Ndarugo Shelf
Handcrafted by Ochich furniture in 005, Karen, Nairobi, Kenya
The Ndarugo Shelf is an open shelving unit handcrafted in Kenya from cyprus. The frame is built as a standing ladder of four horizontal tiers, with the side panels filled in by narrow vertical slats and a crossed lattice motif set into each bay. The proportions are upright and narrow, so the piece reads as light rather than solid. Cyprus timber forms the posts, tiers and slats, and the whole structure carries a smooth white painted surface that keeps the joinery lines crisp. Each tier is a flat, uninterrupted platform with a slim front edge, and the open back and sides let air and light pass straight through. Seen up close, the paint sits close to the wood so the flat planes stay matte and even. This shelf suits a living room corner beside a desk, a hallway, a bedroom or a home office. The upper tiers hold books upright, a bowl or a trailing plant, while the lower tiers take woven baskets, folded throws and the things you would rather keep out of sight. Placed near a window, the slatted sides throw a soft striped shadow across the wall. Open shelving of this kind is made in small Kenyan workshops where cyprus is a familiar, workable timber and where a maker still cuts and fits each slat by hand. Buying through Kamara connects you directly to that workshop tradition. Small irregularities in line and surface are part of how the piece was made, not a flaw in it.
Price: KES 8,400
Material: cyprus
Dimensions: L 61cm × W 30cm × H 121cm
Availability: In Stock
Category: furniture