“i know a song of africa...does africa know a song of me?”

- Isak Dinesen, "Out Of Africa"

A sense of place, of context and character, is the aim of good design. To this end, LIFE's work on Segera's architecture, interiors & experience offering feels timeless and instinctively appropriate.

Nestled between Mount Kenya to the east and the Great Rift Valley to the west, Segera is a 50,000 acre private wildlife sanctuary and home to a luxury retreat of six villas.

Owner’s Homestead - Restoration

LIFE designed Segera for international environmentalist, philanthropist, and former CEO of PUMA, Jochen Zeitz in such a way that there exists a harmony of new and heritage buildings with a modern twist to classics; the traditional Kenyan farmhouse has a dialogue with the new wine cellar tower; a pebbled courtyard is linked by natural elements and the imposing Star Deck Pavilion with a welcoming view of Mount Kenya.

LIFE met the conservationist client Jochen Zeitz on site again to take a briefing on the restoration of his own Farmhouse due to his personal requirements and as a means of adding a further offering into the available rentable properties on Segera due to the guest demand of the property.

LIFE restored and designed the interiors to incorporate the owner’s formidable collection of art (having his own Zeitz MOCAA Art Museum in Cape Town), his notable East African antiques - first copies of Karen Bliksen’s ‘Out Of Africa’ as well as original Ernest Hemingway letters, campaign antiques and historic artefacts. A palette of ebony (high gloss dark floors), ivory (earthcoat stoney walls and linens), and tan (leather furniture and campaign details) prevails throughout the spaces of the Framhouse. Understated elegance and quiet authenticity create a retreat that is utterly comfortable and effortlessly stylish.

The Farmhouse was gutted, exposing ceilings and refurbishing all finishes, new interiors designed and sent, and the refreshed, refurbished farmhouse was installed in September 2018, a record 9 month turn-round including structural work and shipping due to its position in the middle of a high-occupancy hospitality property to great commercial acclaim and great personal pleasure for the client, his friends and family.

LIFE was called in to assess and audit the existing offering and make suggestions on the universal offering which led to the addition of the following areas, buildings and experiences: