WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF NAMBILI!
Nambili — meaning twelve in Zulu — is a celebration of creativity, culture, and craftsmanship. Based just outside Atlanta, GA, 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 garments embroidered with affirmations — 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 SewFresh Upholstery, the restoration and design studio within Nambili. 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.
Nambili also includes Ivy’s Closet, a curated space for handmade shoelaces, streetwear, and wearable design that blurs the line between culture and couture. Every “room” within Nambili reflects niCo’s values: creativity, resilience, intentionality, and the audacity to be yourself.
Welcome to Nambili — where every stitch, every snap, and every silhouette tells a story, alchemized into art.