Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg is a Stockholm-based South-African designer. She is the founder of The Ninevites, a multidisciplinary design studio and creative agency. Through The Ninevites, Nkuli partners with craftspeople, designers, institutions, and global brands to cocreate projects that honor traditional knowledge, celebrate identity, and support sustainable creative economies. she has collaborated with both public and private sectors, partnering with artisans in the Karoo, Senegal, Japan, and Peru. Nkuli’s clients have included Svenkt Tenn, Standard Bank Art Lab, Penguin Random House UK, Rand Merchant Investment, Trenery, and the Nordic Culture Fund.

7:40am: I am currently in the final stages of product development for our new showroom, which is set to open at the end of February. The past few weeks have been very busy. Each morning, I start by checking my emails, as we collaborate with artisans in different parts of the world and need to manage various time zones. I am participating in the Cape Town Art Fair, which opens in two weeks, and the pieces for that exhibition are made in Japan. Since Japan is eight hours ahead, I try to reach out to them in the morning before they finish their workday.

Nkuli taking Ula to school. Courtesy of Nkuli.

8:00am: Emailing usually happens while I get my five-year-old, Ula, ready for school. I'm not a breakfast person, so I just have a coffee and I'm ready to go. This morning, I tried to avoid taking her to school on her snow mattress, but she wouldn't budge. As a South African, I'm not accustomed to these weather conditions, and activities like snowboarding and outdoor winter sports are very foreign to me. However, I always try to push myself out of my comfort zone and go with the flow, especially because she really enjoys it.

8:30am: After dropping Ula off, I brave the cold and take a short walk to Café Lyran, a charming neighborhood café housed in an old Swedish-designed building that has been transformed into a wedding venue and coffee shop, situated between the forest and Malarhöjden Beach. On my walk I enjoyed a nice playlist with tunes by May Ninth, Sault, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Rhye.

10:00am: I am currently working from home, and today my priority is to follow up on invoice payments so I can pay the artisans. I also need to decide on colors for our linen tableware collection. Choosing colors for a collection is usually the most enjoyable part, but it can also be time-consuming because I tend to be indecisive. Right now, I'm especially drawn to combinations of pinks and greys, as well as browns and blues.

1:00pm: After lunch, I went into the city for home scent inspiration. I'm on a mission to find the best scent for our showroom. My research highlighted the top four home scents: Loewe, Byredo Bibliotek, Le Labo, and Celine. However, I prefer supporting independent brands, so I checked out the Swedish fragrance house Bjork & Berry, inspired by Sweden's landscapes. I loved their Faluröd scent, inspired by the red cottages of the countryside, and I also liked the Cra-yon incense for its colorful and playful branding.

4:00pm: I am back at my desk; it's already dark outside, and I'm ready to start working with the artisans in Lima, Peru. We communicate via WhatsApp, and they are currently making hand-woven sheep wool cushions and alpaca throws. They send me picture updates on the progress of the weaving, which I share with clients so they can see the making process. Clients enjoy this, and I believe it helps them understand the effort that goes into the product and why it takes the time it does.

5:00pm: Ula and Imitha, my teenage daughter, are now back from school. Imitha is usually playing video games with her cousins in South Africa, and Ula is catching up on the latest episode of Junior Rangers while I try to figure out what we are going to have for dinner. My husband, Simon, usually does the cooking; I am not much of a cook myself.

8:00pm: Once Ula is in bed, Simon and I usually chill out on the couch with a glass of wine. We're currently watching a very funny comedy on Apple TV called "Shrinking," which is the perfect way to unwind before going to sleep.

11:00pm: I'm off to bed, where I start by catching up on the daily news on my phone before reading. I’m currently reading a book I was gifted for Christmas, All Fours by Miranda July.

This piece has been edited and condensed for clarity.

A Snowy Day in Stockholm with Founder of The Ninevites Nkuli Mlangeni-Berg