Cool new face of luxury living

A walk through some of the new properties in Kenya feels like you are in Madrid or Venice.

From homes that offer urban luxury to those that evoke the feeling of living in an hacienda, architects are pushing the design envelope to cater for the sophisticated rich.

The furnishings are exquisite, the swimming pools atop the roof are dreamy, the woody ceilings are very high, the floors are marble-cladded and the homes are in soothing locations.

Developers are using leading global architects to create elegant homes with the quality of fittings and level of service you would find in the West.

Ronald Ndegwa, the owner and developer of Swiss International Resort Mount Kenya located in Naro Moru, for instance, says he opted for local and international architects and interior designers.

‘‘UDesign Architects and the legendary John Henry from UK are the architects. We wanted the best resort design. We also have local and international interior designers, U-Design and Interior Consult from Netherlands,’’ he says.

In the homes, the interior decor is modern yet rustic and the terrazzo finish blends in well with the green of the forest.

As much as the wealthy crave privacy, the Swiss International homes have no fences or gates, yet it gives the residents and feeling of abundance on the expansive 130 acre-property.

Soothing location

Naro Moru is among the newest gold rush towns for wealthy home buyers with Nanyuki coming top.

Some buyers and renters tend to cluster for ‘Manhattan style’ houses with valet-parking, penthouses with roof decks but most homes in holiday and retirement destinations such in Diani, Naro Moru, Nanyuki, Naivasha and North Runda are subtle yet classy.

For instance, the Swiss International resort homes do not have golden taps and smart solutions like retracting TV screens that come with most high-end properties. It does not have voice-controlled appliances that can be linked to an iPhone either.

The appeal is the soothing location. Mr Ndegwa says the villas sit within a wildlife conservancy, a golf course, birds haven and with excellent views of Mt Kenya and Aberdare Ranges.

‘‘From your home, you can climb Mt Kenya, visit Ol Pejeta, Lewa, Aberdares, Samburu National Park among others,’’ he says.

Golf course

You can easily doze off outside your villa, breathing in champagne-clear mountain air as Dik-dik, zebra and antelopes feed out of the palm of your hand. 

The villas ranging from Sh27.5 million to Sh36.5 million are scattered across a natural forest and interrupted by a nine-hole golf course. It is a sight to behold. I say interrupted by a golf course because I am not a golfer, but golfers can be blown away.

The number of such developments with nature trails, golf courses and horse riding and cycling tracks are increasing. In this young luxury property market, is there a sustainable demand?

Mr Ndegwa says there is ‘‘especially for those with a differentiated or unique product.’’

Live, work and play is another concept that is picking up fast in Kenya. Developments such as Vipingo Ridge, Migaa and Chandaria have clubhouses, restaurants, offices tennis and splash courts.

For instance, the Naro Moru leisure resort development will have a baby centre, five restaurants and a 180-hotel room managed by an international brand.

It is located near the Nanyuki airstrip and a helipad makes it easy for people to fly for meetings and back to the city.