About Us

Product Search

About Us

We are a seven year old company that has been based in Tanzania and St. Maarten and now Tortola. The company was started by Nicola Swynnerton, an Australian who had been living in Tanzania for over 20 years. She started her company after purchasing a single 40 year old retired sailing dhow that was on the verge of being chopped up for firewood. She hired one local craftsman to help build furniture for her home. From this, Nzito Furniture was born. Six years ago whilst visiting Tanzania, Anneke de Bruin, a Dutch woman from St. Maarten, saw an intriguing wooden table with unusual characteristics at a market and went on a mission to find the person who created it. She found Nicola at her work shop.	Nicola
From this chance meeting a bond was formed and a gallery called African House of Wonders was opened in St. Maarten showcasing Nzito’s sustainable and historic furniture. During a visit to St. Maarten five years ago, Annie Westcott-MacPhail saw a most enchanting yet simple wooden towel rack on the sidewalk outside African House of Wonders’ gallery. Like minds came together and today the three are partners in a business now called simply House of Wonders: a business that connects continents, cultures and communities.	Anneke