Is a Home That Truly Reflects Who We Are a Luxury for Ethiopians?

As someone living in Ethiopia and working in the real estate sector, one thing continually surprises me: aside from location and wall paint, most of our homes look almost identical.

A sameness we've known since childhood

Look back at our childhoods and it was the same story — the dishware, the sofas, the TV set, even the crochet cover (the dantel) draped over the TV were practically identical across every household.

Even today, finding a home that reflects its owner's unique story, passions, and personality is as rare as a የመስከረም ወፍ — the September bird that appears only once a year. We usually see that level of personal expression only in the homes of painters and creative artists.

A matter of choice, not money

Contrary to what most people think, this isn't a question of money. It's a question of choice and mindset.

• You don't need to pile up expensive décor.
• You don't need a massive square-footage apartment.
• Within whatever space and budget we have, we can create a space that reflects our personal lifestyle.

How? We'll dive into the specifics in the next article.

Until then — what do you think?

Is our failure to build spaces that reflect our identity a lack of money, or a lack of mindset?