451257/ 4440281 Cell: 0733-274073/ 0725-964711

Namsi Ltd Location: bishop magua centre, ngong road or brookside grove,westlands Tel: 020-4448881 Cell: 0721-32276, 0716-065125, 0733-721435 Email: info@namsiltd.com

Natural Stone Manufactures Ltd Location: Mombasa Road, Behind KPA Container Terminal Tel: 020-2516820/1 Cell: 0722-566007/ 0734-566007 Fax: 020-2516822 Email: info@naturalstones.co.ke

Naturalwood Floors Limited Location: Mayfair Court, Westlands Tel: 020-3744808/ 2166117/ 2655156 Cell: 0722-566044 Email: anthony@naturalwood.co.ke

Ndani Interiors

Location: Nairobi Cell: 0738-420776 Email: bella@ndaniinteriors.com

Neo Interiors

Location: Plaza 200 Mbs rd Tel: 0202049890/2088486 Cell: 0717-712911 Fax: 020-551787 Email: neointerior@wananchi.com

Newline Office Furniture Location: Chester Hse,Loiter st Tel: 0203151101/1/2/3 Fax: 020-315114 Email: sales@newline.co.ke

Nishit & Co Ltd

Location: School lane, Westlands Tel: 020-4447036/8, 4446116 Cell: 0733-601208 Fax: 020-4447068 Email: nishitco@wananchi.com

Noor Lampshades Ltd Location: ground floor, sarit centre Tel: 020-3747569 Cell: 0733-730525 Fax: 020-3747569 Email: noorlampshadesltd@hotmail. com

O

Odds & Ends ltd

Location: mombasa road, after vision plaza Tel: 020-556743/551515 Cell: 0722-528238 Email: sales@oddskenya.com

P

Palacina Interiors

Location: Palacina Court, Kitale Lane, Off Dennis Pritt Rd Tel: 020-2729333/8826, 2715517/8 Email: info@palacinainteriors.com or sales@palacinainteriors.com

Pamest Kenya Limited Location: Cianda House, 11th Flr, Koinange Street Cell: 0722-707123 Fax: 020-343499 Email: pamest2006@yahoo.com

Panesar’s Kenya Limited Location: Panesar’s Centre, Mombasa Road Tel: 020 - 651511/12/13 Cell: 0738-555562, 0738-651524 Fax: 020-552702 Email: vir.panesar@gmail.com

Paperazzi Ltd

Location: Viking House, Ground floor, westlands Tel: 020-2325583 Cell: 0722-495080,0723-495080 Fax: 020-2146888 Email: d_cor@paperazzikenya.com

PG Bison

Location: Kampala Road, Industrial Area Tel: 020-8088882/3 Cell: 0722-763947 Fax: 020-8088880 Email: sales@pgbison.co.ke

Pierlite East Africa Limited Location: Virdi House 1st Flr, Butere Road, Industrial Area

Tel: Cell: Fax: Email:

020-551931/ 552547 0716-033786/ 0738-007709 020-551934 abdul@pierlite.co.ke

Prafulchandra & Brothers Limited Location: The Centre Point 1st flr, Parklands Road Tel: 020-3751342/ 43/ 3751302/ 03 Cell: 0735-751303/ 0728600303 Fax: 020-3751260/ 3751261 Email: pbl.3@africaonline.co.ke

Prime Aluminium Casement Location: Alpha Centre No. 55/56, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-823230/ 820142 Cell: 0724-327568 Fax: 020-820566 Email: info@primealuminium.com

Progressive Distributors Location: Kenol, Gigiri Tel: 020-3741280 Cell: 0770-933024 Fax: 020-7120055 Email: shalin@progressivepark.net

Q

Quinn Peaks Unique Furniture Location: Masaai Road, Off Mombasa Road Cell: Anju:- 0722-744303, Carlos:0733-221265 Email: quinnpeaks@hotmail.com

R R.A.K. Ceramics Kenya Limited Location: Kitui Rd, Off Kampala Road, Industrial Area Tel: 020-2042291-8 Cell: 0735-485625/ 0729-427989 Fax: 020-2042299 Email: gm@rakceramicskenya.com

Rhino Special Products Limited Location: Rhino House, Chiromo road, Westlands Tel: 0203744617/3744620/3744625 Cell: 0724-096381 Fax: 020-3753676 Email: info@rhinospecialproducts.co.ke

Ridor Furniture Mart Limited Location: Surglinks Plaza, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-556160/ 556221/ 556400/ 556555 Cell: 0722-751307 Fax: 020-248523 Email: ridor@box999.com

Rooser Roofing (E.A.) System Location: Elephant Soap Building, Shimo La

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

List your business on the interiors directory for unrivalled exposure within the interiors market. To advertise in this segment call: 0700 333 888

Tel: Cell: Email:

tewa Road, Off Lusaka Road 020-2662110/ 1 0720-814141 info@buildersdepo.com

Rosewood Office Systems Ltd Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-3524514/5/6/7/8 Cell: 0722-205134, 0733-633916 Fax: 020-3524519 Email: customerservice@ rosewoodofficesystems.com

S

Sadolin Paints E.A Ltd Location: Jirore Rd industrial Area Tel: 020-6534750 Email: nkssam@sadolin.co.ke

Sakafu Ltd

Location: Parklands Nairobi Tel: 020 _ 2101010/11 Cell: 0734-433333 Fax: 020-2101012 Email: sales@sakafu.com

Sammy Lutaya (Fine Artist/ Designer Location: Nature House, 2nd Floor, Room 4.2.10, Wing A Cell: 0722-265210/ 0733-969126 Email: sam_lut@yahoo.com

Showbiz Lighting Production Location: Jubilee Insurance Hse, suite 3083rd Wabera St Tel: 020-2218651 Cell: 0722-258711 Fax: 020-2218858 Email: showbizlighting@yahoo.co.uk

Silent Night

Location: Kitui Rd, Enterprise Rd, Industrial Area Tel: 020-65328822, 555670, 6533460 Cell: 0733-512273,0722-203471, 0733-724540 Fax: 020-6537479 Email: sales@silentnightkenya.co.ke

Slims Furniture

Location: jabavu house - jabavu lane argwings kodhek road hurlingham Tel: 020-8014881,3004330 Cell: 0722-703037, 0722-711996 Email: sales@slimseastafrica.com

Solai Paints

Space & Style

Location: Brunei House, Ground Floor, Witu Road, Industrial Area Tel: 020-555541/ 2086700 Cell: 0722-706837/ 0733-706837 Fax: 020-558123 Email: salesmanager@spaceandstyle. co.ke

Space Interiors

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011

The Amazing Bazaar Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-558318/ 551515 Cell: 0733-619640 Fax: 020-558318 Email: sanduku@wananchi.com

The Fabric Gallery

Location: Civil Servant, Langata Cell: 0722-483213, 0738--483213 Email: info@spaceinteriors.com

Location: Yaya Center 2nd Floor Tel: 020-3862384/ 3861357 Cell: 0727-999333/ 0722-628515 Email: info@thefabricgalleryke.com

Span Structures Limited

The Living Room

Location: Enterprise Road - Falcon Road, Gate 4 Cell: 0722-692626/ 0739-692926 Email: spanstruct@iconnect.co.ke

Location: Nairobi West Cell: 0773-087300/ 0727-945725/ 0719-188131 Email: thelivingroomnairobi@gmail. com

Specialised Clean Power Africa Location: Melili Road, Next to Marshall’s Showroom, off Mombasa Road Tel: 020-2077219/ 8019435/6/7 Cell: 0724-255298 Fax: 020-3532986 Email: info@cleanpowerafrica.com

SPF Concepts Cell: Email:

0701-017020/ 0733-725313 sandrinefp@yahoo.fr

Spiegel Interiors

Location: Mobil Plaza, Muthaiga Road Tel: 020-3762762/ 3762648 Cell: 0724-552941 Fax: 020-3767210 Email: spiegel@accesskenya.co.ke

Stan Interior Designer Ltd Location: Karen, Langata road Tel: 020-2306002 Cell: 0723-296875, 0735-552840 Fax: 020-84981 Email: stanmasai@gmail.com

Sunny Daze Ltd

Location: Peponi Gardens, Off Peponi Rd Tel: 020-4182718/4183607 Cell: 0725-826050,0733-607358 Fax: 020-3599595,3585508 Email: info@sdaze.com

Sure Fit Curtains & Furnishings Location: Prakash Stores Building, biashara Street Tel: 020-2223580/ 2222947 Cell: 0729-295100 Fax: 020-341708 Email: surefitcurtains@surefit.co.ke

Location: Solai plaza,Kamunde Rd off Outering Road Nrb Tel: 0203536825/3526677 Cell: 0720940557/0721992883 Fax:

Email: info@solaipaint.co.ke,sales@ solaipaint.co.ke

TACC Store

T

Location: Gichuru Road, Lavington, Opp St. Austin’s Academy Cell: 0716-897222, 0733-897222

Thola Glass Enterprises Ltd Location: Alpha-Center, Unit 32, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-820007 / 020-2679209 Cell: 0736-499499 Email: info@thola-glass.com

Tile & Carpet Centre

Location: Parkside Towers 3rd Floor, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-3939000, 020-532191, 020-532192 Cell: 0722-885000, 0733-657000 Fax: 020 3939111, 535290 Email: mail@tilecentre.com

Tile City Limited

Location: enterprise Road, Next to Hillocks Inn, Industrial Area Tel: 020-651018/ 554328/ 552960 Cell: 0733-984772 Fax: 020-651019 Email: tilecity@wananchi.com

Timsales Limited

79

Tuffsteel Limited

Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-3529910/9911 Cell: 0713-600555/ 0737-850085 Email: sales@tuffsteel.co.ke

Turea Limited

Location: Alpha Centre No. 89, Mombasa Road Cell: 0737-550052 Fax: 020-4454417 Email: turea@turealtd.com

U

Ultra Interiors Ltd

Location: Tubman Road Tel: 020-3571167/ 2088070 Cell: 0720-784900 Email: umati2007@yahoo.com

UTECMA Bamboo Products Location: Brightwoods Apartment, Suite D3, Yaya, Chania Road Cell: 0725-902268 Email: info@utecma.co.ke

V

Villeroy & Boch

020-2318777 villeroyandboch@accesskenya. co.ke

Vishelectric Limited Location: Avocado Towers 1st Flr, Muthithi Road Tel: 020-8082824/5, 2077538 Cell: 0733-615254 Fax: 020-3744369 Email: paresh@relvish.com / vish@ relvish.com

Vitafoam Products Limited

Location: Bandari Road, Off Dunga Rd Tel: 020-8085177/555137/736 Cell: 0722-372448 Email: info@ultrainteriors.co.ke

Umati Limited

Fax: Email:

Location: Mombasa Road Tel: 020-651499/1/2/3/4, 3589300/1/2 Cell: 0722-205535/ 0733-605535 Fax: 020-651499/ 558038/ 3540530 Email: info@vitafoam.co.ke

Vital Outlook Ltd

Location: Pelican Hse 1st flr Uhuru Highway Tel: 020-2633180 Email: iinfo@outlook.co.ke

Vitendi Limited

Location: School Lane, Opp Westlands Primary Tel: 020-4443286 Cell: 0727-288226 Fax: 020-4443285 Email: info@vitendi.co.ke

Location: Kellico Complex, Mombasa Rd Tel: 020-828407/8/9/10 Cell: 0722-715072, 0735-888999

Location: Industrial Area, Enterprise Road Tel: 020-532277/ 532684/ 532955 Fax: 020-558979/ 552891 Email: nairobi@timsales.com

Tiny Town Interior Designs Location: Purvi House, Westlands Cell: 0722-721636/ 0734-700068 Email: tiny-t-t@hotmail.com

Top Security Systems Limited Location: Wood Avenue, Kilimani Tel: 020-3874250/1/2 Cell: 0722-239536 Fax: 020-3866852/ 3876705 Email: info@topsecurity.co.ke

Touch Of Class Interiors Location: Ring Road Apartments, 1st flr Suite 11, Westlands Cell: 0714-443072 Email: touchofclass9@gmail.com

expo@interiors.co.ke

Quarterly Magazine

80

W

Wahome Teak Furniture

Location: Kileleshwa, Off Kangundo Road Tel: 020-3552182 Cell: 0722-614667/ 0737-614667/ 0750614667 Email: info@teakfurniture.co.ke / wahome. muriuki@teakfurniture.co.ke

Wamu Designers

Location: 69 enterprise road Tel: 020-651577/8/9 Cell: 0733-788498, 0722-788498 Fax: 020-554862 Email: info@woodproductskenya

Woodcharm

Location: kijabe street, behind norfolk hotel Tel: 020-2215259/2215306 Cell: 0733-436436 Email: info@woodcharmkenya.com

Location: Mombasa Road Cell: 0722-168486, 0722-639109 Email: wamudesigners@yahoo.com

Waterways Africa

Wood Products

Woodley Weavers

Location: Nairobi Tel: 0202727991/0202716003 Cell: 0733-511438 Email: waterways@kenyacomfort.com

Location: ngong & menelik road junction Tel: 020-3873759 Cell: 0733-612028 Email: info@woodleyweavers.com

Wilmer Furnishings

Location: Workshop - Ngong Road; Showroom - Karen Road Tel: 020-884678 Cell: 0726-732212/ 0733-823943/ 0735677504 Email: info@wilmerinteriors.com

Window Plus (E.A.) Limited Location: Heilelberg Hse 2nd Floor, Mombasa Road Tel: 020-604367/8 Cell: 0720-901153 Fax: 020-601755 Email: wpea@wpea.co.ke

Z

Zebra Ceramics Ltd

Location: Mbsa Rd Tel: 020550903/651750/651751 Cell: 072-2311888 Email: ZebraIigowreless.net

Zhuo Heng Building Ltd

Wood - Mac Limited

Location: HomaBay Road, Off enterprise road, industrial area Cell: 0733-881188 Email: zhbuilding@hotmail.com

Location: Pravin Villa, Haile Selassie Road, Mombasa Tel: 041-2225312/ 2229455/ 2316181 Cell: 0722-411515 Fax: 041-2223292 Email: cvaghadia@yahoo.co.uk

Location: Ngong Road, Nicholson Drive Cell: 0736-340705, 0722-366069, 0770-174088 Email: nyambura@zidakainteriors.com

Zidaka Interiors

fabUnique is an Interior Design company that keeps abreast with the latest technology and trends in Interior Design.

Our talented designers bring a diversity of experience in design, a fresh perspective and originality, together with honed technical expertise and attention to detail resulting in exquisite interiors.

We provide an intelligent, customized interpretation of clients´ needs, resulting in innovative and unique interior designs, tailored to create the maximum impact. fabUnique works on commercial projects; hotels, lodges, offices as well as Residential projects.

Call us today and let fabUnique deliver distinct designs, memorable interiors, with dramatic results!! fabUnique Kenya, P.O. Box 3790-00506, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel (S) : +254 (0) 721 269434, Tel (O) : +254 (0) 771 283502, email: info@fabunique-kenya.com

TO BE LISTED IN

IDEAL INTERIORS DIRECTORY CONTACT US TODAY 0700 333 888

Quarterly Magazine

Volume 1 Issue 4 July-Sept 2011