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Slow Style Home: Decorating Personal, Meaningful Interiors

African Design Legacy Goes Global: Nasozi Kakembo's Guide to Authentic Decorating

·31 min·3 clips
Nasozi Kakembo reveals how African design objects are appearing in homes worldwide, but their true stories are often lost.
The episode begins with host Zandra introducing the Slow Style Home Podcast and her guest, Nasozi Kakembo, author of 'African Decor Edit'. Nasozi's book highlights 16 African objects, detailing their history, craftsmanship, and cultural context. She explains that African cultural heritage doesn't align with European-drawn borders, suggesting categorization by region or linguistics instead. Nasozi shares a personal anecdote about learning batik in Ghana, describing the complex 10-step process and the precision required for wax temperature. She discusses the juju hat from Cameroon, noting its original use as ceremonial headwear rather than wall decor. The conversation shifts to ethical consumption, with Nasozi recounting how a designer's pillow was copied by Target, underscoring issues of appropriation and mass production. She advises shoppers to look for specific country-of-origin labels and prioritize buying from African artisans. The latter part of the episode covers the book's second half, which showcases 10 homes worldwide incorporating African objects. Nasozi mentions examples like the Ethiopian chair in Nina Farmer's home and her own 1970s-style house, emphasizing modular, multifunctional design. She reflects on how African design influenced modernists like Picasso and Matisse. The episode concludes with Zandra thanking Nasozi for the insightful discussion on blending cultures respectfully in home decor.

As heard by us

A thoughtful design conversation about African roots, attribution, and the quiet power of meaningful objects at home.

Nsozi Kakembo's African Decor Edit gives the conversation a clear frame, tracing how forms often filed under Scandi modern, Northern European, or mid-century modern design may connect back to African aesthetics.

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Why you'd press play

Want to rethink where familiar modern design forms may have come from while sharpening your eye for objects with real presence?

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