Throughout the course of her extraordinary 35-year career, supermodel and new mother Naomi Campbell has shattered barriers, stormed catwalks, and graced countless magazine covers. Despite having a busy schedule, she is driven by her job and it still brings her joy.
However, even icons need downtime. And when it’s time to truly unplug, Campbell heads to her villa in Malindi, a tranquil coastal village in Kenya. She has spent more than 20 years using her gorgeous house, which views out over the Indian Ocean, as her primary getaway from the busy pace of her adopted New York City and her native London. It is the epitome of indoor-outdoor life.
The roomy space, which is adorned with warm earth tones and natural light, pays homage to casual opulence. According to her, “It’s a very calming place.” Really, you should avoid conversing on the phone. You’re not trying to find a TV, are you? You only want to unwind by reading. The sound of crickets and the total silence are relaxing.
Head to the saltwater pool that extends outside from the center of her living room for a quick morning dip. When the model is entertaining, family-style dinners go perfectly under twin voile-curtained pergolas.
Campbell is especially inspired by the makuti thatched roof and towering cathedral ceilings made of sun-dried coconut palm leaves. She claims that for thousands of years, makuti roofs, which are hand-sewn using a sophisticated layering method, have been a typical building material in East Africa.
She proudly exclaims, “We’ve had this one for at least 12 years, and it’s still in good shape.Due to the air, wind, and sea salt, things can degrade very quickly here, yet it has held up so well and is practically a work of art in and of itself, the author remarked.
The Moroccan and Egyptian latika lamps, which are big and dazzling, dangle from the rafters. Although Campbell enjoys furniture shopping all across Africa, she has had the best success in Marrakech and Cairo.
Campbell need not travel far to obtain excellent woodwork. “A lot of the wood furniture that we have in the house is made in Malindi,” she asserts. Actually, there was a workshop in the back of the house.