Site Options
Interior design sector blossoms with booming property market Print E-mail
Interior design sector blossoms with booming property market      

Written by Mukami Githagui   

Long gone are the days when it was enough to merely have four walls, furniture and a few knick—knacks to make a house or office comfortable enough for its occupant. Some people want to practically see themselves on the walls of their home or office.

The property market in Kenya has been enjoying a boom over the last few years with numerous apartments and houses for sale or to let scattered all over Nairobi and beyond. That and the number of office complexes that have come up has led to vast opportunities in the interior design and landscaping market with more and more entrants joining this field.

When Liz Mwaniki studied Botany at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) for her Bachelor’s Degree, little did she know that her fascination with plants would lead to a never ending love affair with landscaping and interior design. So deeply involved was she that when her contract expired with ICRAF she opted to study for a Master’s in Public Health but stopped midway to take up landscaping and interior design full-time.

She started off by hiring out potted plants to functions such as weddings and church ceremonies - these are still some of her clients to date.

Interior design started out as a hobby it wasn’t long before it turned into a viable enterprise in the form of Homecare Solutions which was formed almost two years ago.

“My very first job was to design a baby room but getting new clients from that one job proved to be a bit difficult and convincing potential clients of the importance of interior design was also a challenge,” says Ms Mwaniki.

So was the other aspect of her business of hiring out plants. The concept was baffling to individuals who had never come across such a proposition before. She hires out the plants at Sh150 to Sh300 per pot per day. For an interior designer a good budget is of paramount importance and so is a partial payment up front in order to start working on the job at hand. Ms Mwaniki has had rely on short term loans and her savings to grow her business.

 Whatever revenue she generates she re-invests back into the business. When she is hired for a job she surveys the property and talks to the client on any possible theme they might have, be it based on a colour or a subject. Her services include the provision of furnishings such as curtains and cushion covers and even helps the client in shopping for the suitable house.

The landscaping part of her business is handled by a landscape architect whilst she takes on the interiors and plant hire. On average she handles at least three interior jobs a month of different scope and two exterior jobs. She terms an interior designer as an individual who is simply meant to compliment a client’s ideas. He or she is supposed to shape their home according to their needs and wants.

 There are those who are challenging in terms of taste and preference but she tries as much as she can to work realistically within a client’s budget.

Though she currently outsources for most of her material she wants to turn Homecare into a one-stop shop for all interior and exterior needs. Her charges vary according to the scope and magnitude of the assignments she takes on.

Running a business as most entrepreneurs agree can be a challenging. In Ms Mwaniki’s case it’s the deposit for a job already agreed upon that proves to be a hurdle.

She has four employees. So far her biggest job has been a landscaping assignment she took on for Faulu Kenya when they changed premises to Ngong Road. It involved designing the shrubs, rocks and even transporting soil to the new premise. For this, she raked in over Sh100,000 in profit.

She says that the market is in need of professional landscape architects. There is an evident need judging by the number of commercial and residential property that is coming up all over the city. “There is more to a lawn than just mere grass on the ground,” she quips.

She says locally people are starting to get used to the whole idea of hiring an interior designer. She markets herself through word of mouth and once in a while participates in exhibitions.

Not too long ago when someone mentioned the term interior designer people often thought of decorators and paint jobs, with time all that has changed.

Now it is a rapidly growing industry especially if the boom in the property market continues unabated.

(c) Business Daily (www.bdafrica.com)
 
Thu 09 Sep 2010 - 19:11

sarova hotels

Hottest Properties

Most Popular Topics

Stanchart Home Loan

 

 

 

 

 

 palacina

 

© 2009 Property.co.ke. All rights reserved.

Property.co.ke - The No. 1 Kenya real estate listings website. Find properties to let or for sale anywhere in Kenya. Real Estate in Kenya includes properties in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, Malindi, Diani, Thika, Kiambu, Kericho, Machakos, Limuru, Athi River, Kitengela, Ongata Rongai, Ngong, Kikuyu, Meru, Nyeri, Embu, Nanyuki, Kisii, Kakamega, Kitale and all surrounding areas. Find real estate in Lavington, Kilimani, Muthaiga, Karen, Westlands, Runda, Kileleshwa, Kyuna, Loresho, Green Park, Langata, Whispers, South B, South C, Gigiri, Embakasi, Nyari, Nyali, Mtwapa, South Coast, North Coast, Upper Hill, State House, and neighbouring estates. Find properties listed by top real estate agents in Kenya such as Lloyd Masika, Hassconsult, Century Properties, Villacare, CBRE, Accord Properties, Crystal Valuers, Regent, Paragon, Crown Homes, Hectares, Villa Care Kenya, Colburns, Hass Consult, Neptune Shelters, Cornerstone, Halifax, Citivillas, Latida, Premier Realty, Penny Lane, Gigi, Ferndale, Canopy, Muigai Commercial, Property World, Primelands, Realmast, Ryden International and many more. Properties plots homes and houses for sale or to let rent or buy in kenya nairobi mombasa kisumu kenya real estate and real estate agents directory