After spending a decade working in international affairs, Next in Design winner Chizitera Pennington was craving a more creative career. ‘I really believe that the most important thing in life is having a happy home, one in which you feel you can be yourself. I felt this was an area I could make a difference,’ she says. ‘As soon as I began designing, I just thought “this is it, this is where I belong.”’ And so, her studio Chizitera Interiors was born.
Research, storytelling and understanding people are central to her work. Before beginning a project, Chizitera seeks to understand not only how her clients live, but where they come from. ‘A home feels richer when it draws on all the influences of a person’s life,’ she says. ‘So I want to see pictures of where clients grew up and understand what dedicated spaces they need, so I can design a home that makes sense for the people who live there.’
Drawing on her Nigerian and British heritage, Chizitera’s interiors are rich in layering. ‘Both cultures have given me a fearlessness for pattern,’ she says. ‘English country homes are full of prints, while in Nigeria, patterns are everywhere – it’s a celebration.’ Yet she balances that vibrancy with a love of clean lines and thoughtful restraint.
Sarah Spiteri, on the board in charge of selecting Chizitera, explained why her entry stood out from the pile: ‘There is a real bravery to how Chizitera designs – using strong colors so boldly isn’t easy, and in the wrong hands can go awry. But she knows just how to balance them so they seem inviting, gentle and enveloping, never shouty or overwhelming.’
Ultimately, Chizitera’s goal is emotional connection. ‘I want people to feel welcomed,’ she says. ‘To have picked the right textures, colors and furniture shapes so their shoulders drop the moment they walk in.’
Chizitera’s own living room, featuring the Benin head she found in a market in Peckham ‘that tied all my stories together.’ Walls in Kittiwake by Farrow & Ball, Tiles, Porcelain Superstore, Armchair, Anthropologie, Congolese Kuba cloth in frame, Chizitera’s own.
(Image credit: Chizitera Interiors)
Homes & Gardens: How did you first get into interiors?
Chizitera Pennington: It’s different from most people in the industry in that I’d never thought about design before – it wasn’t on my radar really when I was growing up. In fact, I was working in international affairs and policy, but after ten years of that I got to a point where I felt the creative itch, and wanted to try something new. I felt that the foundation of a life well lived was to have a happy home, and a good, stable environment in which to live, and that it would be here that I could make a difference.
Homes & Gardens: Are there any skills from your policy days that you brought over to interiors?
Chizitera Pennington: Absolutely. Exploring stories, talking to people, listening to people, these are all things I needed to do in both worlds. Working in policy helped me to understand the power of good research, which is now what I need to do to give a home depth – I need to understand the history of the building I’m designing in, and the story of the person who lives there.
Floor tiles, Claybrook Studio. Ceiling lights, Pooky. Walls in Joa’s White, Farrow & Ball. Shower tiles, Bert and May (floors), Otto Tiles and Design (shower enclosure).
(Image credit: Chizitera Interiors)
Homes & Gardens: Why do you believe a person’s story must be represented in their home?
Chizitera Pennington: A really successful space is one that tells your story – that explains who you are and how you’ve lived. I grew up in Nigeria, went to international school in Wales, and have lived in Switzerland. I look around my own home now, and it feels rich because it tells that story. How? Well, there is a yellow in the hallway that reminds me of the sunniness of Nigeria, while in the living room we have an antique Benin head which goes back to the history of the UK being colonial rulers in Nigeria. I found it in an antique store in Peckham, and it was so important to me because it seemed to bridge the two cultures.
Homes & Gardens: How do you begin to understand a new client’s story when you begin a project?
Chizitera Pennington: I get a clear understanding of their background. I want to see pictures of where they grew up, and then I want to understand how they live, what dedicated spaces they need – if they’re really into makeup and need space to do that in the bedroom, where they’ll have their morning coffee, that sort of thing. And I need to understand the property, to get to know the history of the location and the building itself.
Homes & Gardens: How have your British and Nigerian heritages influenced your work?
Chizitera Pennington: Both cultures have given me a fearlessness for color and pattern – English country houses are so layered, while Nigeria is very vibrant. You go to Lagos, and there is pattern everywhere! People wear pattern to go to the market; it’s a celebration. And in Nigeria, people like luxury and glamor, so I bring in little Art Deco touches that add that sense of refinement.
Homes & Gardens: What’s your approach to color?
Chizitera Pennington: Although I use a lot of primary colors, I prefer them when they’re not really strong. I lean toward tones that are a little earthier and muddier, because they’re easier to layer on top of. I’m also always looking for balance – wood tones even the strongest shades down.
Shower tiles, Bert and May. Mirror, Graham and Green. Walls in Scallop by Farrow & Ball. Floor tiles, Bert and May. Wall light over mirror, Alice Palmer.
(Image credit: Juliet Murphy. Design by Chizitera Interiors)
Homes & Gardens: What would be your dream project and what would you like to do with it?
Chizitera Pennington: I would really like to work with clients who have lots of different cultures in the same household. Perhaps one half of the couple is from Mongolia and the other half is from Mexico or Sudan – the more disparate the better. The challenge of bringing those stories together would be something I’d love to tackle.
Homes & Gardens: How do you want people to feel in your schemes?
Chizitera Pennington: I want people to come into a room I’ve designed and feel emotional. If they were to burst into tears, then that would be a real marker of success! If they felt it represented their story and made sense for how they lived, then I’d know I’d got it right.
Homes & Gardens: And what should a good home feel like?
Chizitera Pennington: Very welcoming, like you can stay in it a while, put your feet up, and feel that you’re part of the family. A home can’t be too precious, and I want to choose textures, shapes, and colors that make your shoulders drop as soon as you see them.
For Chizitera, design is ultimately about much more than aesthetics. Every color choice, every pattern, and every carefully chosen object serves a larger purpose: helping people feel seen within their own homes. It’s an approach that feels particularly relevant today, as increasingly global lives create ever more layered personal histories.
By weaving together culture, memory and everyday rituals, she creates interiors that are not only beautiful but deeply personal. As her star continues to rise, it’s this combination of fearless creativity and genuine empathy that sets her apart – and explains why she’s one of design’s most exciting emerging talents.
Next in Design is Homes & Gardens’ platform spotlighting emerging studios shaping the future of decoration. Winning designers are championed across editorial, events and industry networks, celebrating fresh perspectives and distinctive voices. The initiative is guided by an industry board.
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