So if you know me then you know I’m a sucker for pretty interiors, especially if they come in monochrome and use a mix of textures and accessories to create a really home-y feel. Since we moved into our flat in January (yes urban Kenyans, there are some of us who still occasionally say flat and not “apartment”), I’ve been trying to create a really cool yet cozy space for my little family.

I have to admit that turning a rented space into something you can be really proud of is more often than not a challenge, especially if you have a landlord who won’t just let you be. Luckily for us our landlord has no idea what I’ve been up to. He’d probably think he walked into someone else’s house if he decided to pay us a visit, so hooray for landlords who live abroad!

At the moment I’m having an affair with black, white, grey and gold and it’s been going on for some time, so I’ve used them liberally all over our space to come up with something that I can only describe as being really me. Plus neutrals form a good foundation for you to be able to jazz things up with a little colour for an instantly updated look.

So in the spirit of slowly creating a home I’m proud to walk into every time, I went looking for a new rug. I’ve been spending a lot of time browsing Instagram while on maternity leave – hello fellow professional Instagram shoppers – so when I saw a beautiful chevron rug on my Insta-pal Maureen’s page I had to have it! I’m a HUGE fan of supporting local businesses and would love to see more people venture into locally made home wares, so ordering a locally handmade, custom black and white chevron rug felt really natural. I’ll be honest: it’s probably cheaper to buy a machine woven, imported rug sometimes, but it feels good knowing the coins I spend on locally made goods are supporting local artisans y’know?

My initial plan was to get a printed rug for my daughter’s room (which I will get round to doing when the my beer budget aligns to my champagne tastes), but when the rug was delivered I knew it had to be displayed more prominently so I laid it out in the living room instead. Instant update! It definitely feels different from the high pile imported rug I had before, but I’m really digging the rawness of the natural wool underfoot, the painstaking work that went into it and the fact that it’s reversible (so I can hide stains LOL). Plus it goes so well with my black and white walls even though it’s closer to ivory than white, which was not the intention, but I’m fine with it because it complements my curtains. Have a look-see and let me know what you think!

If you do order one though I’d strongly suggest that you ask them to make sure the dye is fast (doesn’t run) so that you don’t ruin it while cleaning, which I nearly did. This rug requires special care, ideally steam cleaning without detergent, or using very gentle soaps.

Also, would you guys like to see more of my home tours? I’ve been living my interior stylist dreams mostly in my home and head, but if you’re interested in seeing more of what I’m doing then drop me a sweet note in my comments! Plus if you have a project and could use some fresh ideas, I’m available for consultations to help you create something special just for you. I’ve built up a pretty useful directory of contacts and stockists over the years 🙂

Stockists

• Custom chevron rug – Marathon Weavers (Call Miriam on 0720 380 165)
• Carpet cleaning – Blissful Cleaning
• Wooden chest used as coffee table, TV stand – Kashmir Arts, Sarit Centre
• Black metal candleholders & candles – TACC
• Gold bottle – DIY
• Brass Champagne bucket – Odds & Ends
• Pillow covers – Nakumatt, TACC, Mr. Price Home, Essential Home Kenya, Mesmerize Kenya
• Baskets – roadside retailer on James Gichuru Rd., near Muthangari Police Station
• Black and white wall paint (Duracoat, Black Pitch 2959C and Brilliant White)