In Lagos, Nigeria, an art and design studio called ATUNDA is turning discarded textile materials into furniture, lighting, home décor and sculptures. Founded by creative Mabayomije Akinyemi-Ekong, the studio was inspired by a pile of fabric scraps she saw on a road in Yaba, Lagos—she began to wonder whether these discarded materials could have a second life instead of being treated as trash.

ATUNDA treats discarded fabric as a creative raw material with its own colors, textures and characteristics. The studio's first body of work, called "The Yaba Collection," uses textile materials recovered from Yaba textile market and is positioned as functional art pieces for contemporary homes, offices and public spaces. The first completed piece in the collection is called AKOBI, a chair and the studio's first attempt at upholstery using recycled textile materials. Akinyemi-Ekong recalls that AKOBI was the moment the idea became real: "We believed these discarded fabrics could become something beautiful and valuable, but we weren't sure it was feasible. After repeated experimentation, AKOBI became the first proof."

ATUNDA's work blends design, art and circularity, with each piece meant to be both functional and to retain the characteristics and imperfections of the recycled material itself. This effort comes against the backdrop of Nigeria's growing textile waste problem: offcuts from markets, tailor shops and fashion production are often dumped, burned or piled up in public spaces. Akinyemi-Ekong says the studio has no intention of merely "making something out of waste," but rather wants to change how people see these materials—"the goal is to first make pieces people genuinely want, and then they discover the material has been given a second life."

Beyond the collection, ATUNDA also plans to hold creative workshops where participants make small furniture from recycled textiles, and to collaborate with local artisans. The studio also intends to seek partners to extend the circular model into the field of social impact, including developing textile-based solutions for under-resourced communities. Its long-term goal is to build a Nigerian design institution that proves the creative and economic value of materials often seen as worthless.

Source: ATUNDA turns textile waste into furniture, décor · Originally published on 2026-09-11