Supermodel and Kenya's tourism ambassador, Naomi Campbell gave an inside view into her exquisite and lavish villa at the Billionaire Resort in Malindi, Kilifi County.
Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the open-ended structure is crowned with a Makuti roof, made from the sun-dried leaves of the coconut palm, in order to give the villa an authentic African look.
Campbell noted that she scoured far and wide to support local craftsmanship as most of her furniture was done by Kenyan artisans.
"A lot of the wood furniture that we have in the house is made in Malindi. In fact, we used to have a workshop at the back of the house," she noted.
She credited the work to a local artist Armando Tanzini whom she lauded for the exquisite designs in the hand-carved wooden doors, ornate lanterns, and artwork depicting giant maps of Africa.
The villa consists of four swimming pools surrounded with coastal trees and bright-looking flowers. Adjacent to the pools is a rock garden consisting of voile-draped tents which serve as the perfect space for family dinners. Campbell noted that the area exudes a natural breeze from the ocean.
The upstairs consists of a gaming and lounging area. The entire room is decorated with African textiles and artifacts. The supermodel noted that her favorite chilling spot is the lounging area as it provides an exquisite view into the poolside pavilions.
A few centimeters from the main house, are separate houses which consist of four rooms each and a kitchenette. According to Campbell, each room is unique based on the artwork and design.
Trickling down to her room, the area exudes an antique feeling with paintings and African designs embellished in the doors, seats and headboards. Kenyan-made furniture rounds out the decor in the room.
Campbell narrated that her first visit to Malindi in the mid 1990s inspired her to view Kenya in a different perspective.
"I remember the first time coming to Kenya and I talked to my friend and supermodel Lauren Hutton before the trip. Hutton told me that she would often come to Kenya to revitalize after working and encouraged me to tour the country and see for myself," the supermodel stated.
Campbell made headlines in Kenya earlier in the year after she was appointed as Magical Kenya's International Tourism ambassador by Tourism CS Najib Balala.
The news was received with mixed reactions online by Kenyans online as some lauded the move while others opined that personalities such as Hollywood star Lupita Nyong'o were more fitted for the role.
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