Nok on Wood

It is a well-known terminology in America that if you knock on wood, you are protecting yourself from the evils within a conversation. Knocking on wood is also means of cock-blocking karma from throwing shade on your parade. So, long story short, the chosen title is set to catfish as many as possible to listen to what I have to say about interiors in Lagos. I visited Nok by Alara. As a designer, I will come back and write about Alara itself (if they commission me or something- an entrepreneur does nothing for free. Biko!). But I couldn’t resist writing about this black interior of awesome vibes. Again, this is not commissioned. It’s an honest review from an interior designer’s stand point.

A reservation made online, for a table of one. Upon arriving the Alara compound, I had to wait till 6pm before basking in what would become one of my favorite places to be, in Lagos. So being that I was their first guest that night, I got to enjoy the space alone, the whole time I was there. Talk about VIP treatment. Ideally, I would have been weirded out by the idea of eating alone, but not with the upbeat pop-african music playing in the background. That plus the fact that I am not comfortable eating in front of people…

Nok, a name derived from ancient Nigerian civilization, is the name given to the restaurant space I found myself. The interior of this unique room was done tastefully, in a minimalist African aesthetic. The black walls and ceilings envelope the space, while a grey floor encloses it. In the early hours of the evening time, the triangular fractals that craw up the wall allow light out of the building but as night falls, they illuminate the space, bringing a polished vibe to it. Nok is fitted with indigenous furniture to anchor the authenticity of its location.

Black and white photographs by Logor lace the walls, bringing various scenes from Lagos’ street life. Although I was the only customer at the time I was there, I did not feel alone. Honestly, the space did more for me than the food. My eyes caught everything from the staggering ceiling, to the basket-like lights that fell from the double-volume space.

Little details like the salt and peppershakers, Tom Dixon candle holders, and the iro and buba uniform of the waitress added to the experience. The bar on the interior and the furniture pieces on the exterior felt like a refined shrine. That sounds slightly negative but it leaves an image in your mind. In like manner, you cannot go to Nok without picking the refined ethnic vibe. There are two bars in the outside seating area of the restaurant. On one, the exterior is made from a painted corrugated roofing sheet, while the other looks like it strolled out of a garage sale (talk about our cultural inability to throw anything away! It was designed though, I can assure you) Before I conclude, I’d like to add that the corrugated bar was later changed to hand-painted panels done by Victor Ehikhamenor (I have been to Nok more than once- it is simply a place to visit, when in Lagos).

All-in-all, the modern traditionalist concept of Alara and its adjoining restaurant-Nok-transcend through the architecture, interior design, and overflow seating on the exterior. A concept that I coined personally, but I see more and more every time I am in dialogue with forward-thinking Africans- African Minimalist. The world is focused on Africa. I am just proud to take small samples to prove it. If you do your research and go visit, tell them I sent you (hoping for free drinks at this point).

Spreading light and love from the notes from that wonderful experience.