House 12, an ambassadorial family home in Kitusuru, Nairobi. PHOTO | COURTESY
By JACKSON BIKO
In Summary
The housing landscape is exhibiting an interesting
trajectory; although homeowners prefer to congregate together into
little sustainable (gated) communities, they still crave privacy as
individuals but without losing complete touch with their neighbours.
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In an earlier interview with this paper some months back,
Ben Woodhams, managing director of Knight Frank noted that the rise of
luxury homes indicates the growing class of the uber-rich who are
expressing their confidence in the country by investing in these homes.
“Developers are targeting the upper end of the
market, which knows what they want and are quick to close transactions,”
he said.
Homes have become the new currency, the greatest
expression of affluence. The wealthy want to recede and disappear back
to their luxury abodes that present the trappings of their lifestyles.
A research a couple of years ago by estate agents
Knight Frank and Citi Private Wealth Fund found that Nairobi had the
best prime residential market in the world. The high-end residential
bubble continues to rise, despite naysayers regularly predicting its
doom.
We looked at a few exclusive homes in the country.
HOUSE NO 3, LONE TREE VILLAS
Rosslyn, Off Limuru Road
Rosslyn, Off Limuru Road
A classic white Cape Dutch-style home designed by Tom Bowman with interiors styled by Karen Baillie, Pinks Interior Designs.
This is an elegant five-bedroomed,
well-proportioned house with casement windows allowing the rooms to be
airy and light. House No 3 sits on five acres with nine other
beautifully designed homes with lush, tranquil gardens planted with
banana, acacia and jacaranda trees.
Architecturally, the house cleverly suits all needs
– from quiet private terraces, accessed by double French Doors opening
from each room, to a larger covered party area with dhow-wood bar and
American Spa hot tub.
Inside, each room is uniquely dressed in a chic
contemporary style with the drawing room and sitting room each having a
dressed stone fireplace. The study is cosy and warm. Mahogany flooring
runs through the ground floor.
There are also some special design statements – the
addition of a master suite on the first floor affords a star-shaped
pitched ceiling, which is also present in the master bedroom.
A large ensuite has a signature freestanding
slipper bath over which a cut glass chandelier hangs. All the ensuites
are tiled to a high spec with top-of-the-range sanitary ware.
There is a cottage-style dogleg staircase and all
internal doors are of Shaker-style proportions with good quality
ironmongery. The front door is made of solid bamber coffee wood with
doom wood panels.
The interior décor is inspired by a very up-market
smart European look – accent walls in the drawing and dining room have
been carefully wallpapered while key statements are in the form of
Kenyan artwork and artifacts. The kitchen is bespoke.
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