WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF NAMBILI!
Nambili — meaning twelve in Zulu — is a celebration of creativity, culture, and craftsmanship. Based just outside Atlanta, GA, House of Nambili is where art, design, and curated living intersect, rooted in sustainability through reuse, heirloom restoration, and storytelling. Every piece in our collection — from Afrocentric home décor to custom furniture upholstery and professional cleaning — tells a story of individuality, legacy, and style.
At the heart of Nambili is artist and designer niCo Robinson, known as the Heirloom Alchemist. With her unique approach to luxury upholstery and furniture restoration, she transforms forgotten or worn-down pieces into sculptural vessels of memory. Her work blends bold textiles, meticulous craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling to preserve the past while creating timeless, modern heirlooms.
niCo’s creative journey began at age twelve — bold, intuitive, and unstoppable. That fearless energy, briefly dimmed by outside noise, reignited with the personal affirmation:
“Anything I want, I already have.”
That mindset birthed Forever 12 LLC, a tribute to the unwavering creative spark she first embodied as a child and now channels as a multidimensional artist, photographer, and designer.
Her fine art photography has been published in VIBE, The Source, The Fader, and MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, and exhibited in London, New York, and Hong Kong. But her creative lens expanded beyond photography into furniture — particularly the art of upholstery.
“Chairs are dope to me because they can be functional and gorgeous simultaneously,” niCo explains. This passion led to House of Nambili, the restoration and design studio. Here, niCo combines furniture repair, reupholstery, woodworking, and textile design to honor heirlooms, reimagine vintage treasures, and rescue furniture destined for the landfill.
This is not just upholstery — this is art.
Her process elevates both form and meaning: hand-tied springs, luxurious African wax prints, mudcloth, and designer fabrics are woven together with care. Every chair, sofa, or ottoman becomes a functional affirmation, carrying her mantra:
“Don’t Doubt Your Dope™.”
Each creation invites you to sit in your power, your story, and your space.
And the care doesn't stop there.
Under the House of Nambili umbrella, niCo also leads SewFresh Upholstery Cleaning - an IICRC-certified, Fabric Pro-trained professional cleaning service dedicated to protecting the pieces you love. Whether it's a family heirloom, a freshly reupholstered statement chair, or everyday furniture that deserves a reset, SewFresh delivers expert textile care with the same intention and precision that defines every Nambili creation.
This is the Full-Cycle Furniture Experience, transformation and preservation, under one roof.
Nambili also includes Ivy’s Closet, a curated space where the remnants of our upholstery work are reborn as handmade shoelaces, streetwear, and wearable design. Nothing is wasted here; every scrap of fabric carries the same story, just in a different form.
Every “room” within Nambili reflects niCo’s values: creativity, resilience, intentionality, and the audacity to be yourself.
Welcome to House of Nambili — where every stitch, every snap, and every silhouette tells a story, alchemized into art.
