Client: Virgin Limited Editions
Interiors and overall scheme: Real Studios
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Tent design and layout: Jan Allen at Canvas by Design
Opened: September 2013
Strung along a ridge at the edge of Kenya’s Motorogi nature reserve, you can just about make out the low, rounded tents of Mahali Mzuri. They resemble no ordinary safari camp – more like a fleet of voluptuous grey-sailed vessels setting forth across the dusty, scrubby vegetation.
The interiors are filled with the vibrant greens, blues and reds of Kenyan and Tanzanian prints, along with four-poster beds, claw-foot baths and power showers. This is luxury safari camping, Virgin Limited Edition (VLE) style and, from the shape of the dwellings to the sourcing of materials and furniture-makers, design consultancy Real Studios conveys respect for the environment and local crafts and cultures, while delivering a contemporary, distinctive safari living experience.
VLE had found a tent designer, Kenyan Jan Allen at Canvas byDESIGN, before London-based Real Studios was assigned to mastermind the interiors and overall presentation. Allen says he was inspired in the design of the tent by the Ndorobo tribe, who had used this spot north of the Maasai Mara as a lookout point. Says Allen: ‘Traditionally the Ndorobo hunted and would have had no permanent dwellings, using caves or naturally protected areas to sleep and rest in. If needs be they would have used their bows and blanket to help form any shelter.’
Real Studios director Yvonne Golds worked closely with Allen on the details – window and door sizes and positioning, fastenings, stitching and interior colourings – to synchronise the structures with the interiors. She spent months sourcing local materials and craftspeople to work with her on furnishings and fabrics. Fabrics were researched by local textile experts from the markets of Kenya and Tanzania, and used in soft furnishings strategically.
‘I love the way the local tribes layer these really bright prints with simpler stripes and checks, and I wanted to bring that exuberance into the rooms,’ says Golds, ‘but we have contrasted the bolder colours with more subtle, natural shades so that it is never overpowering.’ The overall feel she has achieved is ‘far more like an elegant home than a hotel’, she hopes. ‘The furniture has been inspired by both classic and contemporary designs, and works with the accessories to appear like a collection of pieces that have been lovingly accumulated over time.’
Each of the 12 tented suites has a distinctive colour palette, used in indigenous wood, bamboo and basketwork furniture designed by Golds and made locally.The tents themselves feature a spacious bedroom, living area and luxurious bath and shower room. Private decks are shaded by the overlying arched canopy.
Tents are linked by raised decking walkways that lead to a communal bar/dining area, pool, and a secluded spa tent. The dining table is a glass slab on top of a length of untreated cedar tree trunk, while coffee tables are made from cross-sections of fallen trees.
With magnificent vistas out over the landscape during the day, Golds wanted to ensure that at night, the tents felt welcoming, organic and vibrant. The detailing and manufacture of the steel and fabric structures was a particular challenge. They needed to be secure enough to keep out wild animals, strong enough to withstand being climbed on during assembly (no heavy machinery was to be used in their construction), durable enough to withstand harsh environmental conditions and robust enough to withstand high winds. Allen couldn’t find the expertise in Kenya to meet the steel structural requirements, but then came across Tony Hogg Design (THD), a tensile membrane engineering firm based in the UK, which helped Allen develop the finished structure.
Says Allen: ‘The stone grey was the best colour match to the beautiful rock formations on the site and the river gorge below the camp. The rust-coloured inner tent under the arched canopy structures is made of a fire-retardant, rip-stop fabric.’ The tent interior hues are inspired by tall red-oats grass. He adds: ‘Sustainability was a key consideration in the design of Mahali Mzuri. Minimal concrete was used and all timbers used for decks and doors is a locally harvested, sustainable soft wood.’
The site’s environmental impact was also addressed, with each canopy structure only touching the ground at three points, and all waste water is processed through gravity-fed anaerobic bio-digesters. Though the price tag on a stay here is eye-watering, it’s good to know that such high-quality, thoughtful design and interiors don’t have to ‘cost the earth’.
Words by Veronica Simpson
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