Gbemi Elekula is a multi-disciplinary creative entrepreneur. She is the founder of DreamHome, a full-service interior design and styling company, as well as HUMANx—a fashion brand that is committed to tackling period poverty.
Prior to these enterprises, Gbemi had a stint in the construction and banking sectors, where she developed skills and competencies relevant to her current vocation. As a quantity surveyor with Gimba & Partners, she worked on several construction projects and built proficiency in project design and management.
Her five years experience as a retail banking and customer care executive with Oceanic and Ecobank helped hone her networking and communication skills.
From early childhood, Gbemi had a strong fascination for colours and a deep love for design of all forms. “I started out creating greeting cards when—on birthdays and special occasions—our nanny would give us coloured pencils and ask us to make something for the celebrant. Then I progressed to painting with markers, and I would frame my works using broken louvre. I also made pillows, some of which my dad has till date,” she recalls.
Gbemi’s interest in the arts never waned, and her creative side always shone no matter the endeavor. So, it was no surprise when she quit her job at the bank to pursue her passion for design and creative services. Leveraging natural-born artistic talent, strategic vision, business acumen and an extensive network, she has advised many-a-client on interior styling for residential and commercial buildings, and created myriad designs of décor and fashion items.
Gbemi not only champions the vision of DreamHome and HUMANx, but also oversees the creative design and production processes, directing and supervising the functions of internal teams and external suppliers, and ensuring adherence to timelines and quality standards. Each space, decorative piece or fashion item designed by Gbemi feels cozy, eclectic, and unique. Her works are elegant and timeless—the kind you will want to keep for the long run.
For Gbemi, design should always be about people and their deeply-rooted desires. She has a remarkable ability to bring clients’ ideas to life, creating beautiful, functional spaces and pieces that are tailored to their personal style and practical needs.
Gbemi prides herself as being an artistic visionary who is not afraid to push the boundaries of creative expression—building consensus and ensuring projects meet all milestones, deadlines, and budget requirements.
Beyond personal gratification and commercial gain, Gbemi sees her creative ventures as a medium for addressing social issues. Through DreamHome, she has organised a number of cultural initiatives—the most recent being an art exhibition themed “United in a Pandemic & United as a Nation”, which was aimed at building solidarity and promoting joint action to stop the spread of COVID-19. Her fashion brand, HUMANx, strives to tackle period poverty—each sale unlocking access to better sanitary products for females in rural Nigeria.
For her creative exploits, She has been featured in several newspaper publications, radio and television programmes. FOX 34 News named her one of Top Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2021. In addition to a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Quantity Surveying and an MBA in Strategic and Project Management from the Paris Graduate School of Management, Gbemi has a Professional Diploma in Interior Design from the British College of Interior Design, Oxford, United Kingdom. She has attended several training and development courses in design and creativity.
