MY HUSTLE: I achieved my dream of being an interior designer

I am going to make everything around me beautiful, that will be my life - Elsie de Wolfe

She was only nine years old when she lost both her parents in a grisly road accident. Ruth Njoki, 34, and her two brothers were placed in an orphanage run by Nairobi Pentecostal Church.

This became their second home, the place where they grew up. Although it was not easy growing up without parents, Ruth took it one day at a time and went through primary and secondary school like the rest of her peers.

Upon completing high school, Ruth enrolled in a diploma course in interior design at the Buruburu Institute of Fine Arts – BIFA. She had an interest in interior décor from a very young age.

Two years after beginning her diploma course, Ruth got married and shortly after she had a baby. She deferred from college to take care of her newborn.

She later resumed her studies and secured an internship at an interior décor firm in Nairobi. It was here that she perfected her skills in the industry.

Ruth Njoki is now the CEO of Rembesha Interior Décor, an interior design company in Nakuru. She speaks to MARGARET MAINA.

Tell us a little about Rembesha, how did it come about?

In 2009, I relocated to Nakuru along with my family. That meant that my job in Nairobi had come to an end. After settling down in Nakuru, I began doing some interior design for my friends.

I did not charge them for it but they loved my work so much that they recommended me to paying clients. Even then, Nakuru was still a fast growing town and I quickly identified an opportunity for business. The more clients I encountered the more it hit me that there was a high demand for interior design services but hardly enough professionals to offer it.

That is when I decided to take another bold step and started Rembesha Interior Décor. I registered it much later in 2015.

How is your day-to-day schedule like?

I have to divide my time between the office, the onsite location and my family, but the first two get the biggest chunk of my time.

I have to travel a lot because of meetings with contractors, clients and suppliers. Most of those meetings are for networking and marketing because that is where sales and business opportunities arise from.

Of course paperwork and the actual designing play an important role too, but they do not take up as much time as the meetings.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered so far?

One of my biggest challenges is people who question my ability to deliver quality service.

The other obstacle I face is that some projects have defaults from inception. Ideally, my work is doing the finishing of a given project but sometimes I end up doing a lot of repeat jobs like reconstructing, reshaping and hacking walls.

There is also the issue of getting clients to understand the service you are offering. I remember my first wall effects client, as the experience was a big lesson. I charged her Sh5,000 to reorganise her house. But after the job was done, she asked me to do the laundry as well because she felt the cost was too high for the work I had done.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I see something unique and I become desperate to learn more about it. When I relocated to Nakuru, my father-in-law gave me some money to buy my first computer.

He inspired me to pursue my dreams. My in-laws have been my greatest pillar and they have tirelessly played a big role in making me who I am today.

What are some of your accomplishments so far?

My company has grown tremendously. I now have six permanent staff and 15 casual workers.

In January 2018, I began an interior designs school where students are taught embroidery, woodwork and glazing glasses. I have 12 trainees.

I have also grown my brand. My style is traditional, eclectic with a touch of glam, and contemporary. I appreciate the importance of listening to my clients.

I am also back in school now, pursuing civil engineering to better understand construction and groundwork, which were an integral part of the projects I have handled.

What are your future plans?

I intend to be the most successful engineer in the country. I hope to start more schools and see more women join this field.

Any advice to young people?

Stay focused and be determined. It will take you very far.