African House of Wonders : Dhow Recycled Wood Furniture

Our History
African House of Wonders started in 2004 as an inspiration: an idea that turned into reality. Walking the beaches of Tanzania, Anneke de Bruin took the beauty of the sea, sand and sun. Amongst the landscape: beached sailing Dhows. She imagined the decades of history behind them, carrying cargo, passengers and fishermen. It was there that the inspiration came: what if these beautiful craft could be recycled.

The journey began. The road to starting what is now the African House of Wonders Gallery in St. Maarten. Salvaging the Dhows, purchasing them from their owners, shipping ship them inland to a workshop at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro where craftsmen now carefully disassemble and re-invent them into the timeless treasures you find only at African House of Wonders. Containers are packed, and the Dhows, in their new form, once again take a long ocean journey, to the Caribbean.

Our Collection
Our five unique moods take you on a journey through East Africa: the history, the over 2000 year old culture, its inhabitants and visitors from afar, the Swahili culture, the unique synthesis between the Arab countries in the north and the lands between Somalia and Mozambique, Tanzania and Zanzibar along the shores of the Indian Ocean.

From large cargo vessels, we have designed each item and from the smaller canoes, come our limited trademark piece, the Dhow Library. Whether it be a table, cabinet, desk, chair, lamp, or candle holder, or other, no two pieces are alike.

Our Name
House of Wonders is named after the famous Sultan’s palace on the sea front in Zanzibar town, the Unesco World Heritage site of Stonetown. The palace was illuminated by grand chandeliers and is famous for its decorations inside; a blend of ornate hand crafted teak furniture, carpets, fabrics, arts & crafts from the mainland of East Africa, the rich cultures of Oman, Persia and India. It was baptised House of Wonders as the generated electricity, which also lit the surrounding buildings and awed the inhabitants of the Stonetown.

Our Philosophy
...is a business model that serves different cultures and social groups through a trickle effect.

Recycling
...by first sourcing and purchasing retired sailing Dhows. Some times the owners laugh when we tell them we would like to recycle them. The exchange of cash for boat means they can build new boats or help their families.

Creating New Jobs
...hiring local craftsman to disassemble the boats piece by piece. They then revive the beautiful hardwood and use every piece of wood, every nail, building the uniquely shaped furnishings you see on these pages.

When they have filled a container, it is trucked to the port and starts its month long journey to the Caribbean.

Cross-culture Awareness
Not unlike St. Maarten/St. Martin, the East African culture is a mix of nations, ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and with a rich history that has blended over centuries of movement and trade.

So when you come into African House of Wonders, no matter who you are, sit. Enjoy flipping through a book about the history of Dhow building, the streets of Stonetown, tribal artifacts and their meaning, the history of safari style. Take in the scents of Mninga and Breadfruit wood, the sights of the richly textured wood grains, colourful fabrics, complex beadwork, individual hand carvings. And leave knowing a little more about the diverse world in which we live.