Njinga Room

Luiz Franco

Architect makes her debut at CASACOR São Paulo 2024 with a baby's room in homage to the queen of Angola, Njinga

• Architects

Inspired by this year's theme, “De presente, o agora”, and her own roots, Kesley Santiago creates a children's space to reflect the essence and beauty of the African continent, avoiding a stereotyped representation of the region

Kesley Santiago, a newcomer to CASACOR São Paulo 2024, brings a new perspective to architecture and interior design. Her participation corroborates her technical competence and innovative vision to create a contemporary baby's room inspired by African royalty.

At the head of the Artek Design architecture office, Kesley is presenting a 25 m² baby room at CASACOR with a theme influenced by African royalty. Inspired by this year's theme, “De presente, o agora”, and her own roots - discovered through a DNA test carried out in the United States in 2020, which revealed her descent from the Mbundu people, one of Angola's main ethnic groups - the architect created not only a charming environment, but also shed light on her ancestral origins based on nobility.

Named Njinga, the space is a tribute to the leader of the Mbundu people and queen of Ndongo and Matamba, who resisted European occupation and the enslavement of her people for four decades. For this reason, the room is full of textures and symbolic elements that refer to the cultural diversity and richness of the central African region.

Every element, from the prints to the natural features, has been chosen to reflect the essence and beauty of the Mbundu people, avoiding stereotypes or commonplaces referring to the continent. In addition, the richness of history is emphasized at all times in a welcoming environment created for the comfort of baby and mother.

In the project, the room's materialities are represented through wood, sisal, iron and straw - important elements in the history of the Mbundu people.

“I bring all this historical richness into the design of the baby's room. Elements such as wood, used in the construction of houses; iron, which was a spiritual and political insignia of strength, sustenance and lineage; the geography of the savannah which, as well as providing sustenance through agriculture, was the scene of struggles between the natives and the Portuguese; the hydrography, which favored and made it possible for the natives to flee; the mineral resources present in Angola, which are 36 of the 51 most sought-after in the world, including gold, represented in details of the furniture; the graphics of the fabrics; and the materiality of wicker, sisal and straw,” says the architect.

Kesley designed not only the space, but also the furniture, wallpapers and trousseaus, in partnership with Muskinha, a reference label in children's furniture. After the premiere of the CASACOR São Paulo show, the architect and the brand will launch the Muskinha by Kesley Santiago collection, with some of the products produced for the baby's room inspired by African royalty.

In the space, Uniflex Gabriel produces the curtains and carpet, Coral is used to paint the entire room, LG is responsible for the air conditioning and air purifier.

Duratex contributes the MDF, Portinari the porcelain flooring, Hex Solutions the security, sound and automation, Traço Marcenaria does all the carpentry work and Lotito Engenharia the civil work.

In the space, there is also a pendant lamp made in partnership with Iluminoo, the Africa lamp, which refers to the natural resources of the territory of the Ndongo kingdom. Clay pieces, rugs and an armchair - which creates the aesthetic of a peacock with its wings spread - will also be present in the space.

To adorn the space, Atec Original Design is the protagonist with the toys, Santa Carambola with the plush toys, Altero Casa with the handles, Miló with the ceramics, Unquê with the embroidery and watercolors, Ipel Iluminação with the lighting and Priscilla Bruno with the landscaping project.

In addition to them, Lígia Simões, an olfactory consultant at LS Consultoria Olfativa, produces a fragrance for the space, Casa Ática also provides the vases and ceramics, Donatelli provides the upholstery and Pachamama carries out the Natureza Positiva certification.