Curtains fall on Interior Design expo

By Pocyline Karani

As the curtains came down after a successful and exciting four-day interiors exhibition at the Village Market, one thing came out clearly. Not only are the lifestyles, tastes and preferences of Kenyans changing, but there’s also a quest for finer things in life.

The number of visitors was also a clear indication that many are yearning for aesthetically pleasing and creative interiors and players in the industry are positioning themselves to meet this growing desire to revolutionise home interiors.

The second Ideal Interiors Expo hence became a one-stop lifestyle experience themed Transforming the heart of your home, which was a hub of creative talent from players from the capital city and a key event in the regional design calendar.

Assistant Minister of Housing Margaret Wanjiru acknowledged that the show, now in its second phase, has become a fundamental platform upon which industry players converge to advance common ideas for the growth of this segment of real estate.

The interiors sector, she said, has never been as phenomenal as it is right now in determining the right dynamics for real estate development.

"Gone are the days when developers put up structures without considering what would go into the interiors," she said.

Today, this industry is forming the basis for many project designs. Suppliers and manufacturers are playing a pivotal role in ensuring all have end products that are aesthetically appealing and dynamic to people’s unique tastes and style.

A snapshot of part of what was exhibited at the expo. This is a clear indication that the interiors’ market is fast maturing. [PHOTOS: MARTIN MUKANGU/STANDARD]

Huge returns

To underline the importance of the sector, the industry injects close to Sh150 billion annually to the economy. According to the show’s director, Humphrey Odhiambo, Kenya has the fastest growing interiors’ market compared to the other Eastern Africa countries.

"Much of the vibrancy in the industry is being experienced in the middle to upmarket residential landscape, hospitality industry and the office market," he said.

 This year’s showstopper house showcased the latest trends in both interior as well as exterior and landscape design. A group of 12 companies came together to put up the two bedroom house. They were Spiegel Interiors who sponsored the design of the house, Homes and Spaces, Lighting Solutions, Contract Carpeting, Poggen Pohl, Diani Flowers, Hotpoint, Wood Products, Crown Berger, Pierllite, Romyo International, Audio Visual Systems and Thola Glass.

The two-bedroom house emerged as an ultimate spot to obtain enriching ideas in making a fabulous cosy home.

According to Shahin Rajwani, the Head Consultant at Spiegel Interiors, the inspiration for this year’s show house was taken from changes in the global market.

Lifestyles

"The show house is about changes in people’s lifestyle, both in working terms as well as home needs and comfort. The style we have created is very contemporary," said Rajwani.

The house embraced simplicity but was clear cut and elegant. The use of glass doors and windows added an element of space and light.

Furniture was basically made of glass, chrome and wood with clean contemporary lines. Floors were made from natural bamboo and were mostly bare with the odd rug scattered in places to add interest.

The overall winner at the expo was TACC Store. In the Kitchen’s category, Prafulchandra & Brothers were declared the best overall. In Soft Furnishings, Spiegel Interiors led followed by Vitafoam and Woodley Weavers. Winners in the Auxillary DÈcor category were DÈcor Interiors, Classic Mouldings and Madison Interiors.