Interior design and finishing in Ongata Rongai

Ongata Rongai has grown from a market stop on Magadi Road into one of the busiest commuter towns around Nairobi. The housing mix is wide: maisonettes and bungalows in the gated courts off Maasai Lodge Road and Laiser Hill, newer apartments around Kware, and standalone family homes towards Nkoroi and Olekasasi. Most owners here are furnishing their first home, so our work focuses on honest budgets and durable finishes.

Rongai's dust is a real design factor — fine red soil comes off Magadi Road and the estate roads, especially in the dry months. We recommend washable paints, smooth rather than textured feature walls, roller blinds and shutters instead of heavy drapes in street-facing rooms, and sealed flooring that sweeps clean. These choices keep homes looking fresh without constant upkeep.

For the maisonettes, typical projects are fitted kitchens that use the narrow footprints well, staircase lighting, built-in wardrobes in the upstairs bedrooms, and downstairs washroom upgrades. For apartments, it is move-in packages — paint, curtains, a TV wall and furniture — and for the older houses in the courts, whole-house repaints, new floors and bathroom renovations.