Peter Browne takes us through the history of luxury private house Arijiju and its owner, who remains nameless, in Is this the most beautiful house in Africa?
Having grown up in central Nigeria to chemistry teacher mother and lawyer father, who met in London, Arijiju’s owner tells us about his idyllic childhood running around chasing guinea fowl. ‘All I wanted to be was a game ranger.’ In actual fact, fate would have it that he end up at Yale and then Harvard Law School followed by a job at McKinsey and Company as a management consultant before being sent to Jo’berg to head up the strategy for the company. ‘The posting’, Browne explains, ‘re-ignited his love for Africa.’
We’re told that Arijiju itself is a labour of love and a thing of beauty. The exterior of the property is hidden as much as possible and draws inspiration from Ethiopia’s rock churches. The inside follows the ‘smart but relaxed’ approach of North Island Lodge in the Seychelles. Since Arijiju’s owner has roots in both Europe and Africa, the architect explains to us that ‘it felt right to fuse the finesse of Europe with the rusticity of Africa.’
To find out more about Arijiju have a read of Browne’s story or to plan a holiday to Northern Kenya please do get in touch with one of our destination specialists, who would be happy to help.