ATUNDA turns old fabrics into stylish furniture and décor

A new art and design studio named ATUNDA is changing old textile materials into furniture, lights, home décor, and sculptures.

Mabayomije Akinyemi-Ekong is the creative mind behind the studio. She got the idea when she saw a heap of tiny fabric scraps on a road in Yaba, Lagos.

Akinyemi-Ekong realized that these discarded materials could have a new purpose instead of being thrown away.

This thought led to the creation of ATUNDA, which views leftover fabrics as raw materials full of unique colors, textures, and character.

The studio's first collection, The Yaba Collection, uses textile scraps collected from Yaba Textile Market. The collection includes functional art pieces designed for modern homes, offices, and public areas.

The first finished piece, called AKOBI, is a chair. This is the studio's first attempt at using old textile materials for upholstery.

She said, "AKOBI was where the idea became real. We had an idea that these discarded fabrics could become something beautiful and valuable, but we didn’t know if it would work. We experimented, and AKOBI became the first proof that it could."

ATUNDA's creations blend art, design, and sustainability. Each piece is made to be useful while keeping the unique features and flaws of the recycled materials.

This initiative is especially important given Nigeria's growing problem with textile waste. Many scraps from markets, tailors, and fashion production often end up discarded, burned, or left in the streets.

But Akinyemi-Ekong believes ATUNDA can change how people see these materials.

"We are not interested in simply making things from waste. We want to change the way people see these materials. The goal is to create work that people desire first, and then discover that the material has been given another life," she said.

Besides its collections, ATUNDA plans to hold creative workshops where participants can make small furniture items from recycled textiles. The studio also wants to work with local craftsmen.

It aims to explore partnerships that can extend its recycling model to create social impact, including solutions for communities in need.

The studio hopes to build a Nigerian design practice that shows the creative and economic value of materials often seen as useless.