African Heritage House

Photo by Deidi von Schaewen

Reputed to be the most photographed house in Africa, African Heritage House enchants all who visit it. The prestigious Architectural Digest described it as “an architecture rising from the sere Kenyan plain like an outcropping of earth, a vision of usefulness informed by the African genius for decoration.” Its designer, Alan Donovan, co-founder of the African Heritage Pan African Galleries, got his inspiration for the house from the mud mosques of Mali, the mud castles of southern Morocco, and the coral buildings of East Africa’s coastal strip.

Its wonders don’t stop with the architecture. Adorning every room in the house is a stunning array of African crafts collected by Donovan over a period of thirty years. The furniture and fabrics too are from diverse cultures across Africa, while the colours and patterns on the walls create a dramatic vision of traditional African living. Donovan intends to have the house preserved as a museum on his death.

The house is available for tours, meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the rooftop or by the sparkling pool), conferences/functions, as well as overnight stay in its luxurious rooms, filled with African art and furnishings with modern appointments.

For more information visit the African Heritage House website.