Olkiramatian Chest of Drawers
Handcrafted by Be at home furniture in 005, Mugumu-Ini, Nairobi, Kenya
The Olkiramatian Chest of Drawers is a six-drawer chest of drawers handcrafted in Kenya from board. The proportions are wide and low, which keeps the bulk of the piece below eye level. Each drawer front is cut cleanly and set into the carcass with narrow, even shadow gaps. The work is quiet rather than decorative, and the accuracy of the spacing is the detail that carries it. The chest is made from board with a matte black surface that reads as a single unbroken plane across the front. Six drawers sit in two columns of three. There are no handles; each front is pulled from a recessed lip at its lower edge, so the façade stays flat. The top is framed by a low raised gallery on three sides, and the base steps back into a shallow plinth that lifts the case just clear of the floor. In a bedroom this chest of drawers holds folded clothing and linen, with the top used as a dressing surface for a lamp, a tray or a vase. The dark front sits well against warm plaster walls, pale timber floors and woven rugs, and it reads as a solid anchor under a round mirror or a framed print. It also works in an entrance hall or a dining room as closed storage. Kenyan furniture making has long balanced imported board with locally fabricated joinery, and workshops here build cabinets like this one for everyday domestic use. Buying through Kamara means the piece comes from an independent Kenyan maker rather than a factory line, and the price supports that workshop directly.
Price: KES 21,600
Material: board
Dimensions: L 144cm × W 47cm × H 127cm
Availability: In Stock
Category: furniture