Beauty is to behold at Tigoni Riara Ridge, about 40 minutes from Nairobi. Time unfolds slower. The fresh air, the rolling lawns of tea farms, ever-changing landscapes with beautiful blue skies.
The joyful, intelligent and imaginative Mercy Kyallo decided to live in the middle of tea farms.
This lifestyle is transformative, allows one to incubate ideas, and realises that without distraction, it takes a strong-willed person to survive being far away, and one can live wherever they want.
Mercy, CEO of Yallo Leathers, refers to her home as A Da Lolce La Vita. It is a five- bedroomed house. Each room has character and personality. The windows bring in fresh air and light. A Da Lolce La Vita is an oasis of calm and escape from city chaos.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love the city, and I love to party. This is where I regenerate myself, recharge, and tap into my creativity,” she quipped.
With a military dad, Mercy and her siblings are resilient.
The home’s architecture is colonial style, with expansive church clear stained windows. Some of the homes in her neighbourhood were built in the 1930s, but her cottage was built in the 1980s.
Her living room décor style is eclectic, with a green sink-in a velvet seat, a gift from her carpenter for giving him business. Each piece in her home has an incredible story.
Her dining table is rustic, unfinished and long enough to host a couple of friends and family. She bought it on Ngong Road, Nairobi.
“I enjoy dining with my family and friends, I once had a party, and one of the three light fixtures broke. Luckily, it’s the middle one. It now looks like a design,” she says.
Her mum handed down a red bench in the dining room. The massive mirror on one of the dining room walls creates an illusion of another room and space.
Mercy also has huge pots as she is intrigued by the ancient Egyptian and African cultures. Her pots represent African heritage, and her house represents this part of the heritage and a sense of history.
Her curtains reflect the garden outside and everything in the house.
Her table is a rustic trunk with a fantastic design. The glass on top broke, though. Her friend Mungai gifted her the gorgeous mid-century light fixture and accidentally broke the table while fixing the lighting.
Another dry, rustic tree trunk at one of her corners in the living room was a beauty.
The beautiful display of vibrant flowers around her home gave a touch of magic from the vibrant scents.
Great art pieces on her walls were exquisite, meaningful and pretty stunning. The fireplace gave her home a warm and cosy look and feel. Her carpets are quant, stylish, handmade, and in harmony with the items in her cottage. She buys them from a lady in Kariobangi.
She says of a painting in three shades: “The painting represents voices inside you at any particular time. The other painting of a zebra being chased by a lion represents the vulnerability of life and nature; at any point, each of us is vulnerable, and something is always ready to take advantage of our vulnerability.”
Mercy’s creativity shows in how she displays art, furniture and the treasures she collects in her home. She used translucent iron sheets to cover the terrace. This allows her to enjoy the outdoors regardless of the weather, especially magical sunrises and sunsets.
The terrace in her cottage gives a rustic and authentic feel, with canvas chairs, sculptures, rustic tables and little Knick knacks. Outdoor light fixtures are perfect for the outdoors.
The master bedroom has flowery wallpaper. She refers to it as Kings Keep, like Kings of Thrones. It’s spacious, with a humongous handmade rustic bed and cosy flowery beddings that make it appealing and welcoming.
Pendants with warm bulb lighting, and huge windows, that mirror a pot plant give the space a fresh look and feel. This is a gorgeous room fit for a king.
The ensuite bathroom is themed Moroccan, mustard-coloured tiles and walls. Brass taps feel like an escape to a far-flung place.
The rest of the rooms’ lighting is superb. The handmade beds are superiorly fantastic and luxurious.
The choice of colours in these rooms are vibrant, inviting and warm. One can enjoy the garden from some of the rooms’ views as the palm leaves brush against each other.
Da Dolce Vita is also an Airbnb, renting for Ksh 40,000 a night. That said and done. Mercy’s now moving into the city, beginning a new chapter.
– Watch this episode on KTN Home YouTube
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