The first of her kind

PAULUS KAYIGGWA meets Alice Mutamuliza who is pioneering interior decoration in Rwanda Alice Mutamuliza has always loved art. “Right from my childhood, I was passionate to art and craft pieces especially those portraying the African habitual culture.” Mutamuliza is at home in Kimihurura. It is a home like none other I have seen in Rwanda. In a large plot, her small house, painted lime green, is a jungle of bright flowers and creeping vines. Countless beautifully painted flower pots decorate her garden and veranda. “I have endless empty paint cans and hate throwing things away,” she explains. In the plot behind the Ministry of Justice, Mutamuliza and her husband, Beau Kalinda of Instinzi 4 Lifestyle Showbiz, are developing two houses designed by Kalinda himself, there is a kennel for the dog, a small studio situated behind, 7 cranes (“there were 8; one disappeared”), a vegetable plot which produced raspberries and strawberries and a volley ball court. “We dug the volley ball court and brought three truck loads of sand from Gisenyi. We had all this space and wanted recreational activities,” Mutamuliza explains. Mutamuliza’s home which she shares with her husband and three children is a maze of brightly coloured walls, African fabrics, Rwandan paintings and baskets. Soft music and scented candles give the place a serene, homely feel. Mutamuliza’s good taste is indisputable and unsurprisingly people noticed. It began with friends asking her for advice on how to decorate a child’s bedroom or upholster some furniture. “I realised there was a business to be had,” she explains. “Decorating a home or office is exhausting.” And so Mutamuliza, for a small fee, will do it for you. Despite all the beautiful art in the country, upon arriving in Rwanda in 2000 from America, Mutamuliza saw that peoples’ homes were filled with imported pieces. Mutamuliza is hired to beautify people’s homes and offices using local art and craft pieces. “Decorating your house need not be expensive; it’s about imagination and making the most of what you have,” says Mutamuliza. Mutamuliza has worked on offices of Bourbon Coffee, Supply chain Management System, Utexrwa, Information Technology Solutions and Capital Markets Advisory Council. “Customers come after visiting those places I have designed; they immediately develop desires of improving their houses. I charge a consultation fee of $200 (Frw110,000) and then after visiting your place, I advise you on which art design would best suit your place,” she said. “I advise on various paintings on room walls and also on the best art and craft pieces that can best match those colours.” Mutamuliza believes she is becoming something of a specialist: “I have gained a lot design and creativity experience and I never run short of ideas.” As such Mutamuliza believes that in the near future she will be in position to begin a company that trains people different decorating skills and styles. Ends