In her 35-year career, supermodel and new mother Naomi Campbell has broken borders, stormed catwalks, and graced magazine covers. Her job motivates and delights her despite her demanding schedule.
Even icons need rest. Campbell retreats to her villa in Malindi, a peaceful Kenyan beach community, to unplug. Her beautiful Indian Ocean-view house has been her preferred vacation from the hustle and bustle of New York City and London for over 20 years. It embodies indoor-outdoor living.
The spacious space, with warm earth tones and natural light, evokes casual opulence. She says, “It’s a very calming place.” Telephone conversations should be avoided. You’re not looking for a TV? Reading is just for relaxation. Crickets and silence are soothing.
Morning dips in her living room’s saltwater pool are available. Under twin voile-curtained pergolas, the model can host family-style dinners.
The makuti thatched roof and sun-dried coconut palm leaf cathedral ceilings inspire Campbell. Makuti roofs, hand-sewn employing a complicated layering procedure, have been used in East Africa for thousands of years, she says.
She proudly says, “We’ve had this one for at least 12 years, and it’s still good.The author noted that the air, wind, and sea salt deteriorate things quickly here, but it has held up so well and is nearly a piece of beauty.
Big, bright Moroccan and Egyptian latika lamps hang from the rafters. Campbell enjoys furniture shopping across Africa, but Marrakech and Cairo are her best bets
Campbell can get good woodwork nearby. “A lot of the wood furniture we have in the house is made in Malindi,” she says. In fact, the house had a back workshop.