OUR STORY
“My name is Annabelle Kwolek, founder and lead designer here at AK Interiors. We are an interior, furniture, and textile design studio based in Nairobi, with projects across East Africa and the Middle East. We take inspiration for our projects from across the globe, incorporating colour and personality into everything we do”
As a mother of four, an entrepreneur, and a lifelong lover of interiors, I bring both creativity and practicality to every project. I am enthusiastic and deeply passionate about every element of the design process, with experience in all areas, from large scale interior design projects, to the hands on craftsmanship, including block and screen printing my own fabrics, wood work, upholstery and ceramics. We make a huge proportion of the furniture and accessories ourselves, many unique pieces can be found on our website. This is our main focus at AK Interiors, bringing your designs and ideas to life in one off pieces, custom made for each client, and we have a range of our own beautiful products, some are single pieces and some very popular items that sell out almost instantly!
My journey began with a BA (Hons) in Textile Design from Leeds University, and ever since, textiles and colour have been at the heart of everything I create. I am also a keen photographer, and this helps me with some of my projects. My life revolves around my young children, my love for the great outdoors and together with my husband, we do a lot of running, cycling, skiing and tennis. We are also keen travellers, and between us we have travelled a large proportion of the globe, from Arabia, to Thailand, South America to the Caribbean. We have spent a lot of time in the UAE, India, Sri Lanka, Africa and South Africa, and all these adventures have inspired many of my interior projects and furniture designs. Where ever we are in the world, you will find me exploring fabric and interior shops, visiting interesting architectural sites and admiring hotels and art in many shapes, styles and forms. At university, I studied History of Art as a side project, and this has really shaped my knowledge of buildings and form.
My husband is a sugar and commodities trader and he also runs his own company, so together, we inspire each other every day to work hard, but fulfil our dreams of spending as much time as possible as a family, enjoying this beautiful world we live in, and hopefully inspiring our children to work hard, explore, and keep healthy and make the most of our one shot at life.
OUR APPROACH
Through AK Interiors, our mission is simple: to craft interiors and products that embody individuality and character. No matter the size of the project, our goal is always the same — to design places you'll truly love being in. I ensure every design not only looks beautiful, but also works seamlessly within your lifestyle, budget, and timeframe.
I believe our personal touch makes us unique in our field, and we have the ability to work on a range of projects, from vibrant, playful briefs, to more refined or corporate ones. We can take on large scale projects, or smaller one off furniture requests, and we tailor every part of the process to fit our clients' requirements. We have an extremely practical approach, and my goal has always been to balance beauty with functionality. Careful consideration of the intended use of the space and/or product dictates the whole design process, for each individual project, from the type of fabrics used, to the layout and finishing touches.
A thoughtful combination of colour, texture and placement can transform any space, and I truly believe these are the most powerful elements of the design process. These combined, set the mood, tie together every detail, and bring the desired personality into every project. We believe that spaces should be as full of life as the families who live in them, or reflect the professional ethos of the company and the employees within them.