Elegant Fittings — The Masters of Stone

INTERIOR & HOME DECOR

ELEGANT FITTINGS:

THE MASTERS

OF STONE

WRITTEN BY FRED ALBERT ONYANGO
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANASTASIA NANE

When you step into Elegant Fittings offices, you’re met with a utilitarian space—more technician’s workshop than sleek showroom. But as you take the display fixtures around the office and head toward the back, past the granite kitchen countertops and quartz bathroom vanities, it becomes clear: you’re looking at a company that’s pushing the limits of the local interior design market.

The market is starting to take notice of all the hard work Elegant Fittings is putting in. Hotels like Kwetu Nairobi, Four Points, Radisson Blu, JW Marriot Maasai Mara, Ascott Rose and Hyatt Place all bear the sleek grandeur of high-quality stonework. Beyond hospitality, other spaces like Microsoft, Equity Bank, the United States Embassy, and many others have also entrusted their interior design to Elegant Fittings-high standards that management says are only possible because the company gives its technicians room to experiment.

The company began pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with stone when they realized there was a gap in the market for high-end finishes. Nzilani Muia, head of marketing at Elegant Fittings, explained that stones available in a variety of large-format slabs were largely missing from the local market. And the workmanship required to shape those stones into refined, high-quality finishes was also few and far between. For the most part, companies and in-the-know private homeowners who wanted them had to ship in experts from abroad.

The managing director of Elegant Fittings, Nicholas Njugi, is a firm believer that everyone deserves the best. That’s his ultimate ambition: to make the luxury you’d see in hotels attainable for the people who also want that in their homes. It’s a goal that sounds simple, but in practice, the roots need to go a little deeper for there to be stability.

Nicholas’ initial start was turning dust particles from a quarry into stone that could be used as cultured marble. But considering cultured marble is very susceptible to the elements, the need for a more durable stone was born.

Successive exclusive partnerships with Caesarstone Quartz, Sensa Granite, and Dekton suddenly enabled Nicholas to follow through on his ambition-with the right materials to turn any client’s dream into reality. Elegant Fittings then approached architects and interior designers to showcase the superiority of their products, and soon all the big names and firms were recommending them to clients

At their office, they have welcoming space, with a few awards proudly displayed behind the reception. But at the back, the real magic happens in a workshop where most of the fundis have honed their craft through apprenticeship. The company’s top brass learn their techniques through benchmarking in Europe with Caesarstone and Dekton, but once back home, that skill is refined and tailored to suit Kenyan tastes and styles. That fusion of global technique and local sensibility is what ultimately allowed Elegant Fittings to be so creative and inventive with the Kwetu Nairobi project.

When stone arrives at the workshop, Elegant Fittings-depending on whether it’s for supply or fabrication has a streamlined process. If it’s for supply, the stone’s quality speaks for itself.

But for fabrication, whether the stone is client-supplied or sourced through them, Elegant Fittings first must send their technicians on-site, whom they fittingly refer to as “stone masters.” These experts take precise measurements, create templates, and once the stone is cut at the workshop, they then return to assemble it on-site.

Nzilani shared that with their vast experience and influence, the company confidently considers itself “the masters of stone.” It’s hard to argue they haven’t earned that title.

When stone arrives at the workshop, Elegant Fittings-depending on whether it’s for supply or fabrication has a streamlined process. If it’s for supply, the stone’s quality speaks for itself.

Nzilani shared that with their vast experience and influence, the company confidently considers itself “the masters of stone.” It’s hard to argue they haven’t earned that title.

Their mastery has also evolved into sustainable practices. When they first started out at the Enashipai Resort in Naivasha, there was a steep learning curve. Manipulating these expensive stones came at a cost-Elegant Fittings went through a significant amount of material before mastering their process. Now, they make sure no stone goes to waste. Any remnants from their sites are repurposed into vanity sets, towel holders, or miniature furniture-until every last piece is put to good use.

Another goal for Elegant Fittings has been to challenge the long-held perception that Kenyan workmanship is unrefined. In their role as leaders in stone fittings, Nzilani said one of their driving ambitions is to push the industry forward. Elegant Fittings doesn’t take the growing shift toward investing in local stonework for granted.

They credit their rise not only to expertise and consistency but also to their physical presence-an office right on Kiambu Road where clients can walk in anytime for clarification on any project. A level of accessibility that, as Nzilani points out, simply isn’t possible when flying in foreign experts.

For Elegant Fittings, the clearest showcase of what’s possible is the Kwetu Nairobi project. Nzilani explains that there were simply no limitations on what they could do. No cost or ambition was left unmatched-from the one-of-a-kind swimming pool cladding to the breathtaking bathrooms, which she gracefully describes as a “symphony of white quartz.” At their very best, that’s what Elegant Fittings can achieve.

Looking ahead, the company plans to open a training institute to equip more fundis with the skills to create the exceptional pieces and projects Elegant Fittings is already known for. They consider their stone masters their greatest asset, and as Kenyan craftsmanship gains global recognition, Elegant Fittings hopes to play a pivotal role in shaping and nurturing that talent. Their legacy, they hope, will be proving that Kenyan expertise can compete on the world stage.

Nzilani believes Elegant Fittings is yet to do its best work. It’s clear Elegant Fittings will continue carving history, shaping the belief that beauty can be hewn and polished from this corner of the world and placed on the global stage. □

Quick Fire Questions

If you could choose any interior or exterior project in the world, what would it be?

I deeply admire the Little Belt Bridge in Denmark. Imagine taking part in a UNESCO project where we bridge one end of the Rift Valley to the other with stone and glass—connecting two escarpments supported by stone. Ideally, that stone would be Dekton because it’s incredibly strong and comes in large sheets. But for now, that’s just wishful thinking.

What’s the most unexpected or creative way you’ve seen stone used in design?

That would have to be Iris Van Herpen. She’s a fashion designer who created a stone-fabric dress for the runway. She cut Italian Carrara marble into 0.2mm-thin sheets and attached them to flexible mesh, mimicking the flow of fabric while retaining the elegance and rigidity of stone. Seeing that on a runway—that was crazy.