No. There is no IKEA store in Kenya. The nearest ones are in the Gulf and in North Africa, so anything from IKEA in a Nairobi home was brought in by someone.
What people in Nairobi do instead
Mostly one of three things.
- Buy through an importer. A few shops bring IKEA pieces into Kenya. The price carries the freight, the duty and their margin, and the range is whatever they happened to ship.
- Order from abroad and ship it. Some people buy from IKEA's site in the UAE or the UK and send it by sea, or in a relative's luggage. Sea freight takes six to eight weeks, and there is duty to pay when it lands.
- Buy locally. A fundi, a furniture showroom or Jiji. It is quicker, and the quality depends on who made it.
What most of them are looking for
The search is rarely for IKEA as such. It is for what IKEA does well: simple furniture with a clear price, that looks right in a rented flat, and can grow or move with you.
That is what we make, in steel, in Nairobi.
Shelving made in Nairobi, with the price on the page
Framework makes shelving in its workshop at Dagoretti Corner. Our shelves are modular, which means they are made of separate parts that stack together. Start with one unit and add another when you need it. There are no tools and no screws, and it comes apart when you move house.
Every unit has its price on our site, and the price is the same for everyone. Units start at Ksh 6,500. We deliver within Nairobi, assembled, within a week of payment.
The steel comes in four colors: Sage, Marine, Coral and Charcoal.
A few of the pieces people ask for
- A low unit for the TV or the entrance. The Starter, 98 cm wide and 42 cm tall, Ksh 6,500. The Low Console, three tiers and 72 cm tall, Ksh 12,000.
- A bookcase. The Quadruple, four tiers, 98 cm wide and just over a metre tall, Ksh 17,500. The Versatile Stack, 1.63 m tall, Ksh 28,500.
- A clothes rail with shelves. The Clothes Rail, 52 cm wide and 1.63 m tall, Ksh 34,000.
- A wall for books. The Double Bay, about 2 m wide, Ksh 46,000.
The rest are on our shelving page, each with its price.
See it in your room before you order
Every design has its own page. Open it on your phone and you can stand the shelf in your room at its real size, through the camera, before you decide. Try it with The Quadruple or The Double Bay.
Or design your own in our builder. It prices the shelf as you go.
What it is not
It is not flat-pack, and it is not the cheapest shelf in Nairobi. It is a steel frame with painted boards, made here, delivered standing, and priced the same for everyone.
Framework is not connected to IKEA. We are a small workshop in Nairobi that makes one thing and shows its price.