At Homa, design is not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating products that resonate deeply with the values of innovation, functionality, and care. This ethos is reflected in our focus on food preservation and the ever-evolving role of appliances in the heart of the home: the kitchen. This same philosophy is why we found Lani Adeoye’s work so profoundly inspiring.

A Fusion of Empathy and Innovation
Lani Adeoye, the Nigerian Canadian designer celebrated as the winner of the 2022 Salone Satellite Design Award in Milano, captivates with her ability to weave emotion and purpose into functional design. Whether crafting furniture or medical devices, her work embodies a unique blend of empathy and creativity. Her innovative walker, RemX, is a testament to her belief in "purposeful aesthetics" — redefining assistive devices to offer dignity alongside functionality​.

How Adeoye’s Vision Aligns with Homa’s Pillars

• Design That Resonates: Like Adeoye, we believe that form and function can coexist beautifully. Her approach to creating objects that evoke a sense of belonging and pride mirrors Homa’s commitment to integrating aesthetic appeal with practical excellence in food preservation.

• Preserving Care: Adeoye’s focus on universal empathy and inclusivity resonates with our mission to design appliances that enhance daily life, whether in kitchens in Lagos or New York. Her observation that appliances should bring "visual delight" aligns with Homa's drive to create products that transform everyday moments into extraordinary experiences.

• Sustainability: Adeoye’s use of local materials and techniques highlights the importance of sustainability. Similarly, Homa is committed to creating energy-efficient appliances that support both environmental care and innovation.

The Kitchen as the Heart of the Home
In her interview, Adeoye eloquently described the kitchen as a space that adapts to its environment — whether a compact, efficient New York setup or a warm, communal hub in Nigeria. Her vision of appliances as contributors to this dynamic reflects Homa’s belief that the right design not only preserves food but also fosters connection and joy.

Adeoye’s designs, deeply rooted in cross-cultural exchange and sustainability, remind us that impactful design is about more than function — it’s about creating experiences. At Homa, we strive to embody this philosophy, ensuring that every product we create enhances the lives of those who use it.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Lani Adeoye for sharing her incredible work and for the time she dedicated to this insightful interview. Her vision, deeply rooted in empathy, sustainability, and design excellence, has been nothing short of inspiring.

Listening to her and revisiting her insights repeatedly has enriched our perspective and reaffirmed the profound impact of thoughtful design.

We warmly invite the Homa community to delve into the full interview and discover more about Lani Adeoye’s remarkable creations by visiting her website at www.laniadeoye.com.

Let her story inspire you, just as it has inspired us.

Copyright HOMA 2024- Issued by Federico Rebaudo, General Manager at Homa Europe, December 2024

DESIGN AND DIGNITY

An interview with Nigerian-Canadian designer Lani Adeoye, winner of Milano’s 2022 Salone Satellite Design Award.

DM asked the internationally acclaimed, Lagos and NYC based designer about her work philosophy, inspired by the desire to connect and act on the empathy she feels with the world around her. A firm believer in cross-cultural collaboration, in this captivating interview she reveals how feelings and emotions play an important role in her work, all the more so when designing functional objects.
Adeoye also shares some personal, inspiring reflections on food, appliances and kitchens,
which she conceives as the heart of the home.

Your work, spanning interior design, wearables, furniture and medical devices, seems to be driven by a sense of melody and rhythm. Do you recognise yourself in this?
Very much so. As a designer, I am motivated by connection, and empathy. I am not particularly driven by a specific product category. A lot of it has to do with things that are going on in the community. There’s the artistic, but also the problem-solving nature, so I’m responding to things that I am observing.

You won a prestigious international award, among many others, for a medical assistance device, a walker. How did you come about entering this field, and would you define your work as inclusive design?
I’d definitely go with that. During Covid I was thinking about the idea of our future selves and reflecting on the universality of us all getting older. Also, at the time I was spending a lot of time helping to take care of my grandfather in Nigeria, and I was seeing how he was psychologically impacted by the various changes in his life, like his mobility. We bought him things to walk better, like a walking stick or a walker, and a wheelchair at one point. They all looked so clinical, so cold, he was embarrassed and wouldn’t take them to certain places, or he’d hide them. I started to think there was more to this, in terms of purposeful aesthetics. That these assistance devices should do more than just their utilitarian function.
I wanted to design something that had a sense of dignity, something that wouldn’t remind my grandfather of his condition. Also, something a bit ambiguous, which you wouldn’t know whether it’s a sculpture or a piece of furniture. To the point that when I brought it to Milan, I thought to myself “they’re not going to know what this is!” The response was overwhelming, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with the right people to make sure it goes through rigorous prototyping and testing before bringing it to the market. (enjoy the interview about Milano  Salone Satellite Design Award.)

In your opinion, how did interior and furniture design evolve in recent years?
I think that, especially with the internet and social media, we’re all so interconnected.
Also, people are travelling more, so there’s a lot more exposure to what’s going on in other parts of the world. I teach at Parsons in New York, and I teach a class called “Hybrid Design”, which is a lot about merging different sectors. The academic world is realising how much overlap there is in the work of designers, and that’s very much how I function, how I practice. For what concerns interiors, and products, too, there’s a lot of cross- cultural learning and exchange happening. There’s so much we can learn from each other, and I want to engage more in that.

Your chairs, stools and tables are for the most part made of natural materials.
Is that a deliberate choice with sustainability in mind?
Yes, it’s very much motivated by sustainability. Also, having grown up in Nigeria, I wanted to show the possibilities of using local materials and production techniques. I wanted to explore contemporary language in furniture design, too. When Nigerians or other Africans see my pieces it’s quite nice to see them catch something that’s familiar but then see it in a different way. There’s that sort of duality.

Are the names of your creations linked to any particular language?
Do they have a meaning?
Definitely, I design things I feel connected to, which I hope to say something with.
For example, the walker is named after my grandfather: his name is Remi, and the walker is called RemX. The “X” was added just to give it a little tech touch. The collection I presented in Milan, is called Ekaabo. In the Yoruba language - the tribe I’m from in Nigeria - it means “welcome”. It was inspired by the West-African hospitality and warmth, which reflect in the shapes, the colours and the materials. If you ever go to a Nigerian home, they will overwhelm you with warmth! They will feed you, they will take care of you, pamper you in all sorts of ways.

What’s your perspective on food, food preparation and the way kitchens are conceptualised and designed today?
In New York, space is a big constraint, it’s smaller and more expensive. Kitchens function differently for most people here in New York. Some people don’t typically have a dining table, or a kitchen island, so it’s about the essentials of what a kitchen needs to do, whereas in other places, where space is not as much of a luxury, the kitchen becomes more like the heart of the home. Personally, I’ve experienced it both ways. When I’m here it’s more about the utilitarian aspect of the kitchen, and when I’m in Nigeria it’s about the heart of the home.

What is the principal role of the kitchen space today, and what should be its principal characteristics?
It depends from where I am, but I’d say it would be that of making it easy to cook efficiently while also making it easy for people to gather around. The number of people will depend on the space available, but there is that bonding moment whether it’s friends cooking together, or family. I think lighting can also play a part in that as well.

What is the importance of appliances in a kitchen?
They aid the whole process, they bring a sense of ease into it, and enjoyment. Beyond functionality, they should also be nice to look at, be part of the design of the whole kitchen.
I just moved into a new place here, and I’m into choosing accessories, for my kitchen. I think nowadays we are spoilt with choice, so consumers expect a lot more out
of even the seemingly mundane appliances. They need to fulfil their purpose but also
add something to the environment from an aesthetics perspective, unless they’re going to be hidden, but I don’t think we want them to be hidden anymore.
If it’s going to be in my kitchen, it doesn’t have to be a statement, but it needs to be compelling, bringing some kind of visual delight.

Is your personal relationship with food and its preparation influenced by the lifestyle of the society your are living in?
I love cooking, though I don’t cook that much in New York. My life is quite fast-paced, but I am a big foodie, and I enjoy bringing people together to share a home-cooked meal. Also, wherever I am I try and be in tune with seasons when it comes to ingredients. It’s not always easy, but I feel there’s a connection between our health and Earth’s rhythms: Earth knows what we need during that season. In Nigeria I move around quite a bit, and there are quite a lot of street vendors, and what’s on offer has very much to do with what is being grown in that season.

Copyright HOMA 2024- Issued by Homa Marketing dept. on December 2024
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