Africans at the cutting edge of interior design: Amechi Mandi and Kelechi Ejikeme

Two UK-based Africans tell the BBC how they are digging deep into their culture to change home decor.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyUS ElectionElection pollsKamala HarrisDonald TrumpJD VanceTim WalzSportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersAfricans at the cutting edge of interior designAlexander Edwards / Amechi MandiThis Amechi Mandi throw blanket is inspired by the historic Asafo flags of Ghana, using an applique method of layering designsAfter more than a decade as a lawyer at high-powered banking firms like Goldman Sachs and Société Générale, Nigerian-British Kelechi Ejikeme left the corporate world to follow her passion for interior design.

Her rug collection is inspired by Nigeria's diverse terrain - rolling hills, winding rivers, sprawling savannahs and dense forests, and reminds me of the view from planes.

"So, when you interpret that into a rug or a carpet, it’s symbolic," she said when I met her at her stall at the Decorex interior design show held in London last month.

"It’s like, every minute, this is what we're actually every day stepping on."

Made from jute, a durable and eco-friendly material, each rug integrates these natural elements.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dll4jvpzvo

---