Behind every thriving organisation is a culture that shapes how people think, collaborate, and create. While culture is often discussed in terms of leadership and values, Tomi Olatunbode believes there is another factor that is too often overlooked: the spaces where people spend their working lives.
As Founder and Creative Director of Spazio Ideale, Tomi leads a multidisciplinary team united by a shared commitment to design excellence. For her, excellence is not measured by how visually impressive a space appears but by how intentionally it responds to the people who inhabit it and the purpose it is meant to serve.
Her work spans corporate headquarters, innovation hubs, hospitality spaces, commercial developments, and institutional projects across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. From global development institutions to some of Nigeria’s most recognisable technology companies, she has quietly become one of the designers influencing how modern African workplaces are experienced.
But ask Tomi what she designs, and her answer goes far beyond interiors.
“I have always believed that great design starts with people, not spaces. Before we think about materials or layouts, we have to understand how people work, what inspires them, and the kind of culture an organisation wants to build.”
It is this philosophy that has shaped projects for organisations including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank’s Cape Verde TechPark, Paystack, Kuda, Ernst & Young, Four Points by Sheraton, Reliance HMO, Sterling Bank, and several organisations driving innovation across the continent. Her work reflects a simple but powerful belief: design should enable people to perform at their best.
For Tomi, every project begins with curiosity.
Rather than asking what an office should look like, she asks what it should achieve. Should it encourage collaboration? Inspire creativity? Support well-being? Strengthen company culture? The answers to those questions become the foundation of every design decision.
“The most successful workplaces are not necessarily the most expensive or the most beautiful. They are the ones intentionally designed around the people who use them every day.”
As Africa’s technology and business ecosystems continue to evolve, Tomi believes workplace design must evolve with them. Organisations are no longer investing in offices simply as places to work; they are creating environments that attract talent, foster innovation, and communicate who they are to employees, clients, and investors alike.
Her perspective has made her a respected voice in conversations around workplace strategy and the future of design. Most recently, she moderated the African Futures: Place Making & Future Living panel at the Africa Property Investment (API) Summit, bringing together industry leaders to explore how thoughtful design can shape the future of African cities and communities.
Beyond her practice, Tomi is equally committed to developing the next generation of designers. Through Founders Collective, she mentors emerging creative entrepreneurs, encouraging them to build businesses that are not only creatively excellent but also commercially sustainable and globally competitive.
She believes Africa’s design industry has reached an important moment.
“We don’t need to imitate the rest of the world to create globally relevant spaces. We need to design from our own realities, cultures, and aspirations. That is where our greatest opportunity lies.”
It is a philosophy reflected in her work, where contemporary design meets cultural intelligence and functionality. Rather than chasing trends, Tomi is focused on creating spaces that endure, spaces where businesses grow, people connect, and innovation flourishes.
As more organisations recognise that workplace environments are integral to performance, culture, and long-term success, voices like Tomi Olatunbode’s are helping redefine the conversation. She is proving that design is not simply about how spaces look, but about how they empower people to think, create, and lead.
And perhaps that is her greatest contribution: reminding us that every remarkable innovation begins somewhere and the spaces we design today have the power to shape the ideas, businesses, and communities of tomorrow.
Tomi, can you share a bit about your background and how your journey has unfolded?
My journey into design wasn’t a straight line. I initially studied computer science and began my career as a service engineer at Ericsson and later at the Nigerian Stock Exchange. But I’d always been drawn to the built environment, so after working for a while, I invested in formal training and earned a master’s degree in interior design. That’s what truly began my journey into interior design.
After graduating, I freelanced with a few designers and worked in Ghana before starting Spazio Ideale with less than ₦60,000, taking on small projects for family and friends and simply learning with every opportunity.
Over time, those small projects led to bigger opportunities. Today, we deliver commercial and hospitality projects across Nigeria and beyond. If I had to summarise my journey, I’d say this: I took a chance, started small, and stayed committed to learning and excellence.
You often speak about design excellence as a discipline rather than an outcome. What does design excellence mean to you, and how has it become the foundation of Spazio Ideale?
For me, it starts with excellence; not design excellence. Excellence is a foundational value that guides every area of my life. As a Christian, I believe we serve a God of excellence, so whatever we choose to do should be done to the highest standard.
That’s why I chose to formally study interior design. I believed that if I was going to build a career in this profession, I owed it to my clients and to myself to develop the right knowledge and discipline. That training laid the foundation for Spazio Ideale and has enabled us to deliver confidently in the commercial and hospitality sectors, where attention to detail and technical excellence are non-negotiable.
At Spazio Ideale, excellence isn’t just something we aspire to; it’s embedded in our culture. One of our core values is that our reputation outweighs our profit. Everything we do is anchored on two pillars: exceptional design and excellent execution. We also believe in going above and beyond because excellence is delivering quality to an unusual degree.
That discipline shows up in every stage of our work; from research and understanding the client’s objectives to design development, production drawings, execution, and handover. For us, excellence isn’t an outcome; it’s a way of working.
Having travelled extensively and worked across different markets, how have those experiences influenced your perspective on African design and its place on the global stage?
One of the biggest lessons travelling and working across different markets has taught me is that design is always a reflection of a society’s values, priorities, and aspirations. Every country I’ve worked in has a distinct design language, which is expressed in architecture, interiors, and fashion. From how airports welcome you to how public spaces function to how hotels create experiences. These experiences have reinforced my belief that design is far more than aesthetics; it’s a strategic tool that shapes behaviour, culture, and even perception.
Interestingly, the more I travelled, the more convinced I became that Africa shouldn’t aspire to copy anyone else. The world’s most respected design cultures didn’t become influential by imitation. They became influential by deeply understanding who they were and expressing that identity with excellence, and for me, there lies the opportunity for African design.
We have incredibly rich cultures, diverse ways of living, unique climates, and different ways of working. Our responsibility isn’t to replicate global trends but to solve our own challenges with the same level of rigour, intentionality, and quality that you see anywhere in the world.
At Spazio Ideale, that’s a philosophy we try to live every day. We ask ourselves, what should this space make possible? Whether we’re designing a corporate headquarters, a hospitality project, or an innovation hub, our goal is to create spaces that enable people and organisations to thrive, while remaining authentic to the context they’re built in.
Travelling has also changed how I think about Africa’s place on the global stage. I don’t believe global relevance comes from looking internationally. It comes from consistently delivering work that meets global standards while remaining unmistakably rooted in our own realities.
This is why raising the standard of African design is important to me. I want the world to see Africa not simply as a market for design but as a source of design leadership, innovation, and excellence. I believe we’re entering a defining moment where African designers have the opportunity to shape conversations globally, not because we’ve borrowed someone else’s identity, but because we’ve had the confidence to refine and elevate our own.
You have said that Africa doesn’t need to imitate the rest of the world to become globally relevant. What do you believe is Africa’s greatest competitive advantage when it comes to design?
I believe Africa’s greatest competitive advantage is our culture. Not just in the sense of patterns or colours, but also in the richness of how we live, connect and interact with our environment.
The opportunity for African designers is to translate our own cultures and realities into spaces that are contemporary, functional, and globally relevant. It’s to establish an African standard of design excellence, one that meets global standards while remaining rooted in our own realities.
Spazio Ideale has delivered projects across corporate, hospitality, commercial, and institutional sectors. Regardless of the project type, what question do you always ask before the design process begins? Regardless of the sector, corporate, hospitality, commercial, institutional, the question I always come back to is the same: What should this space make possible? Not what should it look like, but what should it do.
Is the space meant to encourage collaboration? Create a memorable guest experience? Strengthen company culture?
The answers to those questions become the foundation for every design decision we make. By understanding our client’s objectives first, we’re able to create spaces that not only meet their goals but also transform the way people experience and connect within those spaces.
Beyond creating beautiful spaces, what role do you believe design should play in shaping businesses, communities, and the way people experience everyday life?
Beauty is the easy part, honestly. Any designer can make a space look good in a photograph. To me, design plays a much more important role.
I believe design has the power to shape behaviour. The spaces we create influence how people think, collaborate, connect, and even how they feel. In a business, thoughtful design can strengthen culture, improve productivity, and communicate a company’s values. It can make a client trust you the moment they walk in or feel unsettled without knowing why.
In hospitality, design defines the guest experience. In our communities, it influences how people interact with one another and with the environment around them.
That’s why I don’t see design as simply making spaces beautiful. I see it as a strategic tool that helps individuals and businesses achieve their objectives while creating better experiences for the people they serve. Ultimately, the impact of great design extends far beyond the space itself. It influences how people live, work, connect, and experience the world around them.
As Founder and Creative Director of Spazio Ideale, how have you intentionally built a culture of excellence within your team, and why is that culture just as important as the projects you deliver?
As a founder, I’ve been intentional about building a business that doesn’t revolve around me. That starts with putting the right structures and systems in place so we can consistently deliver excellence as we grow.
Beyond that, our culture is anchored in our core values. They shape how we think, collaborate, serve our clients, and uphold the standards we set for ourselves every day. For me, culture is just as important as the projects we deliver because it determines the quality of every project we’ll ever undertake.
Through Founders Collective, you’re investing in the next generation of designers and creative entrepreneurs. What inspired that commitment, and what legacy do you hope to leave through mentorship?
Founders Collective was born out of the understanding that growth is a collective effort. Many of the strides we’ve made at Spazio Ideale are the result of the guidance, advice, and support we’ve received from family, mentors, and people who invested in our journey.
I believe the Nigeria of our dreams will be built by strong SMEs with solid values and sound business practices. That’s what inspired Founders Collective; to equip young entrepreneurs with the knowledge, guidance, and community they need to build sustainable businesses.
If my legacy is that I helped a generation of founders build businesses that create jobs, solve meaningful problems, and outlive them, then I would consider that a life well lived.
You recently moderated the African Futures: Place Making & Future Living panel at the Africa Property Investment Summit. What conversations from that session reinforced your optimism about the future of African design?
What reinforced my optimism was the shared belief that Africa’s future isn’t just about building more; it’s about building better. It reminded me that the future of African design lies in putting people at the centre of every decision. If we continue to do that, we’ll create places that don’t just serve today’s needs but are built to thrive for generations to come.
The design industry has traditionally been male-dominated. As a woman leading a growing practice, what has your experience taught you about leadership, resilience, and creating opportunities for others?
My experience has taught me that leadership is a daily practice. It’s having the vision to see people not as they are, but as they can become.
Understanding that every individual has untapped potential serves as the bedrock for creating opportunities for others by building a culture where people can grow, contribute, and reach their full potential.
If the next generation of designers, especially young women, can look at my journey and believe there’s room for them to lead, then that’s a legacy I’m proud to be part of.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Spazio Ideale, and what kinds of collaborations or projects would you like to see the practice undertake in the coming years?
What excites me the most is the opportunity to continue to provide world-class design from Africa that has global relevance.
We are looking forward to collaborating with visionary clients, developers, hotel brands and organizations that see design as a strategic investment rather than an afterthought. Projects where we’re involved early enough to help shape not just the space, but the experience and impact it creates.
Ultimately my vision for Spazio Ideale is to be recognized as the leading integrated design-led delivery firm to emerge from Africa. Contributing to projects that positively impact businesses, communities, and cities.
Finally, if there is one message you would like young African designers, particularly women, to take away from your journey, what would it be?
I’d say this: success looks different for everyone, so don’t spend your life trying to fit into someone else’s definition of it. Invest in your craft, pursue excellence relentlessly, and let your work speak for itself.
And to young women especially, don’t allow the fact that an industry has traditionally looked one way to define what you believe is possible. The industry needs your voice, your leadership, and your perspective. Keep showing up, keep learning, and keep creating work that leaves a lasting impact.
| Connect With Tomi Olatunbode |
| Instagram – @Tomi_Olatunbode |
| Instagram – @SpazioIdeale |
