Appreciating African Design With The Three Women Who Shaped Africa’s Visual Landscape

Rwanda’s Bisate Lodge was created by Caline, inspired from the country and culture of Rwanda. She says, “When I design lodges, I want to go to the country and pick up all about the country, the culture, the artworks. For this one, we based this project on the King’s Palace. We used a lot of the weave work in Rwanda incorporated it in the design.”

In Rwanda, Caline says there’s little to no plastic. They’re very much into recycling, that’s why she used this philosophy when she created the interiors for the Bisate Lodge. Handmade bricks were used in the walls, and recycled glass bottles were used for the chandeliers.

Caline recalls that when you drive around the village of Rwanda, you’ll see the goats at the side of the roads and the ladies with their beautiful dresses. This experience was what she wanted to communicate in this room, so she used goat skins and sheep skins to cover the chairs.

Local materials and sensibilities again translate in this area of the lodge. The woven rope design in the middle of the room was from the King’s Palace, and the pop of green colors that come out strong was to evoke the safari feel.

In Rwanda, they have a pattern that they use everywhere in their décor called the imigongo. This has found its way into Caline’s design inside the lodge.

This is a large camp that Caline designed inside a National Reserve in Rwanda. The camp overlooks the beautiful lake and is surrounded by lush greenery.

“I’m very passionate about Rwanda. I find tons of elements that I fall in love with and they end up in my décor,” says Caline. And again, the Rwanda patterns make an appearance behind the counter in this bar.

The pops of pink in this area was inspired from the hippos that roamed around the property. This resonates with Caline’s ethos in her design process, which is to find what’s interesting about the place or the area and incorporate it in her project.

For Liz, it’s all about bringing together the pieces that she falls in love with, and sharing that with her guests. This area of the Royal Malewane, for example, is a collection of pieces she bought from all over the world.

This space is dotted with hammocks and woven material, with the inside blending in with the outside space. This communicates the safari experience.

For Liz, luxury is space and comfort so her lodges are built to provide these. It’s also another space that is a testament to her collector nature, since the bed came all the way from Sri Lanka, from one of her trips.

Liz shares good-naturedly that they decided to add this Olympic size pool and spa area in the property so their guests can exercise because they’ve become so comfortable that “all they do is sit around and eat.”

A 12-minute drive from the Royal Malewane property is The Farmstead, which is basically a farmhouse with three separate units, and a detached house with four bedrooms.

Unlike the Royal Malewane, which is very true to Safari design, the Farmhouse is much more casual and relaxed, mixing the modern, the old, and the quirky. Liz loves colors, which she makes sure she incorporates in her designs.

This is another swimming pool area that goes out into the bush. Liz says they did this deliberately since the bush is great to visit anytime of the year.

One of the most important things that Liz prioritizes in all her properties is protecting and taking care of her guests and her staff. She says that they have a lot of returning guests in the properties, which mean that they enjoy the service and the ambiance; and that the staff have also become part of her family.

Debra emphasizes that African bush houses need to feel like home, and that’s the kind of design perspective that goes into their projects. It’s a home away from home for many of their guests so they try to keep it simple, but beautiful.

Properties in the bush are fortunate to have great outdoors and views: and these are the things that Debra incorporate and highlight in their design.

To get that homey feel, they would layer textures and fabrics, just like how old houses do it. Even the ceiling is covered with local patterns to make it melt into the entire area.

Patterns and textures again dominate this area, with local baskets and weaves added in as accents.

Copper is a prominent material and finish that’s perfect for Zimbabwe and Zambia. This was utilized in the bath tub of this open-air bathroom.

The swimming pool area is much more contemporary in nature. The all-white fixtures and furniture were intentional so the Safari environment and lush trees stand out even more.

Debra says that upcycling and using repurposed furniture are things they also incorporate in their design. This dining area, for example, was made from repurposed wood that came from non-functional railways across Africa.

This veranda lends a perfect ending salvo: a marriage of contemporary design, local African elements and materials, and the beautiful view of the natural elements that the bush provides.