African Excellence Awards 2019

4 MEA MARKETS / 2019 African Business Excellence Awards , Supporting clients throughout East Africa, Studio 62 Limited creates innovative spaces that combine the client’s individual tastes with its team’s creativity and passion. We profile the firm to find out more about how it came to win not one but two of our prestigious African Excellence Awards for 2019. Studio Sixty Two Limited Initially envisioned to meet the demand for world-standard interiors in East Africa, Studio 62 was established in 2002, since then the firm has worked on a diverse portfolio of successful interior planning projects. Today, this passionate studio of talented, innovative designers offers bespoke, intergrated interior planning services for projects of all sizes and budgets. Every aspect of the interior design and planning can be undertaken, from initial conception through to the finished space. From the intuitive aspects of a project, like picking the perfect art piece to crown a space, or choosing the soft furnishings to completely transform a room, through to residential interior planning and space assessment, Studio 62 can completely transform any property thanks to its creative talents. Supported by this creative team is Principal Suzanne Watts, who leads the firm and draws on over 25 years of professional interior planning experience to create spectacular spaces for her clients. Specialising in hospitality design, the firm also boasts a vast portfolio of completed hospitality projects, and is proud to have worked with some of the largest hotel groups across Africa. Such success is impressive given the market that the firm operates in. Whilst the African property market has slowed in recent years, Studio 62 has worked hard to support the recent boom in individuals seeking to build their own homes. These clients are well travelled and want to have homes equal to what they see elsewhere in the world: and the reality is they can, but the process needs to be guided. To support these clients, the team at Studio 62 travel around the world and work hard to stay ahead of emerging market trends. The team have managed to set up procurement solutions through partners in the logistics and shipping markets, that allow its clients to procure globally for their projects in Kenya. Another key area of the market that the studio focuses on is sustainability. As a member of the Kenya Green Building Society, Studio 62 works tirelessly to ensure that it creates spaces that are both beautiful and sustainable. Suzanne is deeply passionate about sustainability and works very hard to integrate this into every design that she and her team create. This passion for the environment is entwinned with her love of design, and as a result she often does talks on sustainability in the design market to share her industry knowledge and expertise with her industry peers. One recent presentation was at the Kohler Design Forum, where Suzanne spoke on the topic of Experiential Luxury. Her talk, entitled Experiential Luxury: Issues of Sustainability and Authenticity, allowed her to discuss this topic with her fellow designers and to share her theories and ideas. Best Interior Design Consultancy – Kenya & Award for Distinction in Hospitality Interiors 2019