Interiors Designed for How You Live. Built to Last.
Updated March 2026
BORAQS RegisteredEDGE CertifiedLexus Award 202015+ Years
15+
Years Practice
200+
Projects Delivered
5★
Client Rating
4
Countries Served
🛋️ Residential Interiors
🏢 Commercial Fit-Outs
🏨 Hospitality Design
✨ Luxury & Bespoke
🌍 Diaspora Remote Service
🏆 Lexus Award 2020 Grand Prix
● Updated March 2026 · By Arch. Vincent Abuya · Interior Designer & BORAQS Registered Architect
Aalis Studios provides professional interior design services across Kenya — from luxury residences in Karen and Runda to commercial offices in Westlands, boutique hotels on the coast, and diaspora-client homes managed entirely from the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. We design interiors that work as hard as they look: spatially intelligent, material-rigorous, and built to endure the demands of Kenyan living.
Interior design is not decoration. It is the strategic planning of how a space functions, flows, and performs — day after day, year after year. A well-designed interior improves how you move through your home, how naturally light falls in the morning, how guests experience your hospitality, and how your team performs in your office. At Aalis Studios, every interior project begins with understanding how a space will actually be used.
01 — What Interior Designers Do
What Does an Interior Designer Actually Do?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions before a client engages an interior designer in Kenya. The answer matters — because it determines whether you are paying for decoration or for a professional service that will protect your investment and transform how your space performs.
Space Planning & Layout Optimisation
Before any material or colour is selected, we analyse how a space flows. How you move between rooms, where natural light falls, where storage must be, how traffic patterns work with furniture — these are spatial decisions that determine whether a home feels open and logical or cramped and accidental. Space planning is the foundation of every interior project.
Material, Finishes & Colour Selection
Material selection in Kenya requires local intelligence — understanding what is available, what performs well in Nairobi's dust and UV exposure, what is durable under heavy use, and what can be realistically sourced and installed within your budget. We specify materials that are beautiful, practical, and appropriate for Kenyan conditions.
Lighting Design & Layering
Lighting is the most transformative and most underinvested element in Kenyan interior projects. We design layered lighting systems — ambient, task, accent, and feature lighting — that change how a space reads at different times of day and for different activities. The difference between a well-lit and a poorly lit room is the difference between a space that feels considered and one that feels unfinished.
Custom Joinery & Cabinetry Design
Built-in joinery — kitchens, wardrobes, TV units, bookshelves, bathroom vanities — is where the character of an interior lives. We design custom joinery to exact dimensions, specify hardware and finishes, and coordinate fabrication with trusted local craftsmen and manufacturers who understand design intent.
Furniture Planning & Specification
We specify furniture that is proportioned correctly for each space, durable for the use it will receive, and available within your project's budget and timeline in Kenya. Where bespoke or imported pieces are required, we manage the procurement and coordinate delivery with the fit-out schedule.
3D Interior Visualisation
Before any fit-out begins, we produce photorealistic 3D renders of every key space — your living room, master bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms. You see every material choice, every lighting angle, every furniture arrangement exactly as it will look when built. This eliminates expensive post-construction changes and is essential for diaspora clients approving designs remotely.
Fit-Out Coordination & Site Supervision
We manage the implementation of your interior design — coordinating joiners, painters, tilers, electricians, and plumbers; maintaining quality control on materials and workmanship; and ensuring the design is executed exactly as specified, not modified or compromised by tradespeople cutting corners.
02 — Our Services
Interior Design Services in Kenya
Our interior design practice covers five specialist areas. Each is delivered with the same commitment to spatial intelligence, material rigour, and execution discipline.
01
Residential Interior Design
Homes that support how you actually live. From luxury villas and penthouses to family maisonettes and apartments — designed for comfort, durability, and lasting visual quality.
For clients where design excellence is the priority — imported materials, custom-built furniture, architectural lighting systems, and interiors that reflect personal vision rather than trend.
Offices, co-working spaces, retail environments, and institutional interiors. Design that improves how teams work, how brands communicate, and how clients experience your business.
Guest experience defined by design. Hotel lobbies, guest rooms, restaurants, bars, and resort common areas — balancing atmosphere, operational efficiency, and material durability.
Left: Living room interior design with direct garden views — natural materials, considered lighting, and spatial continuity between indoor and outdoor. Right: High-end kitchen with marble island, custom cabinetry, and integrated appliances.
03 — Residential Interiors
Residential Interior Design in Kenya
Home is the most personal design project a client can undertake. Residential interior design at Aalis Studios starts not with mood boards but with a deep conversation about how you live — how your mornings unfold, where your family gathers, what you want to feel when you walk through your front door.
Luxury Villas & Family Homes
Full-home interior design for standalone residences in Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Lavington, and Kiambu. We design every room as part of a coherent whole — not as isolated projects. Material palettes, lighting schemes, joinery systems, and furniture selections are developed to work together across the entire house.
Apartments & Penthouses
Apartment interior design in Kenya demands efficiency — maximising space, light, and storage in constrained footprints. We design built-in solutions that make every square metre work, with a spatial quality that feels generous rather than compromised. Penthouse projects offer more opportunity for statement elements.
Kitchens — The Heart of the Home
The kitchen is the most technically complex room in any home. We design kitchens that are spatially efficient, beautifully detailed, and built for the intensity of Kenyan family life — durable materials, practical storage, and cooking workflows that reduce friction rather than create it.
Master Bedrooms & Ensuite Bathrooms
The master suite is where the most private moments of daily life unfold. We design master bedrooms and bathrooms that feel calm, considered, and deeply personal — precise lighting for dressing and bathing, wardrobes designed around actual clothing collections, and material choices that age gracefully.
Master bathroom interior design — freestanding marble bath, natural stone surfaces, and architectural lighting that transitions from energising morning light to calm evening ambience.
Our residential interior projects integrate seamlessly with our architectural design services — meaning that if you are building a new home, your interior design is coordinated with the architecture from the very first drawing. Joinery depths are planned into wall thicknesses, lighting positions are embedded in structural slabs, and material transitions are resolved at the construction stage rather than retrofitted later.
Building a New Home?
Integrated Architecture & Interior Design — One Team, One Vision
When architecture and interior design are designed together from the start, the result is a fundamentally better home. Joinery, lighting, and material choices are coordinated at the structural stage — not retrofitted. Ask about our integrated Design+Build packages.
Luxury interior design is not about price — it is about intention. A luxury interior is one where every element has been chosen with purpose: the proportion of a door frame, the weight of a handle, the way a light fixture casts shadow on a textured wall at 7pm. At Aalis Studios, we deliver luxury through design intelligence, not through the volume of imported materials.
"A luxury interior should feel inevitable — as if nothing could be different, as if the space has always existed exactly as it is. That feeling is the result of hundreds of small, correct decisions made by people who understand why they matter." — Arch. Vincent Abuya
Bespoke Furniture & Custom Joinery
We design furniture and joinery pieces built for each specific project — dimensioned for the room, specified for the use, and fabricated with local craftsmen who understand quality. Bespoke pieces are not a luxury add-on. In a precisely designed space, off-the-shelf furniture rarely fits correctly in dimension, proportion, or character.
Imported Materials & Specialist Finishes
For clients seeking materials not available in the Kenyan market — Italian natural stone, European wide-plank timber, specialist plaster finishes, or precision metalwork — we manage the full sourcing, import, and installation coordination. We work with established freight and customs partners to remove the logistical burden from clients.
Architectural Lighting Design
Lighting in a luxury interior is a fully engineered system — wash lighting on stone feature walls, precision cove lighting that eliminates visible sources, table lamp placement that creates warmth at eye level, and smart control systems that adjust scenes for dining, entertaining, and relaxing. We specify every luminaire, beam angle, and colour temperature.
Our luxury residential work is concentrated in Nairobi's premium neighbourhoods — Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Lavington, Westlands, Kilimani, and Spring Valley — where discerning clients expect the highest design standards and where the scale of homes allows for the full expression of interior design ambition.
Left: Bespoke dining room with statement chandelier and direct ocean views — materials selected for their relationship with coastal light. Right: Master ensuite with city skyline view, custom vanity, and architectural lighting layers.
05 — Commercial Interiors
Commercial Interior Design in Kenya
Commercial interiors must earn their return. A well-designed office improves employee performance, reduces absenteeism, and communicates brand values to every person who walks through the door. A well-designed retail environment increases dwell time and conversion. The ROI of commercial interior design in Kenya is measurable — and Aalis Studios designs with that in mind.
Corporate Offices & Headquarters
We design offices that balance the functional demands of daily work with the brand aspirations of the organisation — whether that is a formal headquarters projecting institutional authority, a dynamic creative studio, or a hybrid workplace supporting flexible and remote-friendly teams. Every office project begins with a workflow analysis before a single furniture item is specified.
Retail & Showroom Design
Retail interior design in Kenya is about controlling the customer journey — from the window display that attracts, to the circulation path that exposes product, to the transaction point that closes the sale. We design retail environments that convert browsers into buyers and give brands a physical presence that digital cannot replicate.
Co-Working & Flexible Spaces
Co-working spaces in Kenya are growing rapidly. We design flexible work environments that attract and retain members — varied settings for focused work, collaboration, and social connection, with material durability that withstands high occupancy use over multiple years.
Healthcare & Institutional Interiors
Clinics, schools, and institutional spaces require interiors that are functional, durable, and psychologically appropriate for their users. We apply the same design rigour to healthcare environments that we bring to luxury residential projects — because the design of a waiting room, a consulting suite, or a classroom has a genuine impact on the people who use it.
06 — Office Design
Office Interior Design Kenya
Office design in Kenya is undergoing a fundamental shift. The hybrid work model has changed what offices are for — they are no longer just places to work; they are places that give people a reason to choose work over home. A well-designed office in Nairobi must justify the commute.
Activity-Based Work Settings
We design offices with varied settings — focus zones for deep work, collaboration areas for team discussion, informal areas for casual connection, and quiet rooms for calls and confidential conversations. This activity-based approach is more efficient than uniform desking and more supportive of how modern teams actually work.
Acoustic Design
Acoustic discomfort is the most common complaint in Kenyan offices — and the most overlooked in design. We specify acoustic ceiling panels, wall absorbers, glazed partitions, and soft furnishing selections that control sound propagation without making spaces feel dead or institutional.
Brand Expression Through Space
Your office is your most credible brand asset — it is the physical embodiment of your organisation's values, ambition, and culture. We translate brand identities into spatial language: colour, material, scale, texture, and light — creating environments where the brand is experienced, not just displayed.
Office Fit-Out Kenya
Design-to-Delivery Office Interior Service
From space planning and concept design through to full fit-out supervision — one accountable team, clear timeline, and weekly progress reports. Office fit-outs completed on schedule and to specification.
Hospitality interior design is a specialist discipline — it must create memorable guest experiences while surviving the punishment of continuous commercial use, meeting the operational demands of hotel management, and remaining relevant for the 10–15 year lifecycle of a hospitality project. Aalis Studios brings all three of these demands into balance.
Hotel Lobbies & Reception Design
The lobby is the first and last impression. We design hotel arrivals that establish the property's character immediately — ceiling height, material palette, lighting drama, and the relationship between the desk and the arrival sequence. Every element is considered for both its visual impact and its operational function.
Guest Rooms & Suite Design
A great hotel room feels effortless — everything is in the right place, the lighting is always flattering, and the materials age gracefully with use. We design guest rooms with FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) packages that balance aesthetic quality with commercial durability and ease of housekeeping.
Restaurant & Bar Interior Design
Food and beverage spaces live or die by their atmosphere. We design restaurants, bars, and lounges where the lighting, sound, material warmth, and spatial intimacy work together to make guests want to stay. These are technically complex environments — kitchen adjacency, acoustic management, operational circulation — and we design them with full awareness of what happens when 80 people are simultaneously eating and talking.
08 — Fit-Out Services
Interior Fit-Out Services Kenya
Many interior design projects in Kenya fail not at the design stage but at the execution stage. A beautiful interior concept is only as good as the contractor who builds it, the materials that are actually delivered, and the supervision that ensures the work is done correctly. Aalis Studios offers full interior fit-out management — so the design you approved is the home or office you receive.
Detailed Interior Drawings
We produce full construction-level interior drawings for every element that will be built — joinery elevations, section details, tiling layouts, lighting positions, electrical and plumbing rough-in plans. These drawings give contractors zero ambiguity about what to build, reducing costly on-site decisions and post-installation corrections.
Contractor Coordination & Procurement
We coordinate all trades involved in an interior fit-out — joiners, painters, tilers, electricians, plumbers, upholsterers, and curtain makers — under a single project programme. We source materials through established supplier relationships, ensuring specification compliance and competitive pricing.
Quality Control & Site Supervision
Our site supervision ensures that every element is installed as designed — joinery dimensions are correct, tile patterns are centred, paint finishes are consistent, and lighting is aimed correctly. We conduct milestone inspections and snag reviews before each stage is signed off. You pay for quality once, not twice.
ℹ
For diaspora clients, our fit-out management service includes weekly photo and video site reports, virtual walkthroughs at key milestones, and milestone-based payment management — so you maintain full visibility and control from anywhere in the world. Learn more about our diaspora service →
09 — Our Design Process
The Interior Design Process at Aalis Studios
Our interior design process is built around client clarity — at every stage, you know exactly what has been decided, what comes next, and what it will cost. There are no surprises in a well-managed interior project.
Stage 01
Consultation & Brief
Week 1
We meet to understand your space, how you use it, your aesthetic direction, and your budget. We review architectural drawings or visit the site. We define project scope and agree deliverables before any design work begins.
Stage 02
Concept Development
Week 1–3
We develop spatial layouts, material palettes, lighting concepts, and 3D moodboards for your approval. You see the design direction clearly before we invest in detailed development. We refine until you are fully aligned with the concept.
Stage 03
Design Development
Week 2–5
The approved concept is developed into full detailed drawings — furniture plans, joinery elevations, lighting schedules, material specifications, and photorealistic 3D renders of all key spaces. You approve every detail before construction begins.
Stage 04
Fit-Out Coordination
Week 4–8
We brief contractors, obtain quotations, confirm programme, and procure materials and furniture. A detailed fit-out schedule is prepared showing every trade and milestone. Payments are milestone-based — you pay for completed, approved work.
Stage 05
Site Supervision
Duration of Fit-Out
We supervise the fit-out on site — or remotely via weekly reports for diaspora clients. Quality is checked at every milestone. Defects are corrected before the next stage proceeds. Nothing is signed off that does not meet specification.
Stage 06
Completion & Handover
Final Stage
A full snagging review identifies any outstanding items before handover. Final styling, accessory placement, and photography are conducted. You receive a complete project file with all specifications, warranties, and maintenance guidance.
10 — Interior Design Costs
Interior Design Costs in Kenya 2026
Interior design costs in Kenya vary significantly based on project scope, finish level, and whether the service covers design only or design plus full fit-out management. The table below gives indicative fee ranges based on current 2026 market rates in Nairobi.
ℹ
These are indicative ranges only. Actual fees depend on project complexity, size, and scope. Aalis Studios provides a transparent, itemised proposal based on your specific project before any commitment is made. Request a project quote →
Service
Indicative Fee
What's Included
Single Room Concept Design
KES 50,000 – 120,000
Space plan, material palette, 3D render, furniture specification.
Full Residential Interior Design (Design Only)
KES 200,000 – 600,000
All rooms, full concept, 3D renders, detailed drawings, specifications.
Full concept, FF&E specification, fit-out management.
These figures exclude furniture, materials, contractor costs, and applicable taxes. The design fee covers the professional service of designing, specifying, and managing — not the physical items themselves. A transparent project budget covering both professional fees and estimated procurement costs is provided at the start of every engagement.
11 — Diaspora Clients
Interior Design for Diaspora Clients in Kenya
Designing and furnishing a home in Kenya from abroad is one of the most common and most challenging interior design scenarios we handle. Distance makes decisions harder, creates opportunities for contractors to cut corners, and removes the natural quality-control that physical presence provides. We eliminate these risks through a structured remote design and supervision process.
Remote Design via Video & 3D
Every design decision — material selections, furniture layouts, joinery details, lighting positions — is presented in photorealistic 3D renders before any commitment is made. You approve your interior visually, from wherever you are in the world, with as much clarity as if you were standing in the finished room. Video consultations replace site visits; shared design platforms replace paper drawings.
Weekly Site Reports During Fit-Out
During the fit-out stage, we provide weekly photo and video reports showing exactly what has been completed, what is in progress, and what is upcoming. Virtual walk-throughs at key milestones let you inspect every room before the next stage begins. You are never uninformed and never surprised.
Milestone-Based Payment Management
We manage contractor and supplier payments on a milestone basis — money is released only when work has been completed to specification and approved by our supervision team. This protects your funds against the advance-payment risks that are common in the Kenyan construction and fit-out market.
Designing from Abroad
Full Remote Interior Design & Fit-Out Management
Design, specify, approve, and receive your completed home from the UK, USA, Canada, or Australia — without a single flight to Kenya. Our remote service is specifically designed for diaspora clients who want design quality and execution confidence, not anxiety.
"Aalis Studios transformed our Karen home into something truly exceptional. The material selection, the lighting layers, the way every room connects — it feels like a completely different house. The 3D visualisation meant we could see and approve everything before a single piece was installed. No surprises, no regrets."
Amina & David K.
Karen, Nairobi · Full Residential Interior Design
★★★★★
"We hired Aalis Studios for our new Westlands office. They understood exactly what we needed — a space that projects professionalism to clients while genuinely supporting how our team works. Delivered on time, within budget, and the fit-out supervision was spotless. Our team loves coming to work now."
"Designing our home from the USA could have been a nightmare. Aalis Studios made it seamless — remote consultations, 3D walkthroughs of every room, weekly progress updates during the fit-out. The result exceeded everything we imagined. Worth every shilling. I tell every diaspora friend to call them first."
James O.
USA · Diaspora Interior Design, Nairobi
Our Credentials
Design Expertise & Professional Credentials
🏛️
BORAQS Registered
All architectural and interior documentation produced by a BORAQS-registered principal architect.
🌿
EDGE Certified
IFC EDGE green building certified. Sustainable material and energy strategies integrated in all projects.
🏆
Lexus Award 2020
Lexus Design Award 2020 Grand Prix — international recognition of design excellence and innovation.
📐
AAK Member
Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya. 15+ years of professional practice.
Arch. Vincent Abuya is the founder and principal designer of Aalis Studios. His unique background as both a BORAQS-registered architect and interior designer means every interior project he leads is designed with structural accuracy, spatial intelligence, and design ambition working together. He holds EDGE green building certification from the IFC, is a member of the Architectural Association of Kenya, and is a Lexus Design Award 2020 Grand Prix winner. He has led over 200 residential, commercial, and hospitality design projects across Kenya and internationally.
13 — Areas We Serve
Interior Design Services Across Kenya
Our interior design practice serves clients across Kenya and internationally. Every project is designed with genuine awareness of the local environment, material market, and construction traditions of its specific location.
Karen & Langata
Nairobi's premier luxury residential area. Large-format villas, garden homes, and equestrian estates requiring full-service interior design at the highest level.
Runda, Muthaiga & Spring Valley
Established high-end residential estates. Clients typically seek refined, timeless interiors that age gracefully and reflect professional achievement.
Westlands, Kilimani & Lavington
Contemporary residential apartments, penthouses, and townhouses alongside commercial office and retail fit-outs in Nairobi's most active business district.
Kiambu, Thika & Satellite Towns
Growing residential developments outside Nairobi. Family homes and investment properties where functional quality and cost discipline are equally important.
Mombasa & Coast
Coastal residential and hospitality projects. Climate-specific material choices — corrosion resistance, humidity management, and the particular quality of coastal light.
Diaspora — Fully Remote
Complete remote interior design and fit-out management for clients in UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. 3D approval, weekly reports, milestone payments — no flights required.
14 — FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Interior Design in Kenya
What interior design services are available in Kenya? +
Interior design services in Kenya include residential interior design, luxury and bespoke interiors, commercial office design, retail and showroom design, hotel and hospitality interior design, space planning, 3D visualisation, custom joinery design, furniture specification, and full interior fit-out management. Aalis Studios provides all of these services from their Nairobi studio, working on projects across Kenya and remotely for diaspora clients worldwide.
How much does interior design cost in Kenya in 2026? +
Interior design fees in Kenya range from KES 50,000 for a single-room concept to KES 600,000+ for full residential design-only packages. Full design and fit-out management for a luxury villa ranges from KES 3M to KES 8M+, excluding materials and furniture. Commercial office design starts from KES 150,000 for design only. Aalis Studios provides itemised, transparent proposals based on your specific project scope before any commitment is required.
What is the difference between interior design and interior decoration? +
Interior design is a professional discipline covering space planning, structural considerations, lighting design, material specifications, technical drawings, contractor coordination, and full fit-out supervision. Interior decoration focuses primarily on furnishings, colours, and accessories without structural involvement. A qualified interior designer produces drawings that contractors build from; a decorator advises on what to buy. At Aalis Studios, our background as BORAQS-registered architects means our interior design integrates structural and spatial intelligence that decorators cannot provide.
How long does an interior design project take in Kenya? +
Design timelines vary by scope: a single-room concept takes 1–2 weeks; a full residential interior concept takes 3–6 weeks; a full fit-out takes 2–6 months depending on size. A typical family home full interior (design + fit-out) takes 4–6 months from first consultation to handover. Aalis Studios provides a detailed project timeline at the start of every engagement so you can plan around it.
Can you design interiors without also designing the architecture? +
Yes — interior-only projects are very welcome at Aalis Studios. We work on existing homes, offices, and hospitality spaces that have already been built, as well as new constructions designed by other architects. We are equally experienced at working within existing structural constraints and at designing interiors from scratch alongside our own architectural projects.
Can Aalis Studios design interiors for diaspora clients abroad? +
Yes — diaspora interior design is one of our most active service areas. We work with Kenyan clients in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia through a structured remote process: video consultation for briefing, 3D renders for design approval, and weekly photo/video reports during fit-out. Milestone-based payment management protects your funds throughout. You receive a completed, quality-supervised interior without travelling to Kenya.
Do you source and supply furniture in Kenya? +
Yes. We assist with full furniture specification, sourcing, and procurement coordination — whether from Nairobi's local market, regional suppliers, or imported pieces. We have established relationships with furniture manufacturers and suppliers that allow us to source quality pieces at competitive prices and manage delivery and installation within the fit-out schedule. We do not mark up furniture as a primary revenue source; our furniture service is part of integrated project management.
Which areas in Nairobi does Aalis Studios serve for interior design? +
Aalis Studios provides interior design services across all Nairobi neighbourhoods including Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Lavington, Westlands, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Parklands, Riverside, Spring Valley, Syokimau, Athi River, Kiambu, and Thika. The firm also works in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, and other major Kenyan cities, as well as fully remotely for diaspora clients worldwide.
Professional Interior Design · Kenya · Diaspora-Ready
Begin Your Interior Design Project.
Whether you are transforming a family home, fitting out a luxury villa, designing a high-performance office, or managing a hospitality interior — Aalis Studios delivers professional interior design from concept through to completed, quality-supervised fit-out.
