2024 – Present
Our coffee table book is a curated journey through modern African interiors, where texture, heritage, and contemporary design meet effortlessly.
This is an ode to the African home, reimagined, refined, and deeply rooted.
From the title cover to the content and “about” pages, this first reveal is a quiet glimpse into what’s been carefully shaped, an exploration of how we live, feel, and design within our spaces.
Rooted in intention and guided by the spirit of NASO AT HOME, this book captures a way of living that is both deeply personal and unmistakably African, where design becomes memory, ritual, and identity.
Coming soon via digital release, with print to follow.
My current research explores African decor as a living design language, one shaped by culture, geography, and time.
Across the continent, I’m studying how distinct regional identities, from North Africa’s geometric, architectural elegance to West Africa’s symbolic textiles, and East and Southern Africa’s material-rich, craft-driven traditions, inform unique aesthetic expressions.
I’m particularly interested in Africa’s visual vocabulary: bold patterns, layered textures, and earthy yet vibrant palettes drawn from natural landscapes. For me, these elements go beyond decoration, they carry meaning, telling stories of identity, spirituality, and community.
A key part of my work looks at how these styles have evolved over time, from traditional, handcrafted practices to contemporary Afro-modern interiors that blend heritage with global influences. This shift reflects a wider movement where African design is redefining what modern living and luxury can look like.
Through this research, I see African decor not as a trend, but as an ongoing narrative, one that continues to shape and influence design both across the continent and globally.
Extract: Mombasa Old Town is a coastal historic district shaped by centuries of Swahili, Arab, Portuguese, and South Asian influence, reflected strongly in its architecture and urban form.
Its key design elements include coral stone buildings with thick walls that help regulate heat, and intricately carved wooden doors that often signal status and cultural identity. Many buildings feature enclosed courtyards, shaded verandas, and overhanging balconies that encourage airflow in the humid coastal climate.
The street pattern is notably narrow and winding, creating shade and reflecting its organic, pre-colonial growth. Decorative details, such as carved niches, lattice screens, and plaster ornamentation, blend Islamic artistic traditions with Swahili craftsmanship. The overall aesthetic is enriched by faded pastel tones, sea-facing orientation, and a dense, layered urban texture tied to its history as a Swahili trading hub.
From earth to home, early Kenyan dwellings were shaped by climate, community, and craft.
Circular forms, shared spaces, architecture as a reflection of connection and culture.
COMING SOON: Meet Penninah, Founder of Afro Boutik Home & Lifestyle
Meet Penninah, the creative force behind Afro Boutik Home & Lifestyle, a brand that celebrates the beauty, character and richness of African-inspired living.
Through Afro Boutik, Penninah brings together art, décor and lifestyle pieces that tell stories creating spaces that feel personal, expressive and connected to African culture. Her approach reflects a growing movement of Kenyan creatives who are reimagining what contemporary African homes can look and feel like: rooted in heritage, but beautifully modern.
What makes Penninah’s journey particularly inspiring is her ability to turn a love for African aesthetics and design into a lifestyle brand with a distinct point of view. Her work is a reminder that our homes can be more than beautifully decorated spaces they can be a reflection of who we are, where we come from and the stories we choose to surround ourselves with.
We’re delighted to spotlight Penninah and Afro Boutik Home & Lifestyle as part of the growing community of Kenyan brands shaping the future of African home and lifestyle. But more interestingly, her views on Africa and Decor.
NASO AT HOME 