S A’ S M O S T B E A U T I F U L M A G A Z I N E WIN

A FREESTANDING
KITCHEN
CUPBOARD
WORTH
R20 000

100+ PAGES
ARTISTS, DESIGNERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS,
CURATORS & ARCHITECTS TO WATCH

KING LEWANIKA
LODGE IN ZAMBIA,
PHOTOGRAPHED
BY DOOK
DESIGNS
21ST-CENTURY SPACES IN THE CAPE KAROO GAUTENG & ZAMBIA

OF OUR TIME
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 EDITOR’S LETTER .................... PAGE 19
CONTRIBUTORS .................... PAGE 20
VISI.CO.ZA .................... PAGE 22
LOOKING FOR WINNING DESIGN .................... PAGE 26
VOICES Sam Wilson-Späth .................... PAGE 33
VOICES Seth Shezi .................... PAGE 34
VOICES Laurian Brown .................... PAGE 36
VOICES Claire Bisseker .................... PAGE 38

F E A T U R E S
CAPE TOWN PENTHOUSE .................... PAGE 40
JOHANNESBURG ESTATE HOME .................... PAGE 48
KAROO FARMHOUSE .................... PAGE 54
ZAMBIA SAFARI LODGE .................... PAGE 64
SEA POINT APARTMENT .................... PAGE 74

102
WATERKLOOF HOME .................... PAGE 82
WELLINGTON EVENT .................... PAGE 90
STELLENBOSCH TASTING ROOM .................... PAGE 96
PLETTENBERG BAY WEAVING MILL .................... PAGE 102
COPENHAGEN SIGHTS .................... PAGE 108

R E A S O N

122
34 REASONS WE’RE CRUSHING ON CREATIVITY
1. The 2018 Design Indaba is set to inspire ........ PAGE 118
2. The Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades Collection ........ PAGE 122
3. The Pantone Colour of the Year 2018 is Ultra Violet ........ PAGE 124
4. The latest drop from adidas Originals ........ PAGE 126
5. Innovative new packaging from Chanel ........ PAGE 128
6. The design trends that will impact us in 2018 ........ PAGE 130
7. Highlights from the annual Cape Town Art Fair ........ PAGE 132
8. Harley-Davidson has unboxed its 2018 Softail range ........ PAGE 134
9. An excerpt from Black: Architecture in Monochrome ........ PAGE 136
10. A look through Mack Magagane’s lens ........ PAGE 138
11. Beautiful and intelligent smart tech ........ PAGE 140
12. Newport Lighting’s eye-catching 369 Collection ........ PAGE 142
13. A super-practical locker from Multiply Furniture ........ PAGE 144
14. We chat to award-winning artist Igshaan Adams ........ PAGE 146
15. Stiles Tiles launches an Italian tile collection ........ PAGE 148
16. Cottonberry has a new fabric and wallpaper range ........ PAGE 150
17. Sofacompany.com brings Danish design to SA ........ PAGE 152
18. Belgotex boasts on-trend colourways and comfort ........ PAGE 154
19. New life for recycled paper and natural fibres ........ PAGE 156
20. A PR company’s stylish studio space ........ PAGE 158
21. Traditional jacquard weaving on our shores ........ PAGE 160
22. An interior range made for little dreamers ........ PAGE 162

178
23. ArtLab and Whimsical Collection have teamed up ........ PAGE 164
24. The Picalow collection has baby’s needs in mind ........ PAGE 166
25. Neolith has three exciting new designs ........ PAGE 168
26. Customise your bathroom with statement pieces ........ PAGE 170
27. Practical vinyl flooring that resembles real wood ........ PAGE 172
28. Joburg’s trendy new Champagne bar ........ PAGE 174
29. Wine trends for 2018, according to a sommelier ........ PAGE 176
30. Five of our favourite spirits from around the globe ........ PAGE 178
31. Four books that feature exquisite design ........ PAGE 180
32. Behind the wheel of the new Range Rover Velar ........ PAGE 182
33. The Eat Out Restaurant Awards gala was lit ........ PAGE 184
34. Win a kitchen cupboard, worth more than R20 000 ........ PAGE 188
Smart idea ........ PAGE 192

126
COVER PHOTO DOOK, KING LEWANIKA LODGE IN ZAMBIA
 A DV E R TO R I A L

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 H New Year with a Design Issue, which
ere at VISI HQ we kick off every
sets the mood and expectations design-
wise for the rest of the year. So, in this
issue, we showcase 21st-century spaces
in the Karoo, the Cape, Gauteng, Zambia
and Copenhagen, and shine the spotlight
on some of the artists, designers, curators,
architects, and other movers and shakers
to watch in 2018.
As we were preparing to send the
magazine to the printers, National
Geographic named its happiest places in
the world, and Denmark was one of the
three – the others being Singapore and
Costa Rica. I was incredibly fortunate to
spend a few days in the Danish capital of
Copenhagen at the beginning of September 2017, days filled
with stimulation, loveliness and design. Afterwards, I said to my
children that if I had visited the city when I was in my early 20s
I might have never come back. Copenhagen for me is the
PHOTOS MARIELISE VAN DER MERWE (TOP) AND ASTRID RASMUSSEN
lives easier. See on page 108 how much
you can actually pack into four days in this
beautiful city!
Another recent highlight was the visit
to the magnificent Gideonshoop, a nearly-
200-year-old farmhouse near Klaarstroom
in the Great Karoo that Marielise van
der Merwe saved from demolition and
transformed into a stylish retreat. It was the
end of November, and Jan Ras and I were
not prepared for the unseasonal cold. It
was freezing! But I will suffer that cold again
any time to see that modern farmhouse in
the first light of day.
01
When I grow up I want to be a nomad
who designs beautiful things and lives in
hotels all around the world, just like Karien
Belle. Her Sea Point apartment is like a jewellery box: magical and
glittery and filled with surprises. I could just bring my sequined
handbag and move right in, and never leave again!
May your year be filled with inspired design.

epitome of a city where everything is designed to make people’s Sumien

PHOTO JAN RAS

02

01 Photographer Jan Ras and Sumien shooting photos on the farm Gideonshoop near Klaarstroom.
02 Kalvebod Fælled (Kalvebod Common) and in the background the southern part of the neighbourhood Ørestad, Copenhagen, Denmark.
02

PS In our feature in the Jan 2017/Feb 2018 issue on stylish Cape Winelands tasting venues we neglected to credit Christiaan
Barnard Interiors & Design Stellenbosch for Rupert & Rothschild's interior design. Our sincere apologies to Christo.
 EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Sumien Brink
Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes
Assistant Editor Tracy Greenwood
SAM WOULIDGE, WRITER Art Director Anton Pietersen
Managing Editor Samantha Charles
Who is your favorite local designer? Features Editor Amelia Brown
For fashion, Karien Belle (I’m an avid collector of her Jetlag Poetry scarves); Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring
for food, Jacques Erasmus from Hemelhuijs; and for furniture, Gregor Jenkin Social Media Manager Ashraf Booley
– his steel tables are perfection. Content Producer Mary Garner
Copy Editor Kay-Ann van Rooyen
Which local product can you not live without?
Advertising Designer Marcus Viljoen
The candles from the Scent Room at Babylonstoren.
What’s your most treasured possession? Advertising & Marketing
There are many; I love beautiful things. But my obsession with my vintage Business and Digital Sales Manager Diane Lubbe
Murano glass ashtrays has endured for many years. 021 417 1147 / 083 391 1651
Key Account Manager Eva Cookson (Cape Town)
What role does design play in your life?
021 417 1274 / 076 662 0785
I like it, but I don’t live by it. Key Account Manager Elna Coetzer (Cape Town)
Three people, dead or alive, you would want to invite for dinner? 021 417 5151 / 082 971 9715
AA Gill. Dominick Dunne. Max du Preez. The conversation, gossip and stories Advertising Sales Executive Nicolette Davids
would make up for whatever it is that my food lacks. (Johannesburg) 084 585 6034
Advertising Sales Executive Sue Anthony
What do you think of the Pantone Colour of the Year 2018, Ultra Violet?
(Johannesburg) 082 688 3536
I like it, but I’m also slightly afraid of it. So I’ll be planting rather than painting. Advertising Coordinator Julian Petersen
I see violet agapanthus in my future.
Distribution & Subscriptions
Distribution RNA
Contact Centre 011 248 3500
ASHRAF BOOLEY, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Print Subscriptions Ramsay Media
What role does design play in your life? visisubs@ramsaymedia.co.za, 087 405 2005
I consider myself an aesthete. Living in the beautiful city of Cape Town, I feel Digital Subscriptions MySubs
privileged to be surrounded by creative and impactful designs and designers mysubs.co.za/contact, 0861 697 827
– whether it’s an architectural structure like the Arch for Arch or a fashion
Publishing Team
designer making a statement. Group Content Head Tracy Greenwood
Which local product can you not live without? Group Account Director Jason Curtis
Nic Harry socks and as, um, cheesy as it sounds, NikNaks. Account Manager Thanaa Moosa
What’s your most treasured possession? Creative Director Mark Serra
Production Manager Shirley Quinlan
A framed Michael Chandler illustration, customised to incorporate lines from
ABC Manager Roxanne Holman
my poem “Mommy”, which is dedicated to my mom. I received it as a special
birthday gift last year. EXECUTIVE TEAM
Who should we all be following on Instagram right now? Managing Director Aileen Lamb
Me, obvs (@myuncouthmouth), and @visi_mag if you aren’t already. Commercial Director Maria Tiganis
Content Director Andrew Nunneley
Do you have a party trick?
Head of Digital Kamiel Ebrahim
Disappearing from a party without anyone noticing. Chief Financial Officer Mark Oaten
What do you think of the Pantone Colour of the Year 2018, Ultra Violet? Chief Executive Officer Bridget McCarney
It is a bold, provocative hue in the home. I once painted a feature wall in my Executive Director John Psillos
flat a dramatic shade of purple and (surprisingly) everyone who visited loved it. Non-Executive Director Irna van Zyl

Reproduction New Media Publishing

Printing Novus Print
DOOK, PHOTOGRAPHER
Published by New Media Publishing (Pty) Ltd,
Who is your favorite local designer? New Media House, 19 Bree Street, Cape Town
Porky [Hefer]. He thinks like a child and has an easy name to remember. PO Box 440, Green Point, Cape Town 8051
Which local product can you not live without? Telephone: 021 417 1111 E-mail: visi@visi.co.za
PHOTO MICHAEL LA GRANGE (SAM)

The sun. Website address: newmediapub.co.za

What’s your most treasured possession?
My wife and child.
What do you never leave home without?
A dirty mind and a sense of humour.
All rights reserved. Whereas precautions have been
Do you have a party trick? taken to ensure the accuracy of information, neither
Yes, magically, I disappear very early or, sometimes, I don’t appear at all! the editor, publisher nor New Media Publishing
Three people, dead or alive, you would want to invite for dinner? can be held liable for any inaccuracies, injury or
Three dead ones. They eat less. damages that may arise. The opinions expressed in
the articles may not reflect those of the publisher.
What do you think of the Pantone Colour of the Year 2018, Ultra Violet?
I don’t think anything of it: I have to shoot in colour but see the world in black
and white.

FEB/MAR 2018 020

 L EG E N DA R Y PE R F O R M A N C E FA B R I C S ™

SU N B R E L L A .CO M FA D E PR O O F / E A S Y C A R E / B L E AC H C L E A N A B L E
 CA N ’ T WA I T F O R T H E N E X T V I S I ? G E T YO U R D A I LY D O S E AT

HOME DECOR DESIGN ARCHITECTURE LIFESTYLE BEST BUYS VISI EVENTS

# R E A D E R L O V E
Enjoying the latest issue of VISI? Share the love by tagging us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
We can’t get enough of your happy snaps

Look forward to diving into the
colourful pages of issue 92 #visi
#visilife #wallpaper #visimag
#lifegoals #furniture #ash #stool
#bespoke #plascon #curves
– @harris_creations.za
When you see your
a$$ on the cover…
#WhenTheLightingIsTheCoopoo
#VisiMagazine #zeitzmocaa
– @tammytamati
Mellow morning with the
latest #visimagazine and
a very #pretty #pink and
#grey #rug from @superbalist
woopwoop #midweekmellow
– @dani.diamond.ct
Love this summer issue of
@visi_mag… speaks to my
African heart #Visi #Africa
#bloom #Summer #inspire
#Ghana #Art #zeitzmocaa
– @bloom.za

WIN WITH MNIML

I #visimagazine sooo much
#riebeekkasteelweekend
#addictedtomagazines
– @colsie123
Need to maximise space at home? Local online retailer
mniml.co.za is offering VISI readers the chance to win
a Scandi-inspired chest of drawers in black, worth more
than R6 700. Made out of a combination of solid ash wood
<<SATURDAY INSPIRATION>> and durable ash veneer, it’s the perfect storage solution for
The weekend is the perfect clothes or linen. Go to VISI.co.za/win to enter.
time to gain inspiration for
the week ahead with an early-
morning smoothie and
@visi_mag #inspiration
#decor #designinspiration
#decorideas #beautifulthings
– @beautiful_thingswithdirk

Easy like Sunday when a new

WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

VISI issue is out :) Always inspired

by South African
talent #visimagazine #visi
#cominginhot #coffeeandamag Healthy snack #carrots
#southafricandesigners #healthysnacks
– @dandc_creations – @agnesss1984

I N S T A N T I N S P I R A T I O N
Follow @visi_mag on Instagram, where we share the best (and most beautiful) designs from across the globe.
volution
 LOOKING FOR WINNING DESIGNS

THE FINALISTS OF THE SABC 3 WIN A HOME

COMPETITION SEASON 4, WHICH AIRED
ON AFTERNOON EXPRESS IN 2017,
TOLD ANNEMARIE MEINTJES ABOUT THE ONE
DESIGN ITEM THAT PULLED THEM THROUGH.
P H OTO S M A R I J K E W I L L E M S P R O D U C T I O N A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S

Hamer Woman I by David Ballam, 2015, printed on canvas, 120 cm x 80 cm or 180 cm x 120 cm.
• amatuli.co.za • davidballam.co.za

FEB/MAR 2018 026

 MPHO
DESIGNER
AND LESEGO
MASEKELA
Mpho and Lesego, pictured
here with photographer
David Ballam, exhausted
their budget before they had
completed their entrance
hall, the space in a house
that gives visitors their first
impression of the home-
owners’ style. Amatuli came
to the rescue with a large
David Ballam photograph
printed on canvas of
a beautiful girl from the
Hamer community in the
Omo Valley, Ethiopia.
• davidballam.co.za
 TSHEPO SEALETSA AND
BANELE KHOZA
When their budget ran out, Tshepo and Banele collaborated with Phillip
Hollander and Stephen Wilson of Houtlander, winner of the 100%
Design Best Furniture Design Award 2017, to add a three-seater bench
and armchair to complete the look of their lounge.

Houtlander’s solid oak bench, a contemporary

take on the traditional Windsor bench, is
available as a two-seater (120 cm x 140 cm)
and a three-seater (160 cm x 180 cm), with or
without armrests. • houtlander.co.za

028
 ABIAH MAHLASE AND
BRADLEY MUTTITT
Great fans of chandeliers (they used them all over their apartment!),
Abiah and Bradley found Stephen Pikus on social media and joined
forces with him to create the ultimate razzle-dazzle chandelier made
from recycled glass and copper wire. It was a showstopper!

The FIRE+ICE chandelier collection is handmade

and the raw material is collected by a large group
of trolley-pushing recyclers. The chandeliers can be
viewed at the Streamlight showroom in Kramerville,
Johannesburg or ordered directly from Stephen
Pikus. • stephenpikus.com • streamlight.co.za
 SMEG PROMOTION

WHEN GREAT MEETS

GRANDE
FOR ONLINE EDITOR LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING there’s nothing
quite like the aroma of anything freshly baked straight out of the oven.

P H OTO D O O K WO R D S L I N D I B R OW N E L L M E I R I N G

I am by no means a cordon bleu chef, but baking really is one of my favourite pastimes, from whipping up sweet treats
like choc-chip cookies (by the dozen) to all things savoury. The smells of baking wafting through the kitchen evoke some
of my fondest childhood memories. When it comes to recreating these nostalgic flashbacks, happiness is my cooker!
Naturally, it’s big on style, but what makes my cooker so hugely impressive is the massive oven. It more than does the job
and bakes to perfection thanks to exclusive insulation technology from Smeg with extreme temperature and moisture
control, making even the most involved recipes deliciously simple to prepare. Here’s one of my favourite bakes.

FEB/MAR 2018 030

 PÂTÉ AUX POMMES
DE TERRE (potato pie)

This golden-crusted pie is

a sure crowd-pleaser. It is taken
from Festive France: Reflections
and Recipes from the French
Countryside by Louis Jansen van
Vuuren, Hardy Olivier and Anet
Pienaar (Jonathan Ball).

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)
• 400 g waxy potatoes, washed,
peeled and cut into 5 mm slices
• 250 g crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons wholegrain
mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• a generous pinch of salt
• lots of freshly ground
black pepper
• 400 g frozen puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk, beaten

METHOD
Par-boil the potato, then leave
to cool in a large mixing bowl.
Mix the crème fraîche, mustard,
garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
Add to the potato slices, mixing
carefully so they don’t break.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Divide the pastry into two, one
piece slightly larger than the
other. Roll out the larger piece
and use it to line a lightly oiled
pie dish. Spoon the potato filling
into the dish. Roll out the rest of
the pastry and place it on top
of the filling. Seal the pastry,
crimping the edges carefully so
that the filling does not leak out.

Brush the surface with egg yolk,

and cut one or two slits into
the pastry with a sharp knife to
allow steam to escape. Bake for

WHAT MAKES MY COOKER

45 minutes or until the pastry is
golden on top.

SO HUGELY IMPRESSIVE The pie is best served hot, but

IS THE MASSIVE OVEN. it also makes an excellent cold

picnic dish – just slice off the top
of the pastry crust to add more
crème fraîche, since the potato
tends to absorb most of the
mustard cream as it cools down.
The glass is always greener
on our side.

fairtrade • handmade • eco friendly • recycled • locally produced in Swaziland

P.O Box 45, Motshane, Swaziland

T / F: +268 – 244 24053 | 244 24142 | 244 24151 | 244 24588
Fax from SA only: 086 5305 452
www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz | ngwenya@ngwenyaglass.co.sz

Ngwenya Glass Boutique, Watershed V&A Waterfront, Cape Town T: +27 21 418 0654
 It may need some work and bits of it are ugly, but hey, isn’t this
true of us all? Say what you like about Sam Wilson-Späth’s house,
it’s part of her family and willing to roll with the punches.
In fact, I have loved our house from the
moment I saw it… 17 years ago at a 6 pm
winter walkthrough, when there were
children running happily down the long
Oregon pine corridor and all three fire-
places were flickering merrily.
We didn’t know yet that there is a very
good reason there are so many fireplaces
and that those children knew exactly
which boards to tread on to avoid getting
a foot wedged down a crack.
BACKGROUND DESIGN BY HAMMER (SEREINA ROTHENBERGER & DAVID SCHATZ)
It’s a slightly dodgy old house, but then
we’re a slightly dodgy family.
“You could add lovely sliding doors
here, onto the lawn,” enthused the estate
agent as we took our first look around.
A heavily pregnant 20-something
me looked at her in horror. “We don’t do
alterations. Honey, is she suggesting we do
alterations? I can’t do alterations.”
“Her parents’ obsession with alterations
has left her truly terrified of tarpaulin and
exposed brick of any kind,” my husband
reassured the concerned estate agent.
“Please continue showing us around. Hey,
is this another fireplace?”
The only alterations we have made
in the past almost two decades were
done this year actually. We were forced
to when I burnt down the kitchen during
an ill-advised deep-frying incident. We
had to replace everything from husks of
cupboard and scorched light fittings to the
melted kettle and toasted Nutribullet.
SAM WILSON-SPÄTH
“I’m truly sorry, House,” I whispered as
soon as the builders (and their evil tarpaulin)
were gone, and we were alone, united in our
trauma. “But the kitchen really was painted
an appalling ‘sick child’ green, wasn’t it?
I’m sure you weren’t that fond of it either.
This gentle kinda-beige the builders chose
for the walls is really quite soothing. We’ll get
used to it.”
Our house is an old Victorian, complete
with wraparound stoep, pressed ceilings and
metal broekie-lace. There’s a real sense of
stuff having gone down here, of stories in the
walls, nooks and many, many crannies. And
not in a scary Get Out horror-movie kind of
way, but a warm family-fumbling-through-life
kind of way. With love. And care. And clutter.
But not a lot of dusting.
I also feel our house gets the same kind
of perplexed as we do. Like when the lava
lamp died in the ’90s, but it stayed on the
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Sam, who studied law but works as a digital
content guru, lives in Cape Town. “Born and
bred, baby!”
2. In her opinion, good design is when some-
thing “just feels right”.
3. The year 2018 may be in its infancy but Sam
is already imagining a holiday where she can
snorkel all day.
4. In the opinion of Travelandleisure.com,
Ambergris Caye in Belize is one of the world’s
finest snorkelling spots.
5. Sam’s most prized possession is the quilt on
her bed that her husband says “brings the
room together”. Her mother made the quilt.
6. Her favourite social media platform is
Facebook. “The definition of modern
friendship is liking each other’s Facebook
posts until one of you dies.”
7. Follow Sam on Twitter @samwilson1.
mantelpiece until 2007, because well…
that’s where it lived.
As you’ve probably picked up by
now, our design ethos is more “see what
happens” than “let’s research current Danish
trends in cabinetry”. Things tend to stay
where they first landed. I like to call it The
Anarchic Aesthetic. There are cushions on
the couch that we’ve never really liked but
that were hand-made by good friends. The
walls are covered with framed postcards
from overseas trips, and Presticked pics
of friends and family, some happy, some
just embarrassing. (Boy, is my second son
pleased that I burnt that naked pic of him
in the park stuck to one of the erstwhile
kitchen cupboards.) We’re also happier
to rejig our thinking rather than our stuff.
For example, the lining of the bedroom
curtains has been thoroughly shredded by
clinging kittens, but we have decided to
just call that “a playful feathering effect”.
Our house also has its secrets. It is, after
all, more than 100 years old. It is the only
one who knows what happened to Harry
the Hamster, who escaped to live under the
floorboards in 2012. The attic is a mystery of
unpacked moving boxes from 1999 (“Is my
wedding dress up there, House?”), and the
secrets of the darkroom-like caves of our
teenage boys remain opaque.
You might think we are abusing our
house, but I believe it’s happy to have
us. You can feel it as soon as you walk in:
There’s a happiness and restfulness despite
the eclectic and, frankly, jarring design.
It doesn’t leak on us. Although the floor-
boards break often, no one has actually
fallen through one yet, touch wood.
But you know the best thing out of all
of this? I get to go home and tell our house
that it was featured in a decor magazine.
Take that, Danish design.
 Only recently has Seth Shezi realised that his love of plants
is an unconscious yearning for the childhood motifs that informed
the man he has become.
WORDS SETH SHEZI
By “Chicago” I do not mean the city on
Lake Michigan known for being the birthplace of Kanye West,
but the AA section of Umlazi township in Durban.
My childhood was a happy albeit solitary one. Chicago
was the newer and perhaps posher side of Umlazi. The brutal
demarcation of spaces had been done away with, meaning
properties were left to cascade one into another, leading to
landscaping squabbles with the neighbours over uncut grass.
In contrast to the parts of the township where houses lined up
neatly along the road, here we lived in a cul-de-sac – quite the
mark of sophistication in my mind. Ours had six houses, which
meant no traffic, and, although we had no parks we had the
dead-end street in which to play cricket and road-soccer.
At times Durban got so hot the tarmac would soften and,
on these days, my friends and I would take refuge in the over-
grown trench at the bottom of our property. Although one
could never escape the humidity, this is where most of the
neighbourhood children spent a lot of time sheltering from the
blistering sun. It had a tiny stream running through it and was
dense with banana trees. On top of eating the fruit, we found
myriad uses for the thick fleshy leaves: We played with them,
created umbrellas out of them and, a whole 15 years before
Solange’s Cranes in the Sky music video, fashioned outfits out
of them. When I’m asked about my love for plants and nature,
I often recall this place in all its tropical overgrowth.
Today, my home in Cape Town has one perfect Natal wild
banana plant as its centrepiece and, needless to say, I adore it.
Other design motifs I gravitate towards find their origins in
the seven-year-old boy in Umlazi eager to explore and take in
the world. Walking to and from school, my favourite house was
not the same as those eyed by my friends – any house deemed
palatial in size – but, rather, it was number 1881. I liked the
palindrome of the house number; it was modest in size and
the only house on the 4 km route to school that was a blinding
chalky white (as opposed to beige and face-brick); and it
had a flat roof, louvred glass windows and a lone palm tree.
At seven years old I didn’t know about South Beach, Miami
Beach, Florida, but I knew I loved that design – the simplicity,
the angles. Even their furniture was mid-century Palm Springs-
inspired, and burnt into my mind was the cool, furry feeling of
a bottle-green velvet seat on a silver steel frame that remains
one of my earliest tactile memories. I didn’t know the owners,
but one blazing afternoon the family’s white cat was shut out,
meowing. I promptly knocked on the door and the lady of the
house was so pleased she invited me in for a glass of “Oros”. She
called it Oros but I saw her mixing it and it was Hall’s – this was
indeed a fancy household! I wondered if I should tell her that
we also use Hall’s and if she would let me come back to again
sit on this fancy chair beside the shining glass dining table.
PORTRAIT MISCHA DURRANT BACKGROUND DESIGN BY HAMMER (SEREINA ROTHENBERGER & DAVID SCHATZ)
That chair sparked a lifelong fondness for bottle green and
a covetousness for all things velveteen.
The sweet irony is that the very influences I rejected when
I opted to move to the more creatively fertile Cape Town,
I now, in my adulthood, regard as authentically beautiful. Like
a yearning to return home, I unwittingly crowd my life with
subconscious allusions to my childhood and the aesthetic
memory they evoke.
The imprint of shapes, colours and scents left over from
the dreamy years of wandering about in the humid heat of
the Durban sun are always filtering into the fabric of my daily
life – a kind of personal history punctuated with objects and
impressions without which I would not be me.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Lifestyle strategist and writer Seth lives on the boundary of Sea
Point and Green Point, on Ocean View Drive, a location that
offers “uninterrupted views of Beach Road without the noise,
chaos and human traffic.”
2. On the local design front, he admires the work of artist and
designer Atang Tshikare.
3. As for his travel plans, “I’ve never been to Vietnam, India or Japan,
so that’s on the cards for 2018.”
4. His most prized possession, a gift from his best friend, is an
artwork by Nigerian artist Dare Babalola Lawson. “As South
Africans our influences are very Western, so a dream I have
is to slowly collect African art and designs so I can build up
a collection that strongly mirrors the African continent.”
5. Dare Babalola Lawson draws his imagery from Yoruba
decorative patterns.
6. Follow Seth on his favourite platform, Instagram, @seth_shezi.

It’s fascinating, the difference
between houses then and now, and what
was considered adequate, comfortable,
perhaps even luxurious. Built around 1930,
the house was a square, dark-blue face brick,
with a corrugated iron roof, steel windows
and wooden floors. The rooms were all
of a reasonable size: sitting room, dining
room, three bedrooms, one bathroom,
and one loo off the back stoep. Kitchen,
pantry and a gauze-enclosed front stoep,
all with red polished cement floors. Gauze
was a feature: There were swing doors and
fly screens on all the windows, which says
something about the insect population of
that era. There was also a sleeping porch and
fanlights above all the interior doors. Fresh
air was a big thing.
The frugality of the time created its own
minimalism. In the bedrooms, wardrobes
and chests of drawers looked bulky but all
together held less than the average modern
wall of built-in cupboards. The kitchen,
sparsely equipped, but seemingly no handi-
cap to my mother’s cooking, remains for me
a useful (if not always effective) antidote to
the temptations of Yuppiechef. There was
a small fridge, handsome electric enamel
stove and a large wooden table scrubbed
white. Plates and supplies were all stored in
the pantry, pots under the single sink. An
austere inventory by modern standards, but
there was real luxury in the spick-and-span
spaces, the shine and scent of weekly polish.
Reminiscing about the simple life, Laurian Brown
takes a walk down memory lane with Google.
WORDS LAURIAN BROWN
Like most of her generation, my mother
was a full-time housewife and fiercely house-
proud. George, a gentle Mozambican man
recruited from the mine, helped her wage the
war on mine dust, daily and relentlessly.
In spite of the regular whine of the
vacuum cleaner and the polisher, a deep
sense of peace and order prevailed. Sounds
drifted in from the wider world: doves
calling from the plantation, the mine hooter
signalling a change of shift, the high school
cadet band drilling and, joy, the rattle and
tinkle of the ice-cream cart. At lunchtime and
evening, the dulcet tones of the wireless.
There was the occasional drama: an earth
tremor, the crack of a Highveld thunderstorm,
rain drumming on the roof.
There was also the click of the front gate
and the ring of the doorbell. It could be
a neighbour, or a hawker – brooms, spices,
grass chairs, seedlings, encyclopaedias. Or
a delivery. Everything was delivered, by
bicycle, truck or van: bread, milk, newspapers,
coal, groceries, meat, dry-cleaning. The
telephone in the hall could bring any
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Laurian is a freelance gardening writer who
lives in George.
2. Her favourite local (fashion) designer is
Marianne Fassler, for the sheer joy and wit of
her line and colour – and her stamina.
3. This year, Laurian has her sights set on
visiting King Lewanika Lodge in Zambia.
4. The lodge is in the wildlife-rich Liuwa Plain
Park, where hyenas hunt in clans of up to 50.
5. Laurian’s most prized possession is her
grandmother’s white deal cupboard. “I love
its perfect proportions, its patina and the
lingering scent of all the good things it has
held down the years.”
6. Her Facebook account is her preferred social
media platform. It is where she browses for
specialist groups focused on indigenous
flowering plants, local butterflies and bees.
necessity swiftly to the door. Not that
different from internet shopping, but even
faster and a lot more personal.
The garden was another luxury, where
my brother and I spent most of our playtime.
There was a swing, a summerhouse and
a pyracantha hedge, clipped immaculately
by George. My mother loved gardening. In
autumn she planted stocks and poppies,
sweet peas, ranunculi and pansies; in spring
the dahlia bulbs went in, along with phlox,
salvia, petunias and clarkia. Larkspur was left
to seed itself along the terrace wall. Summer
meant jam making; a large plum tree and an
PORTRAIT GEOFFREY DAVIES BACKGROUND DESIGN BY HAMMER (SEREINA ROTHENBERGER & DAVID SCHATZ)
apricot tree bore lavishly.
At the end of the street, just one house
away, lay the veld and, beyond that, the
mine dumps. A path led from our street
through the grass and eventually to the
mine. In summer there would be flowers
unlike anything in the garden: green and
purple little things whose names I would
learn much later, and furry hypoxis of the
purest yellow. Sometimes we would see
a widowbird flapping over the grass in his
breeding finery.
Sixty years on, I go back, via Google. First,
Instant Street View. The trees have grown
but the street looks somehow bleaker. The
pyracantha hedge is gone, replaced by
a modest wall. The brick of the house has
been plastered over and painted pink. There
are new aluminium windows, the stoep and
the sleeping porch have been enclosed, but
the red front steps are still there, unpolished.
No plum tree, no apricot tree – hardly
surprising after so many years. No summer-
house, no swing, no plants, only rough grass.
In fact, no garden. How lucky we were.
On to Google Earth for a bird’s eye view.
To my delight, the stretch of veld is still there,
and the path, straggling through the black-
ened stubble of late winter. The hypoxis are
surely still there, and perhaps even a widow-
bird or two, waiting for spring.
 Claire Bisseker cherishes her office, a small private creative space
in a shed at the bottom of her garden.
WORDS CLAIRE BISSEKER
The closest I’ve come to
owning one was the grandly named “summerhouse” I lounged
in as a child growing up in the suburbs. In reality it was
a decrepit wooden lean-to held up by Virginia creeper and
rambling roses. But to a child it felt woodsy and magical. Its old
beams were stout enough to hold my hammock and, best of
all, nobody else went near it. I could read there for hours with
a view down the sweep of our lovely front garden where my
mother, a landscaper, was forever busy.
One day I looked up from my book to notice a small dead
frog pierced onto a rose thorn at eye level. There were other
gruesome gifts surrounding it, desiccated insects pierced
right through. My 11-year-old self fled in horror, until someone
explained about the black-and-white butcher-bird (the fiscal
shrike), which likes to keep a full larder. When I ventured back,
all its victims had been eaten.
These days I spend most of my time in a small office at the
bottom of our Franschhoek garden. Formerly a damp pool shed,
it now has a white interior with shelves of books and bursts
of colourful art. Wisteria, honeysuckle and jasmine are slowly
climbing across the pergola above the glass doors that open
onto a dark swimming pool.
It’s cool and peaceful in the mornings, a private creative
space where I can lose track of time.
Sometimes small birds fly in, as do fuzzy bumblebees,
attracted by the heads of purple salvia that nod in the bed
outside. Recently I looked down with a start to see a very large
toad sitting next to my foot. He stared up at me wordlessly, as if
in need of a kiss. Once, the cats chased in a poor blind mole that
shrieked as he ricocheted off the skirting boards like a deranged
bumper car.
In the afternoon the atmosphere is quite different. The sun
swings around and the kids come home from school. In winter
there is usually a child or two snuggled into the family-sized
beanbag in the corner doing homework.
On summer afternoons there’s noise and laughter as they
leap into the pool. My office is full of discarded towels and my
chair is damp from little bodies in wet swimming costumes.
I manage these visitors easily now, having worked to these
rhythms for the better part of a decade – writing, always writing.
On the other side of the pool we’ve created another
refuge under a wild carob tree. Deep in its shade we’ve put
up a wooden all-weather pavilion. It houses a large daybed
covered with a patched Indian quilt. Soon I will put up the fairy
lights and the fire pit will get put to use.
Much of the action takes place on the back veranda, where
the greens and greys of the garden are echoed in the washed-
out furniture and rattan swing chair. An old leather armchair,
which was the feeding chair in the nurseries of all three of
our daughters, slouches in disrepair. I remember sitting in it
one morning while our twin girls, just a week old, remained
PORTRAIT HETTY ZANDMAN BACKGROUND DESIGN BY HAMMER (SEREINA ROTHENBERGER & DAVID SCHATZ)
in hospital, nose-to-nose in a neonatal incubator. Suddenly
a squirrel ran up the trunk of the large stone pine outside.
Watching it, I realised that it was the same size as my tiniest
twin. I was completely undone.
There is nothing grand about our Franschhoek cottage.
We’ve lived in far more exciting homes, including a stone-clad
industrial barn in Baviaanskloof with 3 m-high ceilings. So why
does coming home to this basic bungalow fill me with such
deep contentment?
I love that it has mature trees, pools of deep shade and
perpetual birdsong, but it is the sense of peace and the endless
reservoir of love that makes living here heaven on earth. And
my garden shed of an office, like my summerhouse of old, is my
ultimate refuge, my favourite place of all.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Claire is an award-winning financial journalist and the writer of
the recently published On the Brink: South Africa’s Political and
Fiscal Cliff-hanger.
2. She lives in Franschhoek in the Western Cape because of the
beautiful setting and the excellent Bridge House School.
3. In 2018 Claire hopes to make her way to Barcelona, drawn by
the food, wine, vibe and architecture.
4. Barcelona is the only city in the world awarded a Royal Gold
Medal for architecture by Royal Institute of British Architects.
5. Her most prized possession is a necklace of twisted strands of
yellow, white and rose gold. “My mother wore it for years and
recently decided that I should have it.”
6. Claire’s favourite social media platform is Facebook, and she
enjoys flicking through her newsfeed while enjoying a piece
or two of dark chocolate.
 C A P E TOW N PENTHOUSE

01 02

THE BUY-TO-RENT MARKET IN CAPE TOWN IS BOOMING. AND WHEN

THE BUYER IS ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST ACCOMPLISHED INTERIOR
DESIGN AND DECOR PERSONALITIES, THE TENANT IS IN FOR A TREAT.
P H OTO S M I C KY H OY L E P R O D U C T I O N S U M I E N B R I N K WO R D S A M I K A P I L E V I C H

FEB/MAR 2018 040

 is a very busy woman. In 2017
this director of Weylandts
travelled to China, Germany,
Italy, Singapore, India and
Indonesia. In June she reno-
vated the Chefs Warehouse
restaurant at Maison Estate in
Franschhoek, and in Novem-
ber Weylandts launched its
first standalone Homestore
(“70% homeware, 30% furni-
ture”) in Sandton City.
“So most of this was done
via WhatsApp,” she jokes as
we enter her newly renovated
penthouse apartment in Man-
hattan Place on the corner of
Bree and Dorp streets, over-
looking the Cape Town night-
life district.
It’s the middle of the day
but the apartment is dark.
Exposed black piping and steel girders cut indus-
trial lines across grey walls and ceilings. Black honed-
granite countertops complement the glossy black
Smeg appliances in the kitchen. A ceiling fan makes
the strands of a black shaggy rug on the couch stand
on end. 01
“It used to be all white,” says Kim, “but I want-
ed something moodier and edgier. It is, after all,
a nightlife spot. But it also creates a cocoon high up
above the city. I love the fact that you can hear the muezzins from the “It’s a creative release,” says Kim. “I’m addicted to putting my spin on
mosques nearby. And the challenge was to make it look lived in – or at places. I treat every project as if I’m going to occupy the space. The knives
least not unlived in.” are sharp, the pans are good quality, the bed is comfortable. I always focus
It’s a challenge cleverly met. The books on the shelves – decor, on a monochromatic palette, and celebrate textures and materiality.”
travel, photography – are not all brand-new. The framed blueprint Particularly striking are the light fittings, each cluster a variation on
of an engine’s parts was found in a desk drawer at an old factory in the same industrial theme. They extend the lines drawn by the water
Johannesburg. And there are just enough ornaments and flourishes sprinkler and electrical piping, and the old-fashioned filaments are as
to make you feel like you’re crashing in the pad of a guitarist for some fascinating as they are functional.
Afro-grunge band that, 10 years from now, will take the world by storm. “Because I travel so much, I know how important it is to have a beau-
Of course, every item is from Weylandts, from the skulls on the wall tiful place to return to. After all, we are shaped by our environments,” says
to the sandpapered leather Marconi sofa with exposed seams. But the Kim – in an environment so beautifully shaped by her.
apartment is a deliberate and diametric opposite to Kim’s family home
in Franschhoek, which is an airy, minimal white space that evokes the • Kim’s apartment is for rent: airbnb.com/rooms/21435760
impression of an art gallery in a farmhouse. • weylandts.co.za

FEB/MAR 2018 042

C A P E TOW N PENTHOUSE

THIS PAGE

01 The south-west-

facing apartment
basks in the
gloaming, bringing
the lighter elements
to life, such as
a Todd chair
upholstered in
Turkish kelim. All
the furnishings are
from Weylandts.

02 The texture of
the brushed and
sandpapered
leather of the
Marconi modular
system contrasts
with a soft black
faux Tibetan lamb
throw and cushion.
The contrasting
textures continue
in the smoothness
of the Relax chair
and marble-topped
Michael occasional
coffee tables,
which sets off the
vintage Turkish
carpet and Vedic
Organic Bulb vase.

THIS PAGE

01 Kim Smith sits

in a Louise chair,
whose weaves
match with the
Garis stool beside
it, which in turn
blends into the
oval shaded-gold
stool. The colour
of the stool also
triangulates subtly
with the Hoop floor
lamp and leather
wall art named
Pandiculation
(yawning and
stretching when
you wake).

02 Three Factory
pendant lights
hang above the
granite kitchen
counter. White
bone beads in
a Peruvian vessel
and lemons in
a vintage Makenge
basket leap out
from the black.

02
 C A P E TOW N PENTHOUSE

OCCUPY THE SPACE.”

“I TREAT EVERY PROJECT
AS IF I’M GOING TO
01 An Acrobatic
pendant, which
epitomises the chic
industrial inner-city
loft aesthetic, is
suspended above
a Gamma round
dining table in
ebony, matched
with four Swing
leather-and-iron
dining chairs.

02 On the mezzanine
level above the
bedroom, light
pours in from
a skylight onto
a Maxa daybed. It’s
another texture
festival as the
leather top of
the Austin coffee
table, the Graphite
aluminium-and-
iron occasional
table, Bulawayo
garlic gourd
baskets and grey
cowhide contrast
with the Iconic
recliner and
ottoman and the
wooden floor.

01

FEB/MAR 2018 044

02
 C A P E TOW N PENTHOUSE

MOODIER AND EDGIER.”

“IT USED TO BE ALL WHITE,
BUT I WANTED SOMETHING
01 Reflected in the
mirror in the
bathroom is
a wooden African
sun mask. An aloe
in an oval Kar
vase and a potted
delicious monster
add splashes of
green. The Meraki
range of skin and
body products is
a Danish brand
available at
Weylandts.

02 On the Delta bed,

with its iron side
table, the layered
textures of the
heavy-linen base
and faux-fur
throw make you
just want to dive
in. Kim gives the
room a lived-in
and eccentric feel
with the books,
vessels from South
America and
Bunsen burner
lamp. Beside it
is a Bagan Snake
artwork.

01

FEB/MAR 2018 046

02
 J O H A N N E S B U R G E S TAT E H O M E

ONE VIEWER
OF SABC3’S
WIN A HOME
COMPETITION
GOT TO PICK
A HOME
DECORATED BY
ONE OF THREE
YOUNG DESIGN
DUOS. IMAGINE
OUR DELIGHT
WHEN THE
WINNER CHOSE
THE VISI TEAM’S
HOUSE!

01

P H OTO S M A R I J K E W I L L E M S
PRODUCTION ANNEMARIE
M E I N TJ E S

FEB/MAR 2018 048

02
 FOR THE FOURTH SEASON OF THE WIN A HOME
CONTEST, THREE PAIRS OF YOUNG DESIGNERS WERE
MATCHED UP WITH A MAGAZINE PERSONALITY
– VISI Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes, House & Leisure
Editor Tiaan Nagel and Habitat Deputy Managing Editor
Amanda Graham – who mentored the contestants
during the entire interior-design challenge.

Cardova’s Win a Home was hosted at Eye of Africa Golf

& Residential Estate, was sponsored by Private Property,
and was broadcast on the talk show Afternoon Express on
SABC3. The interior sponsors were Plascon, Caesarstone,
Belgotex, Grundig, Geberit and Grohe, with contributions
ver the course of from Builders Warehouse and Clicks.
16 weeks, three pairs of young designers were mentored by a decor
magazine representative as they tackled the challenge to decorate
and add the finishing touches to
three homes at Eye of Africa Golf
& Residential Estate in Gauteng.
During the finale, broadcast
live on 10 November 2017, the
name of the grand prize winner
was drawn from the many view-
ers who had watched the show
on SABC3’s Afternoon Express and
voted online for their favourite
pair and design. The winner, Zintle
Kom from Plumstead in Cape
Town, chose the home decorated
by Mpho Designer and Lesego
Masekele – who were mentored
by VISI’s own Annemarie Meintjes
– to call her own.
Annemarie says in the pro-
cess she discovered that it is
easier to be an influencer than it
is to be a mentor.
“Mentoring a couple of young
designers with a loaded budget,
generous sponsors and the op-
portunity of a lifetime that could
open the doors to a promising
future in design was not easy,”
she says. Mpho and Lesego had
01
strong ideas of their own and
didn’t always heed her sugges-
01 The open-plan lounge and kitchen area was planned and
tions. But in the final week of
executed to perfection. The soft grey L-shaped sofa from
the challenge, when the snags had to be made good and time and Weylandts is in harmony with the predominant Plascon Nomadic
budget were running out, the three of them put their heads together Dream (EC 56) paint shade and Belgotex Charleston wood-look
and pulled through as a team. vinyl flooring used throughout the house. In the background,
“I am proud of the fact that Mpho and Lesego designed a real Plascon School Board Paint, Caesarstone tops, Grohe taps,
home for a real person,” Annemarie says. “Every design decision was Grundig appliances and black tube pendant lights from Spazio
Lighting contributed to this space winning the kitchen challenge.
made with an imaginary client in mind, and it is not surprising that The wire barstools are from Red Apple Furniture, the clock is from
the grand prize winner chose to own our home! @home, the Kambrook small appliances are from Clicks and the
“I wish Mpho and Lesego a brilliant career in lifestyle design.” rest of the accessories are from H&M Home.

FEB/MAR 2018
 J O H A N N E S B U R G E S TAT E H O M E

PREVIOUS SPREAD

01 The first thing you see when you enter this home is the striking
image on canvas of a young Ethiopian girl by photographer David
Ballam – a housewarming gift from Amatuli. The nearest wall is
painted in Plascon Nomadic Dream (EC 56) and the lounge wall in
the background in Plascon Sea Quarry (G7-D1-1).

02 Since the show, Mpho Designer and Lesego Masekele have

started an interior design business named Rooms & Spaces.

THIS PAGE

02 A full-length mirror not only maximises light but also reflects the
custom-designed open-plan wine cellar at the other end of the
passage. Plascon Millionaire Gold (Y2-B1-1) is cleverly used to
create an accent corner.

03 The guest bedroom, designed for the imaginary client’s mother,

features shades of green and soft pink. The bold wallcovering is
from Sasi Wallpaper, and the double bed, bedding, faux-fur throw
and linen curtains are from @home. The fluffy ottoman-stools are
from The Grand Living and the gold prism side table was custom-
made by Leonardo Design. The pendant light is from Amatuli and
the round rug from Belgotex.

04 In the music room, a palm tree in a Caeserstone planter and

photographs by Mpho Mokgadi fit the unit’s concrete jungle
theme. The chair and footstool are from La Grange Interiors, the
side table is from Zara Home and the lamp is from @home.

02

EVERY DESIGN DECISION WAS MADE WITH A CLIENT IN MIND.

MIND
03 04
 J O H A N N E S B U R G E S TAT E H O M E

01 In the study nook, a custom-designed desk unit blends

smartly into the Plascon Oceanos (B6-C1-1) wall.
A yellow chair from @home and a round black astro-
turf rug from Belgotex complete the look.

02 Marble features prominently in the main en-suite

bathroom, accented with black, gold and bamboo.
The bath and shower are from the Grohe Libra
range; the towels, bathmats and black soap are from
Weylandts; and the other bathroom accessories are
from H&M Home.

03 A Caesarstone shelving unit in Rugged Concrete and

a photograph by Paris Brummer printed on canvas
reinforce the concrete jungle theme.

04 The master suite was the judges’ favourite. The bed is

from Weylandts, the bedding is from @home, and the
faux fur throw and velvet for the curtains and scatter
cushions are from Hertex. The wallpaper used to create
an accent wall behind the bed is from Sasi Wallpaper,
the bedside units are by The Urban Native, and the
lights are from Coricraft and Tekkura Living. The small
round framed mirrors hung on the far wall are from
Mr Price Home.

01

THE MASTER SUITE WAS TH

THE
HE JUDGES
JUDGES’ FAVOURITE
FAVOURITE.
02 03

FEB/MAR 2018 052

04
 01

A RENOVATED 1820S FARMHOUSE NEAR KLAARSTROOM IN THE FOLDS OF

THE SWARTBERG PROVIDES A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF HOW TO MARRY OLD AND
NEW. FOR ARCHITECT MARIELISE VAN DER MERWE, IT’S BEEN A DREAM PROJECT.
P H OTO S JA N R A S P R O D U C T I O N S U M I E N B R I N K
WO R D S L AU R I A N B R OW N
02
 and cross-ventilation via large sliding doors are among of the measures
Marielise has used for temperature control. Water heating is via solar
energy and slow combustion fires warm the living area in winter.
Architects spend their working lives interpreting the wants of clients.
“It was nice to do something for myself for a change,” Marielise says. But
the Van der Merwes are not keeping this stylish retreat to themselves.
The house now serves as a farm lodge for the newly established De Aap
Private Nature Reserve, a perfect place to enjoy and explore this as-yet-
little-known corner of the Karoo.

• Deaap Farm Lodge & Nature Reserve: deaapfarmlodge.co.za

• Simplicitas Architects: simplic@iafrica.com

elise
four
it of
oort,
deep in the folds of the Swartberg, where the Aapsrivier has
carved its own, more modest way down the north slopes. The
road to the farm winds with the river through grey Karoo scrub
and the occasional sliver of floodplain, greened with pasture,
seed onion and lucerne.
“When he saw the house, my husband knew I would be
happy because I would have plenty to do!” Indeed. The old farm-
house, a simple T-shaped structure with straight-end gables
and tacked-on additions, was derelict. But within its cottage-like
exterior there were treasures: yellowwood floors and ceilings,
handcrafted doors, and classic fanlights and wall cupboards.
“A lot of people told us to just flatten it and do something
from scratch, but I love old things as well as new, and my first
thought was that I absolutely wanted to keep the soul and the
feel of the house. But I also wanted to make it comfortable to
live in and add something modern to it.”
So began a painstaking process of restoration and redesign.
The house faced east and needed more sun as well as shelter
from the prevailing south wind. Adding a replica of the
original north-facing bedroom wing achieved both, and the
space between the two wings created an attractive entrance
courtyard. The roof was simplified to create a single continuous 01
line along the main axis, and the height was raised to allow for
the necessary slope over a new stoep, where the original double
door and sash windows were left in place.
To the materials and patterns of the original structure Marielise

“I ABSOLUTELY WANTED
added a completely modern theme. At its north end, the rustic lines of
the old house have been boldly redrawn to create a new living, dining
and kitchen area in an airy extension of glass and aluminium that cel-
ebrates the space and light of the setting. It is strikingly contemporary, TO KEEP THE SOUL
and shows the subconscious influence of Australian architect Glenn
Murcutt – Marielise practised as an architect in Sydney for years.
AND THE FEEL OF
Painted a soft, warm grey, the house blends quietly into the land- THE HOUSE.”
scape. And the harmony is not merely visual. It’s also designed to “touch
the earth lightly” and be as energy-efficient as possible. Double glazing,

FEB/MAR 2018 056

K A R O O FA R M H O U S E

PREVIOUS SPREAD

01 Marielise, sitting at
a Scandinavian-style oak
dining table specially
made for the open-plan
living area by Fechters
in Knysna.

02 In the original living

room, the restored
yellowwood floor and
ceiling frame an eclectic
mix of Scandi, antique
and family furniture. The
round Ax table is a 1950
Danish piece by Peter
Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-
Nielsen for Fritz Hansen,
from Jeremy Stephens
Antiques in Parktown.
In the room beyond,
a Wayne Barker painting
hangs against a lilac-
mauve wall. The orange
pendant light is a 1967
Turbo by Louis Weisdorf,
sourced by Jeremy
Stephens Antiques.

THIS SPREAD

01 Marielise has indulged

her love of colour in paint
and furnishings. The
coat rack in the entrance
hall is a replica of a 1953
George Nelson design
for Eames Furniture USA,
and the purple glass
pendant light is a 1979
Danish original designed
by Michael Bang for
Holmegaard glassworks,
sourced by Jeremy
Stephens Antiques.

02 Old and new, wattle

and daub, glass and
aluminium, flow into
one another under
a continuous roofline.
Along the front of the
house, the original
double doors of the
living room open onto
a new deep stoep.
The new section is an
open-plan living, dining
and kitchen area with
sliding doors.

Visit VISI.co.za to see

before and after photos
02 of the house.
 K A R O O FA R M H O U S E

01 Some of the most striking pieces of the Van der

Merwes’ collection of South African art have found
a home at Gideonshoop. Two 3 m-high charcoal
drawings by Diane Victor are displayed to perfection
in the light-filled double-volume kitchen area.

02 The quiet monochrome of the extension is warmed

with the sparkle of mosaic and pops of colour. An
old fanlight inset with the name Gideonshoop
glows above the double door. The plush sofa and
coral suede ottoman were made by Fechters, and
the gold and geometric tiles on the face of the
5 m-long counter are from Douglas Jones. Behind
the central counter, the Mondrian-inspired steel-
and-glass sliding doors of the spacious larder were
designed by Marielise. The light fitting above the
counter is made from the side of an ox-wagon.

03 The old Aga stove, in its original alcove, has been

restored to full working order. A brass Kohler tap on
the kitchen counter adds a modern note.

01

“ I LOVE OLD THINGS AS WELL AS NEW.”

02

FEB/MAR 2018 058

03
 K A R O O FA R M H O U S E

CONTEMPORARY AND LINEAR.

THE AIRY EXTENSION OF GLASS
AND ALUMINIUM IS STRIKINGLY

01 Double-glazed
sliding doors help to
keep the new living
area cool in summer
and warm in winter.
A giant freestanding
slow-combustion
wood-burning
stove also heats the
space. Finishes have
been kept simple
throughout, such as
plain screed for floor
surfaces both in- and
outdoors. Alongside
the lap pool, an old
ploughshare has
become a sculpture.

01

FEB/MAR 2018 060

 K A R O O FA R M H O U S E

01–02 The new bathrooms continue the

comfortable mix of old and new. In this en suite
added to one of the original bedrooms, blue-
and-white tiles and an antique mirror combine
happily with the Mondrian-inspired frosted-
glass-and-steel shower and toilet screens.
Fittings are all simple brass taps and copper
piping. Copper washbasins from Copper Bath in
Cape Town add an unusual touch. The mirrors
are all from Karoo Antiques in Oudtshoorn.

03 Of the four bedrooms, the two original ones are

laid out in a similar symmetrical arrangement,
with the bed against a screen wall, beyond
which lies the bathroom. The artwork is a Diane
Victor charcoal and the rug is a Norman
Catherine design.

01

THE HARMONY IS NOT MERELY VISUAL.

02

FEB/MAR 2018 062

03
 Z A M B I A SA FA R I LO D G E

KING LEWANIKA
LODGE IN ZAMBIA
IS A SECRET
WHISPERED BY
THE LIUWA PLAIN, 01

WINKED AT BY
THE LOZI PEOPLE.
02
IT IS A SMALL,
SECLUDED CAMP
THAT IS STEEPED IN
LOCAL TRADITION.
P H OTO S D O O K WO R D S A M I K A P I L E V I C H

065 FEB/MAR 2018

LOCAL LOZI PEOPLE.
ALSO EVIDENT IS THE
INFLUENCE OF THE

PREVIOUS PAGE

01 Modern design is
mixed with traditional
safari elements in
the six villas at King
Lewanika Lodge,
which accommodate
up to 15 people.

02 Liuwa Plain is home to

Africa’s second-largest
wildebeest migration,
after the Serengeti.

THIS PAGE

01–02 The shape of

the main lounge
is inspired by the
dragonflies that flit
around the floodplain.
Overlapping
roof planes and
the transparent
membranous ceiling
mimic their finely
veined wings, and
the bar counter and
sofas pick up on
these faceted lines.
The design of the
big pendant light is
inspired by traditional
Lozi fishing baskets.

01
Hee had no idea at the time that he was terminally ill, so his piece holidays in Zambia and Madagascar, with a focus on eco-tourism and
– published posthumously, and all about the marvels of travelling with conservation.) The intimate communal area has been cleverly designed
onne’s family – is particularly poignant. to include secluded nooks in the main lounge and dining area.
Ever irrepressible, Gill describes how the modern safari experience “This is a recovering ecosystem,” says Time + Tide Marketing
haas gone from a slightly macho frisson and fantasy to a more stripped- Director Mindy Roberts. “It was once ravaged by poaching. The
doown, modern and functional approach. “All the old romance and wildlife and terrain are regenerating beautifully thanks to tourism and
deecoration are absent,” he wrote. “There’s no taxidermy, no skulls or conservation efforts by our partner, African Parks, which we’re proud
skkins, none of the Edwardian campaign furniture that was once such to be part of.”
a ffeature of tented camps.” African Parks, which has been managing Liuwa Plain National
It’s an important gripe, actually. Being on safari will always be about Park since 2003, translocated lions to the park when it was discovered
what you are looking at, but how you remember the entire experience
w there was only a solitary lioness left. Named Lady Liuwa, she has since
deepends on where you are when
you’re looking at it. So it’s good to
yo
knnow that in a remote corner of
Liuwa Plain, King Lewanika Lodge
offffers guests a pleasing safari aes-
hetic without resorting to clichés.
th
The decor is a deliberate hom-
agge to the old-style safari by the
inveterate lodge designers Silvio
Reech and Lesley Carstens. The
baasins are made of patina-grained
ennamel; earth tones bring the out-
de in; and lots of draped fabrics
sid
in the rooms soften the interior.
But it’s not all colonial. Also evi-
deent is the influence of the local
Loozi people, who were installed
heere in the 1880s as custodians of
he land by King Lewanika when
th
hee proclaimed it a protected area.
Abbout 90 years later, in 1972, Liuwa
Plain was declared a national park.
T aditional fishing baskets have
Tr
beeen transformed into lampshades, 02
annd in the communal area there is
a replica of the Lozi king’s black-
annd-white barge that is used in
he Kuomboka ceremony, wherein the monarch is transported from his
th died, but the pride is strong and a new cub was recently born. And all
coompound in the Barotse Floodplain to higher ground at the end of the that’s separating you from them at King Lewanika is the light of a fire,
rainy season, when the Upper Zambezi inundates the plain. the whisper of canvas and the promise of dawn.
The lodge is built in Silvio’s signature style of a light steel frame,
caanvas and recycled composite flooring, and incorporates indigenous • african-parks.org
grrass and thatch, allowing the structures to blend into the landscape. • silviorech-lesleycarstens-ink.blogspot.co.za
With just six villas, King Lewanika is one of the smaller lodges in the
W • @silviorechlesleycarstens
T me + Tide portfolio. (Time + Tide offers exclusive adventures and
Ti • timeandtideafrica.com

067 FEB/MAR 2018

 Z A M B I A SA FA R I LO D G E

01 In the main lounge and bar area, the flash of bright

yellow in the pendant light picks up on the gold
feathers on the head of the endangered grey crowned
crane, of which abundant flocks are seen here in the
park; and the soft yellow accents pick up on the colour
of the grassy plains at sunrise and sunset. The bar is
made from steel and locally woven grass panels.

02 The furniture is deliberately simple and uncluttered to

denote a feeling of lightness and impermanence.

03–04 Enamel basins on a steel-and-corian washstand

– a tent vanity for the modern explorer. The bug-
eyed cantilevered mirrors are a small homage to
dragonflies. The villa interiors feature an abstract
modern safari theme. The softness of plush
furnishings and padded canvas is contrasted with
the strong black lines of the custom-designed vanity
and towel rail/mirror. The screens also combine the
graphic lines of steel with grass panels woven by
local women using a traditional weaving technique.
The mats and baskets are also locally made.

01

EARTH TONES BRING THE OUTSIDE IN AND LOTS OF

02

FEB/MAR 2018 068

03

DRAPED FABRICS IN THE ROOMS SOFTEN THE INTERIOR.

04
01
 BEAUTIFULLY.”
“THE WILDLIFE AND TERRAIN
ARE REGENERATING

01 King Lewanika
Lodge is the only
permanent safari
camp in Liuwa
Plain National
Park. All the
structures were
designed to have
minimal impact
on the land.

02 The lodge is
located on the
banks of the
Munde Stream,
and canoeing
is one of the
activities offered
in the rainy
season. There
are no hippos
or crocodiles in
the area to scare
the unwary.

02
 Z A M B I A SA FA R I LO D G E

01

02

FEB/MAR 2018 072

 BLEND INTO THE LANDSCAPE.
THE USE OF INDIGENOUS GRASS AND
THATCH ALLOWS THE STRUCTURES TO

01 Al fresco dining,
accompanied
by the smells of
the bush and the
sounds of the wild.

02 Custom-made
padded chairs,
tablecloths and
crockery all display
a hand-crafted
simplicity and
tactility.

03 Imagine reclining
in one of these
loungers and
watching the
sun set over the
floodplain…

03
S E A P O I N T A PA R T M E N T

WHAT SORT OF AN APARTMENT WOULD A NOMADIC DESIGNER CREATE FOR

HER JET-LAGGED SELF AND FRIENDS? ONE FILLED WITH POETRY AND LIGHT
AND RANDOM SEQUINS AND ART, THAT’S WHAT SORT OF AN APARTMENT.
01

P H OTO S
M I C KY H OY L E
PRODUCTION
SUMIEN BRINK
WO R D S
S A M WO U L I D G E
02
01

says Karien Belle. “I’m constantly
wanting to travel. I love living in
rented studio apartments and
hotels all over the world. And I
would rather stay in a hotel than
spend time doing house admin.
But owning property is a privilege
and everyone needs a home.”
“So does this feel like home?”
I ask, referring to the light-filled
apartment in an old mansion
block in the edgier part of Sea
Point, Cape Town.
“Home is everywhere,” she
answers. “Botswana is my African
home; the bush is my heart home.
Delhi is my creative home. And
Paris is my cultural home. I feel
more at home in foreign places.”
“But what is it about this parti-
cular apartment and this area
that makes you feel comfortable?”
I persist with my questioning.
“It is multicultural, and there
is a little bit of chaos here that
makes me feel at ease,” Karien
replies. “Sometimes at night I’ll sit
on my balcony and see all sorts
of people and scenarios playing
out below. I feel secure here.”
But even in this urban hub
and within this 112 m2 apartment
Karien has created wide-open
spaces for herself. She has sky
views. Glass sliding doors open
onto the balcony. This is a home
in which you can imagine being
able to touch the clouds.
In her bedroom, the bed is
low on the floor and positioned
in such a way that when lying
down you can see only the sea
between the tall buildings that
fill the block between the apart-
ment and the Atlantic Ocean.
Karien’s home is adorned with
beautiful things: artworks cover
S E A P O I N T A PA R T M E N T
the walls, pink features strongly,
and enormous cushions and
scarves from her Karien Belle and
Jetlag Poetry collections abound.
Like their creator, they support
and comfort friends and visitors.
“Pink is my happy colour. This
apartment needed to be playful.
It needed this happy colour.”
But more important than all
the stylish and beautiful things
in her home are the people who
visit and come to stay over.
“I don’t mind losing things or
breaking things. What I value are
relationships. And people.”
The apartment seems spa-
cious. And everything in it can
be moved around to create even
more space, because Karien does
not like things to be static. “I need
to be able to easily make space
to dance or do yoga.”
It is also detailed: a swath of
pink silk here, some sequins there.
An ornate neckpiece, a much-
loved book. But never cluttered.
Everything has meaning.
“As much as this apartment 02
reflects me, so too does it reflect
my friends. David brings bits from
Botswana – stones, bones from
PREVIOUS SPREAD
the bush. The Baroque chande-
lier is a gift from Annette’s Paris 01 Karien Belle contemplates words and the world on her
home. Anoup gave me a paint- signature oversized pillows embroidered with poetry.
ing from his boutique hotel in 02 The walls of the lounge are covered in art. Karien’s love
Pushkar. Kirsi from Finland brings for big cats – tigers, lions and leopards – is represented
by the Tibetan tiger rug, handmade in real wool.
beautiful design objects.
The pendant light is a converted Victorian oil lamp.
“Everything in my home
has a story. And the stories are THIS SPREAD
all intertwined with the people 01 An old post office cabinet divides the lounge area from
I love. This is why this apartment the kitchen. The strawberry painting is by Marié Grotepass.
is everybody’s home. Everybody
is welcome. Here, friends come 02 The antique cabinet was the first piece of furniture
and go. Here, I come and go.” bought for this apartment. It contains Karien’s Indian
brass tiffins, found in a market in Old Delhi, and
a collection of her favourite Mariage Frères teas.
• karienbelle.com
077 FEB/MAR 2018
 S E A P O I N T A PA R T M E N T

TO BE PLAYFUL.”
“PINK IS MY HAPPY COLOUR.
THIS APARTMENT NEEDED
01 The entrance hall
is an orderly riot of
embroidered Karien
Belle scarves, hats,
sneakers, ribbons,
special photos,
an oil painting by
Pieter Vermaak
and a multitude
of beautiful books.

02 Karien’s bed is
deliberately low
to the ground to
afford its occupant
an uninterrupted
sea view and to
showcase the 3,5 m
sequined-fabric-
filled glass cabinet
on the floor behind
it. A framed vintage
Jean Paul Gaultier
dress hangs on
the wall and a red
blanket with a sheep
motif, bought at
Aarikka in Finland,
is draped over bed.
Karien designed the
pink fabric light in
the corner.
01

FEB/MAR 2018 078

02
 S E A P O I N T A PA R T M E N T

BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
KARIEN’S HOME IS
ADORNED WITH
01 The bathroom
features a pebble
basin made of granite.
The photograph of
a hand framed in pink
tape is by artist Sanell
Aggenbach; the nude
is by Pieter Vermaak;
the plates are by Theo
Kleynhans; and the
neckpiece is one of
Karien’s own designs.

02 Karien is
photographed in
a sequined skirt by
American designer
Alice + Olivia and
a jacket by Carolina
Herrera. The exposed
brick walls are filled
with art and objects
from all over the
world, including
a lion’s head mask
from a Hindu
ceremony in India. The
gold side table is from
Pottery Barn in the US.

01

FEB/MAR 2018 080

02
WAT E R K L O O F H O M E

082
 IN RENOVATING
A 100-YEAR-OLD
HOUSE IN THE CAPE
DUTCH REVIVAL STYLE,
THE ARCHITECTS ADDED
MODERN FUNCTIONALITY
YET KEPT THE INTEGRITY
OF ITS CLASSIC FORM.

P H OTO G R A P H S D O O K
P R O D U C T I O N A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S
WO R D S M I L A C R E W E - B R OW N

01

FEB/MAR 2018
01
 WAT E R K L O O F H O M E

onouring the
past while expressing the present is a balance that eludes many in
the realm of residential design. Doing justice to both while creating
02
a home that’s harmonious is the issue, since replicating the old to
introduce the new is a fault too often seen.
Having suffered a previous renovation that
upset the balance, this house in the jacaranda- and in turn expansion was undertaken. What was
lined Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof has risen again. once a warren of small living spaces was opened
When owners Cornelius and Hendrien Louw up into one voluminous living space encompass-
first came to view the house, they sensed that it ing the kitchen and dining room. All furniture was
could be resuscitated, but needed it to adapt to kept low and pendant lights were avoided.
21st-century family life. With the input of Johan Interior designer Adéle van der Merwe, who
Wentzel and Grete van As of W design architecture has a bent for understated and calm spaces, tack-
studio, harmony was achieved by way of duality. led the interior. “This house doesn’t ask for clutter;
Apparently built as a farmhouse in 1910 by it loses something when you introduce too much
architect JR Burg in the Cape Dutch Revival style, stuff,” she says, standing in a room whose contents PREVIOUS PAGE
the house had a series of gables, which have make up for in scale what they lack in number. By 01 The two matching gables
become its defining features. “We had to keep the way of a muted palette of whites punctuated by are still the dominant
gables, since they’re an essential part of the story, shades of grey; a spartan, sensitively chosen inven- features of the facade,
as the additions to the
but for the rest we wanted to recreate the feeling tory of furniture, most bespoke, some old; and
house are light, lean and
of living on a big farm stoep,” Johan says, looking a sharp sense of dimension, the interior is almost unobtrusive. The new
at the northern facade with its elaborate gables, monastic in its serenity. “We had to get the scale bathroom can be seen on
symmetrical layout and striking glassed additions. right,” Adéle says. “So many items were simply too the far left, the stoep in the
These jut out of the building in an intention- small and ultimately had to be custom-made.” middle and the new study
on the far right.
ally converse language to their solid Cape Dutch “The benefit was having this strong history
counterparts, using floating steel and glass to set and presence of the old structure to work with, so THIS PAGE
themselves apart. In this way, what has been add- we were able to just slot the new in. In that sense
01 Looking through the
ed makes no attempt to detract from the original. everything we added doesn’t exist in physical doorway with original
“It had to feel like if you connected something form, because it’s transparent and light,” Johan says leaded-glass doors, the
to this building you could just as easily pull it out. of the home’s bold dichotomy. entrance hall features
That’s the feeling… that this, the new, is 2017 and It is no surprise that W design recently won a painting by artist Lynette
the rest is 1910. It’s very legible,” Johan says. an award of excellence from the Pretoria Insti- ten Krooden and a crow
sculpture by Rossouw van
The additions to the house include the expan- tute for Architecture for its sensitive yet innovative der Walt.
sive stoep, the master bathroom, and Cornelius’s handling of the alterations.
study with its show-stopping views of the garden. 02 Architects Johan Wentzel
In order to unveil one of the most promising • W design architecture studio: wdas.co.za and Grete van As.
features of the house, its views of the garden and • Adéle van der Merwe: 083 376 1970
a magnificent jacaranda tree, a process of removal • Landscaper De Wet Louw: 083 263 1517

085 FEB/MAR 2018

01
 WAT E R K L O O F H O M E

01 The kitchen, which was opened up to the

lounge, features bar stools from Chair Crazy
and Technistone countertops.

02 A humble dining table on a grand scale, made

of the home’s recycled pine ceiling planks, is
complemented by a series of David Krynauw
Joburg Stoel 602 chairs. Hendrien was sure to
avoid pendant lights in this area so as not to
distract from the views.

03 The Kirkness brick fireplace in the living room

was restored. Alongside it is an elaborate glass-
fronted armoire that Cornelius’s brother and
landscaper De Wet Louw bought at a Bethlehem
antiques shop. Cornelius and Hendrien bought
the trunk years ago at an antiques shop owned
by fashion designer Gert van der Merwe.

02

THE INTERIOR IS ALMOST MONASTIC IN ITS SERENITY

SERENITY.

03

087 FEB/MAR 2018

 WAT E R K L O O F H O M E

AND IN TURN EXPANSION,

A PROCESS OF REMOVAL,

WAS UNDERTAKEN.
01

02 01 The main bedroom,

which is still in its
original position,
opens onto the stoep.
An artwork that
Cornelius bought at
a gallery in Brooklyn,
New York (it reminded
him of Hendrien), rests
atop an ash wall unit.

02 In Cornelius’s study,
his handsome antique
desk is paired with
a David Krynauw chair
and a wall unit built
of European oak and
metal sheets.

03 The new main

bathroom is a locus of
calm, with doors that
fold away to reveal
a secluded garden.
The freestanding bath
is from Dado Baths,
and it’s matched with
an old side table of
Hendrien’s and a white
ceramic stool by
Anthony Shapiro.

FEB/MAR 2018 088

03
 FOR HER 11TH
SALON 58 SOIRÉE,
STYLE DOYENNE
JACKIE BURGER
COLLABORATED
WITH TALENTED
LOCAL CREATIVES,
INCLUDING HER

GOOD FRIEND
JAN HENDRIK VAN
DER WESTHUIZEN,
SOUTH AFRICA’S
ONLY MICHELIN-
STAR CHEF, TO SERVE
UP A FEAST FOR
THE SENSES AND
THE SOUL.
01

P H OTO S M I C KY H OY L E WO R D S A S H R A F B O O L E Y

FEB/MAR 2018 090

02
 on a sunny Saturday afternoon in the Cape
Winelands when I arrive at what appears to
be an abandoned warehouse in Wellington
wearing my take on the bow tie – the theme is
“bringing the bow tie back” – and join a throng
of stylishly attired guests being led inside.
A Parisian-style market has been set up in the
Old Tannery event venue, and guests browse
and shop from a curated selection of goodies,
including blooms by Alwijn Burger of Blomboy,
artisanal breads by Schoon, artworks by Lucie
de Moyencourt, homeware by Masquerade,
skin- and body-care products by Africology
and second-hand finds by Plan B Vintage.
Next, salon-goers are treated to food
theatre. Dishes star four ingredients that have
influenced chef Jan Hendrik’s culinary journey:
mielies, milk, watermelon and chrysanthe-
mum. Delectable food and top tipples are
accompanied by Jackie and Jan Hendrik talk-
ing about their heritage and life experiences,
and their shared love of food, fashion and the
city of Paris.
A fashion show follows, curated by Jackie
and produced by Deon Redman. Hosts usher
guests into another warehouse, where a
sensory installation by the Stellenbosch
Academy of Design and Photography and
floating chandeliers by Goeters, provide

JACKIE BURGER’S 11TH SALON 58 SOIRÉE, ENTITLED

a visual feast. In this beautiful setting, a
seemingly endless table illuminated by 1 000
white candles, with the dining chairs turned
around, sets the scene for the fashion show.
To hypnotic music, models strut around the
long table in predominantly monochromatic
outfits, sporting classic headpieces, cinched
waists, utilitarian chic and the maximalist look.
Jan’s interpration of the traditional sago
pudding – a confection encased in meringue,
doused in cream and topped with hibis-
cus dust – serves as the sweetest ending to
a magical event.

• salon58.co.za

092
TRACE, WAS HELD AT THE OLD TANNERY IN WELLINGTON.
IT’S A CELEBRATION OF FOOD AND FASHION AND FINERY.
 S T E L L E N B O S C H TAST I N G R O O M

WHEN AN ENTREPRENEURIAL COUPLE

DECIDED TO BUILD A TASTING ROOM ON
THEIR STELLENBOSCH PROPERTY
KUNJANI!, THEY DIDN’T ANTICIPATE THAT
HALDANE MARTIN WOULD TURN IT INTO
A LANDMARK. BUT NOW THERE IT IS.

01

P H OTO S M I C KY H OY L E
WO R D S A M I K A P I L E V I C H

FEB/MAR 2018 096

02
 S T E L L E N B O S C H TAST I N G R O O M

Coming round a bend in Blumberg Drive, Devonvale – itself one of Cape Dutch aesthetic of the Winelands.
the most scenic roads in the Cape Winelands – the building greets “Haldane and I sat there being bullied by about 15 architects,”
you like a vivacious host at a Christmas lunch who knows that you Pia says, “but in the end I put my foot down.”
will just love her absolutely Then Pia had to negoti-
favourite Shiraz. ate her husband’s aversion
The lipstick red of the to black.
sliding screens and Kunjani! “It’s not a colour as far as
Wines signage enlivens the Paul is concerned,” she says.
building’s black paintwork But Pia has an impish de-
and dark-grey Table Moun- termination, which acted as a
tain slate, and contrasts intel- vanguard for Haldane’s vision.
ligently with the green of Haldane relished getting
the surrounding vineyards. more extensively involved
Framed by the pine trees in the architectural details
that line the road, Kunjani! on this project than usual.
is a smiling South African Out went the conventional
howzit. A warm and welcom- wooden rafters, and in came
ing woza in the Winelands. slatted wooden ceiling and
Those familiar with de- red steel tie beams, a refer-
signer Haldane Martin’s recent ence to the traditional reed
work at Urbanologi restaurant ceilings of old farmhouses.
in Johannesburg or his 2016 Haldane invoked a pan-
design of Healey’s Cheesery theon of local designers
in Somerset West would not and artists to complement
be completely surprised by his own creations: Doktor
the liberal doses of red. I, for and Misses, La Grange Inte-
one, thought that the colour riors, Pedersen + Lennard,
was becoming something of James Mudge, Laurie Wiid
a signature style or trademark van Heerden, Goet Furni-
flourish. But I was wrong. ture and Design, Sarah Ord
“Oh no, it’s not like red is Interiors, LIM, Robin Sprong
my favourite colour or any- Wallpapers, Peter Pharoah,
thing,” Haldane says. “It just Krisjan Rossouw…
so happened that red has In your rearview mirror,
been the right colour for the the red sliding screens take
projects and clients’ brands Kunjani! Wines from an arty
that I have been involved in shrine to a significant land-
recently. And it was the right 01
mark. A monument, even, to
colour for Kunjani! Wines, the time when a feisty owner
which is a bold, unpretentious and a progressive designer
brand. Pia [ Watermeyer] and made sure that contempo-
Paul [Barth] are passionate people, so the red symbolises them.” rary African flavour triumphed over traditional tastes.
In fact, the building as it exists today would not have been pos-
sible without co-owner Pia’s passion. At first, the architects insisted • haldanemartin.co.za
that the building should be white, in line with the more traditional • kunjaniwines.co.za

FEB/MAR 2018 098

 PREVIOUS SPREAD

01 Not your traditional

Cape Dutch style
building! The bright
red of the screens,
with their chevron-
like shapes that
evoke traditional
West African hut
decorations, and
the bold signage
contrast deliberately
with the green of the
landscape.

02 Grey Table Mountain

slate cladding adds
texture and aesthetic
appeal to the main
entrance.

THIS SPREAD

01 The fireplace
surround is made of
a quilted aluminium
that has been
anodised to look like
bronze, with copper
strips to cover the
joints. In front of it
is a Haldane Martin
Songololo sofa.

02 Brass halo lights

lead the eye to the
Sarah Ord Crayolla
wallpaper, its bold
brushstroke pattern
echoing the Kunjani!
Wines logo. Haldane
Martin Sim-ply
chairs add pops of
accent red.

If you’d like to go on
a tour of the Kunjani!
Wines tasting room
with VISI, visit VISI.co.za
for details or e-mail
02 events@VISI.co.za.
 S T E L L E N B O S C H TAST I N G R O O M

01 02

KUNJANI! WINES IS A BOLD, UNPRETENTIOUS BRAND.

03 04

FEB/MAR 2018 100

01 Wiid Design cork
stools and Haldane
Martin Sim-ply
barstools create
a casual drinking
area at the bar.

02 Metallic elements in
the bathrooms echo
the fireplace surround
and bar, and contrast
with the rough texture
of the slate.

03 The spiral staircase

leading down to the
cellar has Voronoi
pattern cutouts to
evoke a descent into
the Earth.

04 Zulu Mama café

chairs, another classic
Haldane Martin
design, and Soma
planters by Laurie
Wiid van Heerden
for Indigenus at
the entrance to
the building.

05 The cellar, with its

horizontal leather
strap storage system,
is dominated by
a large Krisjan
Rossouw photograph,
titled Patricia II.
“The winemaker is
a woman, and so is
the co-owner,” says
Haldane, “so we
wanted to include
a strong feminine
element that
honours the female
entrepreneurs behind
the project.”
PHOTO MATT STOW

05
THE NEW MUNGO MILL IN PLETT IS THE
CREATIVE EXPRESSION OF THE VALUES, PRODUCTS
AND 20-YEAR STORY OF THIS FAMILY BUSINESS,
AND A SYMBOL OF ITS CONTINUED GROWTH.
 01

P H OTO S JA N R A S WO R D S A M E L I A B R OW N

103 FEB/MAR 2018

 P L E T T E N B E R G B AY W E AV I N G M I L L

master weaver Stuart Holding was fortuitously Nick and transform it into a 900 m2 statement structure visible from the
gifted two Lancashire looms. Built in about 1890, national road. Andrea’s challenge was to find the appropriate architec-
they were the very looms he had performed his tural language to describe a working weaving museum: a way to balance
apprenticeship on in his hometown of Bentham, the milling function with the museum element, making it an interactive
North Yorkshire, in the ’60s prior to setting off to experience for the public without impeding production.
discover the world. The adventure would lead Inspiration for a walkway encased in an open-slatted wooden “skin”
him to South Africa, where he would settle and came from a photograph that Andrea took on a tour of Mungo’s former
start a family. weaving site. A close-up of one of the looms, the image captures the
Stuart got the looms running and began simple utilitarian beauty of the multiple heddles that individually hold
doing what he loves (and does) best: weaving. every thread of the warp. “I wanted visitors to walk through the ‘threads’
And, by celebrating an age-old craft, cham- and, hopefully, experience some of that poetry,” Andrea explains.
pioning ethical production and committing to Some elements weren’t negotiable, such as abundant natural light.
providing jobs and Large windows not only
skills development provide observation gal-
to local people, he leries for visitors but also
turned his passion provide a bright environ-
into a business. ment for staff to work in,
Mungo, in its the opposite of traditional
very opposition to textile mills, which are noto-
the cheap imports riously dark, close and dirty.
and textile mecha- “This mill represents our
nisation that could product,” Dax says, simply.
destroy it, would It truly is a metaphor for
defy the odds and Mungo. It grew as organi-
grow steadily. cally as the business itself:
Seven years ago, conceptualised by Stuart
Stuart’s children Dax and Andrea two years be-
and Tessa joined the fore the first foundations
business and started to streamline and were laid; evolved with the
strengthen each aspect of it and build input from every family
the Mungo brand. In 2011 they opened a member; and finally refined
shop on the family’s property, The Old Nick and executed by Dax, a fur-
Village, in Plettenberg Bay, a much-loved niture designer by trade,
trading post successfully run for many who wove all these threads
years by Stuart’s wife Janet. together with Poise Design.
With a thriving online business and And, like Mungo, it’s
shops recently opened in Cape Town and not done yet. Phase two,
Johannesburg, Mungo needed to increase a 700 m2 double-storey, will
its production: a larger mill went from one day go on the back of
being a dream to an imperative. the building.
It wasn’t quite as simple as erect-
ing a building on the Old Nick property, • andre.cristof@
however. There was the sizeable financial gmail.com
investment, red tape around developing • mungo.co.za
the land, multiple stakeholders to consid- • poisedesign.co.za
er in a family organisation, and questions 01

about how to sensitively add a modern

building onto a historical property. One
thing was certain: The mill would be open to the public, providing
the opportunity to tell a story and share both the traditions of pre- “I WANTED VISITORS TO
WALK THROUGH THE
industrial and industrial weaving and the cut-make-trim process.
“People have lost touch with the way things are made,” says Dax, the
driving force behind getting the mill built. “We wanted the customer to
see what they’re buying being made, to make that connection.”
‘THREADS’ AND EXPERIENCE
This next chapter was set in motion when Stuart met architect
and land artist Andrea Cristoforetti at an art exhibition – the person
SOME OF THAT POETRY.”
who was to take Stuart’s vision for a simple mill at the back of the Old

FEB/MAR 2018 104

 PREVIOUS SPREAD

01 Mungo’s working
museum of weaving
makes a striking
architectural statement
next to the N2 between
Plettenberg Bay and
Port Elizabeth. Elements
that hint of old English
mills were introduced,
such as the red bricks
and water, the latter
once essential for mills
to run. Black steel
sheeting and exposed
interior steel beams
and struts modernise
the classic aspects. The
eye-catching skin that
conceals and covers the
walkway appears to be
folded and pinned like
cloth. The raw timber,
used throughout, will
age naturally with
the building.
02
THIS SPREAD

01 Mungo founder and

master weaver Stuart
Holding with his
daughter Tessa, who
oversees Mungo’s
marketing and creative
direction and the Cape
Town store, and son
Dax, who manages
operations in Plett
and spearheaded the
development of the
new mill.

02 The entrance of the

building, a graceful
arch, was designed
to be framed by the
existing coral trees.

03 The light falling

through the slats onto
the walkway changes
throughout the day.
It is Tessa and Dax’s
favourite element of
the mill, and the one
that architect and artist
Andrea Cristoforetti is
most proud of.

03
01 02

03 04 05

06 07 08
THIS SPREAD

01 Sidney Jacobs inspects

a bale of linen and
carefully repairs
a dropped thread.
Every bale is checked
before the next step in
the process, laundering.

02 The gentle curve

at the back, added
by Dax during the
development phase
to make the mill less
boxy, affords the
building a quirky,
gravity-defying lean.

03 A cabinet of pattern
cards, with patterns
punched by hand, for
the Dornier looms.

04 The production
floor currently holds
15 looms.

05–06 Weavers Lionell

Williams and Mabel
Plaatjies. As the mill
is now open to the
public seven days
a week, more staff
have been employed
and trained.

07 The 100% cotton

warp that is destined
to be Mungo’s Boma
napkins. It takes about
3 hours to weave 20 m
of fabric on the Dornier
looms, whereas on the
older Lancaster looms
it could take as long as
three weeks.

08 Dax stands on the

landing that leads
to the staff canteen,
offices and toilets,
looking down at the
production floor where
weaver/technician
Raoul Barnado is
working on a loom.

09 The corrugated
steel sheeting used
at the back of the
building makes
the mill resemble
a modern barn.

09
 C O P E N H A G E N S I G H TS

01

IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, VISI EDITOR SUMIEN

BRINK SPENT FOUR UNFORGETTABLE DAYS IN
COPENHAGEN. IT WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS…
P H OTO S A S T R I D R A S M U S S E N

FEB/MAR 2018 108

02
 as invited
Wonderful
penhagen,
e tourism
ganisation for the
pital Region of
enmark, to take
short trip to the
ty. It was a first
r me in so many
ays. Who knew
it was possible to
pack so much into
four days?
t u e s d ay
We arrive at Copenhagen
Airport at 7 am. Outside
it’s overcast and grey,
but our companion for
the next few days, Ditte
Nytofte, is all smiles
and sunshine. The first
things I see as we leave
the airport are rows and
rows of wind turbines
in the lush green park-
land around the airport,
impressive sculptures
placed perfectly all
around the park, and
hundreds of people
cycling to work. In
no time we are booked into
the newly refurbished Hotel
SKT. Annæ, which has a courtyard shaded by
a two-storey-high tree.
• hotelsanktannae.dk
CONDITORI LA GLACE CONFECTIONARY
Our day starts with coffee and cakes at one
of the city’s oldest coffee shops.
• laglace.dk/en
01
01 Hotel SKT. Annæ boutique hotel. 02 Georg Jensen. 03 Strøget pedestrian shopping street. 04 Conditori La Glace confectionary. 05 108 restaurant.
FEB/MAR 2018
01 Hotel SKT. Annæ.
STRØGET SHOPPING STREET
Fuelled by cake and caffeine, we have the
energy to walk all the way down one of the
longest pedestrian shopping streets in the
world. We pop in at Hay Copenhagen, Georg
Jensen, Royal Copenhagen, Illums Bolighus
and a host of other Scandinavian design
stores that line this iconic street.
02 03
110
PALÆGADE
RESTAURANT
For lunch we have
classic Danish open-
faced sandwiches, aka
smørrebrød, as interpreted
by young chefs at this
highly rated restaurant.
• palaegade.dk/
frontpage
GOBOAT
We hire a solar-powered
boat from Islands
Brygge 10 and discover
more of Copenhagen
from the water. I wonder
where else in the world is
a working harbour’s water
so clean that children can
swim in it.
• goboat.dk/en
COPENHAGEN
STREET FOOD
We enjoy pre-dinner
drinks at the water’s edge,
served at one of the city’s
hip street-food markets,
where food trucks offer
dishes from 17 countries.
IPHONE PHOTOS SUMIEN BRINK
108 RESTAURANT
Our first day in Copenhagen ends with
supper at 108, a spin-off of the famous
Noma. This Michelin-star restaurant
uses only local ingredients and cooking
methods, such as pickling, fermenting and
foraging. For me, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime
experience.”
• 108.dk/welcome
04 05
w e d n e s d a y
GUIDED BIKE TOUR
Day two kicks off with
a bicycle tour, the best
way to experience the
city. I have not cycled in
10 years, but I am more
than willing to give
it a try. Unfortunately
I come horribly short
when I get a light
bump from a cyclist
speeding past me and
fall off my bike. But
I get up and manage to
cycle all the way to the
sculpture of The Little
Mermaid. I must agree with René
Redzepi, Danish chef and owner of Michelin-
star Noma restaurant, that unlike the Eiffel
Tower, the Sydney Opera House or our own
Zeitz MOCAA, The Little Mermaid doesn’t
exactly fill you with awe when you first
encounter it. But it is certainly worth the ride.
• cycling-copenhagen.dk
06
06 Copenhagen is known for its bicycle culture. 07 The Little Mermaid bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen. 08 SimpleRAW. 09 Frederiksberg. 10 Sögreni.
PREVIOUS SPREAD
01 Magstræde is one
of the oldest streets
in Copenhagen’s
Old Town.
02 The daylight screen
in the newly opened
Nordhavnsvej car
tunnel helps one’s eyes
adjust to changes in
brightness.
LOCAL CRAFT
We visit some great
local crafters’ workshops,
including Sögreni, which still
makes bicycles by hand!
• sogreni.dk
FREDERIKSBORG CASTLE
IN NORTH SEALAND
Set in the most beautiful
formal garden on three
islets, Frederiksborg Castle
is a bit of a drive out of
Copenhagen, but so worth it.
• kongeligeslotte.dk/
en/palaces-and-
02 Hotel SP34. gardens/frederiksborg-
castle.html
LUNCH AT SIMPLERAW MEET THE DANES
After working up quite an appetite, we We have supper in a typical Danish summer
eat a healthy and very good vegan lunch house belonging to a couple who came
at SimpleRAW, a raw-food restaurant in an up with the concept of inviting visitors into
18th-century building on Grabrodretorv, Danish homes. We enjoy delicious home-
a picturesque public square in the cooked food and a relaxed atmosphere in
Latin Quarter. a beautifully furnished home.
• simpleraw.dk • meetthedanes.com
07 08 09 10
 t h u r s d ay

01 A light installation by
Japanese artist Yayoi
Kusama at the Louisiana
Museum of Modern Art
in Humlebæk, 35 km
north of Copenhagen.

an artwork by Japanese
ARKEN MUSEUM artist Yayoi Kusama, which
OF MODERN ART is life-changing.
No visit to Copenhagen • en.louisiana.dk
would be complete without
a visit to the extraordinary TIVOLI GARDENS
Arken Museum, which Nothing could have prepared
specialises in Danish, me for the spectacle that is
Nordic and international the Tivoli Gardens. I’m not
art. The building resembles 01 a lover of theme parks, but
a beached ship and the this is a theme park with
museum shop is exceptional. a difference. Everything
• uk.arken.dk LOUISIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART is old and made from wood, and never
One of the most beautiful museums in before have I seen roses and dahlias this
DEN GULE COTTAGE RESTAURANT the world is located some 40 km from size! Dinner at Restaurant Brdr. Price is the
This yellow cottage in the idyllic Deer Park Copenhagen. The buildings, the art, the perfect ending to a perfect day as we enjoy
north of Copenhagen serves food inspired setting (you can see Sweden across the traditional Danish food made modern by
by nature, the seasons and great produce. water) and the incredible garden are all brothers James and Adam Price.
• dengulecottage.dk/en remarkable. This is the first time I experience • brdr-price.dk

01 02 03 04 05

01 Arken Museum of Modern Art. 02 Deer Park. 03 Tivoli Gardens. 04 Den Gule Cottage. 05 Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads by Ai Weiwei at Arken Museum.

FEB/MAR 2018 112

a y

02 The Palm House is

d

one of 27 glasshouses,
dating from 1874, in
the Botanical Garden
in the centre of the city.
Admission is free.
i
r
f

The Danes are a super- LAST NIGHT

healthy bunch who walk After a drink at Hotel SKT.
and cycle everywhere, and Annæ’s fine-dining restaurant
our final day in Copenhagen Format, we have dinner at
proves to be something Denmark’s first rooftop farm,
of a fitness test. We start Gro Spiseri in Østerbro. Dinner
with a walk to the Botanical is served in a glasshouse on
Garden by way of the King’s 02 top of a four-storey building.
Garden and Rosenborg People from diverse back-
Castle, before we are treated grounds work together to
to a late brunch at Aamanns restaurant, ØRESTAD shape the menu and select natural wines
where a modern take on the traditional The afternoon is spent walking around the to accompany the dishes. (Our very own
smørrebrød is served. Then we embark on Ørestad district, which is built around nature Kobus van der Merwe of Wolfgat fame
a tour of the Torvehallerne, where I am and water. Featuring a mix of architect- cooked here last week!) What a way to end
tempted to buy too many gourmet goodies designed residential and university buildings, our time in Copenhagen!
for my own good. the area has become popular with students • formatcph.dk
• copenhagen.foodtours.eu and young families. • grospiseri.dk

06 07 08 09 10

06 Aamanns restaurant. 07–10 Ørestad architectural tour, including Ørestad College, designed by architectural firm 3XN (08 – 09).
 C O P E N H A G E N S I G H TS

y
01 The view of
Copenhagen and
a
the neighbourhoods
Frederiksberg and
Nørrebro, as seen
from the rooftop
of the Radisson Blu
Royal Hotel, designed
by Danish architect
d

Arne Jacobsen.
r

In the last few hours before we have

to leave for the airport I have just
enough time to visit the Design
Museum Denmark to see first-hand all
the Danish design classics and to buy
u

designer toothbrushes at the shop.

• designmuseum.dk/en

Our last lunch is at Restaurant

Manfreds, known as “The world’s
only veggie-focused restaurant
t

famous for its raw meat.” Steak tartare

is the signature dish. Located in
Jægersborggade, the restaurant is
surrounded by small design shops, the
Coffee Collective, Meyers Bakery and
the sweets shop Karamelleriet, which
a

makes the most amazing caramels.

• manfreds.dk

After only four days I am not quite

ready to go home. I suspect if I had
visited Copenhagen in my 20s I might
s

never have come back to Africa. 01

REGRETS
There is always something that you regret not buying or doing…

I don’t think anyone who has seen Out of Africa would I regret not buying a wooden toy monkey designed by
not want to visit the Karen Blixen Museum and see Kay Bojesen for my granddaughter, Wilde Veer, who
what her life in Denmark was like. lives on the edge of the great Namib Desert.
• blixen.dk • kaybojesen-denmark.com

I should have bought the Arne Jacobsen watch I saw
at Illums Bolighus. Everyone said you will surely get
it in duty-free, but that branch did not have the right
colour or the right strap.
• illumsbolighus.com
I would have liked to have seen Christiania, the
self-proclaimed autonomous anarchist district in
Christianshavn, because René Redzepi is going to
open his new restaurant there.
• visitcopenhagen.com
01

FEB/MAR 2018 114

 02 03 04 05 06

01–04 Design Museum Denmark. 05 Copenhagen is getting ever greener as it strives to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital city. 06 Manfreds.
 34
REASONS WE’RE CRUSHING
PHOTO MICKY HOYLE

ON CREATIVITY
 34 REASONS

WHO?
ANTÓN
GARCÍA-
ABRIL
AND
DÉBORA
MESA
HAIL FROM
Spain
PROFESSION Principal architects at
Ensamble Studio

Architects Débora Mesa and Antón

García-Abril of Ensamble Studio
believe in thinking with their hands
and going to the source, in dreaming
big with no barriers and always
learning. Their work includes the
striking Hemeroscopium House, which
took a whole year to engineer but only
seven days to build, and Structures
of Landscape at the Tippet Rise Art
Center in Montana, USA, made with
materials taken directly from the
landscape, in this case concrete-
bound stone, earth and water.
• ensamble.info
01 Beartooth Portal, Structures of Landscape by Ensamble Studio.

02 Identity system for skin-care brand VENN by Natasha Jen of Pentagram.

WHO?
NATASHA
JEN
HAILS FROM
Taiwan
PROFESSION
Graphic designer
and partner at
Pentagram

Designer Natasha Jen creates far

more than just brand identities. Her
work encompasses exhibition design,
signage, graphics and environmental
design. Her client list features the likes
of Chanel, Puma, Harvard Art Museums,
Guggenheim Museum and Foundation
and MIT Architecture.
• behance.net/njenworks
• pentagram.com
 SHOWCASING THE WORK OF GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTS, FILM DIRECTORS AND OTHER CREATIVES,
THE 2018 DESIGN INDABA CONFERENCE IS SET TO INSPIRE YET AGAIN.

03 Permanent exhibition at Design Museum by Studio Myerscough.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ENSAMBLE STUDIO (IWAN BAAN), COURTESY OF EGG FILMS, COURTESY OF STUDIO SWINE, COURTESY OF LOLA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS,
COURTESY OF STUDIO MYERSCOUGH (GARETH GARDNER) AND COURTESY OF NATASHA JEN WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

WHO?
MORAG MYERSCOUGH
HAILS FROM United Kingdom
PROFESSION Designer and founder of
the multi-disciplinary Studio Myerscough

With a textile artist for a mother and

a musician for a father, it was almost
inevitable that Morag would journey into
the creative world when she grew up. Morag’s love of working
in 3D and colour is evident in the work she creates, which
includes the first permanent exhibition at the prestigious
Design Museum in Kensington, London.
• studiomyerscough.com
04 Temple of Agape installation by Morag Myerscough and Luke Morgan.

WHO?
SUNU GONERA
HAILS FROM Zimbabwe
PROFESSION Film director at Egg Films

It’s almost unbelievable to think

that South Africa-based film director
Sunu Gonera was once set to become
a banker. Thankfully, his love of film-
making saw him take a different direction. Since following
his dream, he’s directed a feature film (Pride) and an episode
of the popular TV series Madam Secretary, and won five
awards at Cannes Lions, including a Gold for Khuli Chana’s
“One Source” music video campaign, created in partnership
with Native VML, presented by Absolut.
• eggfilms.tv
05 A still from the Khuli Chana “One Source” music video, directed by Sunu Gonera.

119 FEB/MAR 2018

 34 REASONS

F A
S T C
A Design Indaba

T
F

held its first conference

in Cape Town in 1995. This
year it takes place from
21 to 23 February.

02 Metallic Geology by Studio Swine.

WHO?
AZUSA
MURAKAMI AND
ALEXANDER
GROVES
HAIL FROM Japan / United Kingdom
PROFESSION Architect and artist at the multi-disciplinary
Studio Swine

Japanese architect Azusa Murakami and British artist Alexander Groves make up the
duo that is Studio Swine (Super Wide Interdisciplinary New Explorers). Their pieces
include projects like Gyrecraft, which turns plastic found in the world’s oceans into
works of art, and Metallic Geology, which transforms aluminium foam into cabinets.
• studioswine.com
01 Gyrecraft (Indian Ocean) by Studio Swine.

WHO?
PETER
VEENSTRA
HAILS FROM
The Netherlands
PROFESSION
Landscape
architect and
co-founder of
LOLA (LOst LAndscapes)

For Peter Veenstra, transforming

forgotten and neglected landscapes
into thriving functional spaces is of
the utmost importance. His work
includes the adidas World of Sports
HQ campus in Germany, which
features four colourful star-shaped
public spaces surrounded by nature.
• lola.land
03 The adidas World of Sports campus by LOLA landscape architects. • designindaba.com

FEB/MAR 2018 120

 SURFACE LAMP
Nendo
This simple portable lamp co
surrounded by a leather sheet, which shades the LEDs
and conceals the USB-rechargeable battery. The leather
sheet is hand-perforated so it resembles Louis Vuitton’s
signature Damier pattern when lit.
When the time comes to move on, the lamp can
easily be taken apart, rolled up and packed in a harness
to take with you.
• nendo.jp

CONCERTINA SHADE
Raw Edges
The translucent paper
in this eye-catching
lampshade by London
design studio Raw Edges

WORDS ANNEMARIE MEINTJES

creates a gentle glow while
its thin metal structure,
covered with delicate
caramel leather, generates
a play of shadows and light.
The generous volume of
the lamp collapses when
opening the gilded zip
and the central magnetic
leather belt.
• raw-edges.com

FEB/MAR 2018 122

 34 R E A S O N S

THE LOUIS VUITTON OBJETS NOMADES COLLECTION FEATURES LIMITED

EDITION TRAVELINSPIRED LIFESTYLE PIECES CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH
DESIGNERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. FIRST INTRODUCED IN 2012, THE RANGE
HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE 25 ITEMS  THESE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVOURITES.

TOTEM FLORAL & VALET pole. Inspired by the Noé bag,

Damien Langlois-Meurinne the Totem Floral is like a delicate
Interior architect and designer tree, wrapped in Nomade leather,
Damien Langlois-Meurinne drew with gold-plated brass branches
inspiration from Louis Vuitton’s on which to hang flower- or
iconic trunks when he imagined plant-filled ceramic pots in
the designs for the Totem Floral leather holders.
pot plant stand and Valet. • dl-m.fr/projets
In the case of
brackets are use
dressing room e
as a mirror and
glass lamp to th

BELL LAMP
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby
This modern-day lantern is practical,
cordless and solar-powered. A hand-
crafted frosted Murano glass “bell”
surrounds LED lighting with four
brightness settings, and a silicone ring
on its base allows the lamp to be placed
safely on any surface. Use the Nomade
leather strap to carry the lamp into the
garden or out into the wild.
• barberosgerby.com
 34 REASONS

01 Sgraffito I – Homage to Hiroshige by Michael Lentz.

02 T C V 1 5 by Angie Jones.

PURPLE REIGN
THE PANTONE COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2018 IS ULTRA VIOLET, AN ENIGMATIC
PURPLE HUE THAT’S DESTINED TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO.

T
he experts behind #COY2018, Ultra Violet 18-3838, say
that there’s more to it than simply being a comment on
colour trends: It is a reflection on a collective cultural moment.

IMAGES AND TEXT COURTESY OF THE PANTONE COLOR INSTITUTE

According to the Pantone Color Insitute, Ultra Violet – a colour of
complexity and nuance – speaks to our shared desire for a deeper
understanding in an increasingly complex landscape. Purple
signifies an inventive spirit, imaginative thinking, experimentation
and non-conformity. It has long been
symbolic of counterculture,
unconventionality and artistic
brilliance. Musical icons Prince,
David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix
brought shades of Ultra Violet
to the forefront of Western pop
culture as personal expressions
of individuality. “We are living in
a time that requires inventiveness
and imagination,” says Leatrice
Eiseman, Executive Director of the
Pantone Color Institute.
• pantone.com 03 Cluster by Wendi Turchan.

124
 4
E
xplore. Create. Progress. Three things that define what adidas the start… and we are evolving faster than ever before,” says adidas
NMD stands for. The latest versions of this popular shoe brand, Originals Brand Activation Manager Ashleigh Melvill. The NMD_R1 STLT
the NMD_RACER and NMD_R1 STLT, were designed with the urban features technically advanced materials like patterned Primeknit, and
explorer in mind. the NMD_RACER sports a streamlined racing aesthetic.

T H I R D GE NE RATION
The first and second NMD versions, inspired by the classic
running shoes of the early 1980s, gave rise to the new
NMD_RACER. “NMD has seen a constant evolution from
U R B A N NO M A D
“The urban nomad is a constant creator: construction, deconstruction
and reconstruction. In this process the familiar becomes the
unexpected,” Ashleigh says. For adidas, the NMD is for the creative,
someone who is led by craft, impact and innovation, someone

WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

01 NMD_RACER

FEB/MAR 2018 126

 THE LATEST DROP FROM ADIDAS ORIGINALS SEES INSPIRATION TAKEN
FROM THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND THE ORIGINAL NMD.

driven by transformation, someone who is always in tune with
their environment, someone who is changing and challenging
preconceptions both locally and globally. “NMD is about an offer
of progressive and innovative design, which ultimately empowers
creators to limitlessly explore their urban environment and world.”
URBAN ARCHITECTURE
Japan’s pioneering role in technological advancement was a catalyst
in the design of the NMD_RACER. Having evolved from the NMD,
launched in 2015, and the R2, launched in 2016, the new NMD_RACER
and NMD_R1 STLT take their design cues from urban architecture,
colour, texture and shapes. “Urban architecture was intrinsically
linked throughout the process, starting with the conceptualisation
of NMD as an adidas franchise right the way through to the more
progressive model iterations of this icon,” Ashleigh says. “The starting
point for adidas was the idea that the urban nomad of today needs
a modern runner silhouette with utilitarian appeal to navigate
through the city. NMD was the result.”
• adidas.co.za

02 NMD_R1 STLT

The NMD_RACER and NMD_R1 STLT drop on 4 January 2018. A second NMD_RACER drops on 2 February 2018.
 5
34 REASONS

THE INNOVATIVE PACKAGING OF A NEW OFFERING FROM

FRENCH FASHION AND BEAUTY HOUSE CHANEL
IS SIGHWORTHY IN ITS SIMPLICITY AND A TECHNOLOGICALLY
CONSIDERED DEPARTURE FROM THE UBIQUITOUS TUBE OR POT.

WORDS TRACY GREENWOOD

Ergonomics was the core concept behind
the creation of the irresistible packaging
of La Crème Main by Chanel, a reinvention
of the beautifying hand cream created by
Mademoiselle Chanel back in the 1920s.
The design, which seems deceptively
simple at first glance, took four years
to perfect. It was a collaborative effort the right amount of cream for a single
involving Chanel’s packaging, art direction application.
and formulation teams. We here at VISI HQ think it’s a thing
Designed to look like a water-worn river of great beauty.
stone that fits in the palm of the hand, the
packaging features a retractable dispenser • R1 010 for 50 ml
inside that, when pressed, delivers just • chanel.com

FEB/MAR 2018 128

 “Architecture is how the person places
herself in the space. Fashion is about how
you place the object on the person.”
Zaha Hadid
Award-winning Iranian architect

MONOCEBIC ONE- Blanc One 800mm x1600mm. Natural Surfac

STILES - Cape Town STILES - George STILES - Mossel Bay

37 Paarden Eiland Road 12 Commercial Close Bolton Street
Cape Town, 7405 George, 6529 Mossel Bay, 6506
T: 021 510 8310 T: +27 44 8713222 T: +27 44 6951800
F: 021 510 8317 F: +27 44 8710721 F: +27 44 6951877
info@stiles.co.za info@stiles.co.za info@stiles.co.za

www.stiles.co.za
 02 TREBENE
Rooster
cashmere-
and-silk scarf,
R4 200.

PHOTOS PAUL SAMUELS CREATIVE DIRECTION KASSIE NAIDOO STYLING MELISSA HENDERSON WEAVING PROCESS AAMIR WANI EDITED BY CHERI MORRIS
01 Thoughtful consumption and instinctive design practices will

6
be a growing focus for brands and retailers choosing strategies
that they feel instinctively to be right. TREBENE is an ethical
local fashion brand that designs, prints and hand-weaves
01 luxury cashmere. TREBENE Face to Face cashmere scarf, R7 800.

WGSN IS THE WORLD’S LEADING TREND-FORECASTING

AUTHORITY. WHO BETTER THAN AFRICAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR
HANNARI SLABBERT TO SHARE SOME KEY INSIGHTS ON WHAT WILL BE
THE MAJOR INFLUENCES ON THE WAY WE LIVE IN 2018?
03 Hannari Slabbert.

1. Look back to move forward
Brands and consumers will take a deep look
at their archives, drawing key elements from
old ideas to create a fresh take on them.
2. No borders
Big brands will collaborate on equal terms
with global artisans and makers, paying
tribute to local materials and time-honoured
designs. This is consumption that celebrates
the beauty of all cultures and backgrounds.
3. Phygitalised
As the physical and digital worlds
increasingly converge, “phygital” design will
play with what’s real, from augmented-reality
entertainment to tactile digital designs.
4. The ambient home
The connected home will change the way
we live. Multisensory elements, including
scent, sound and touch, will become more
important to counter the impersonal effect
of digital screens, and design will set out to
“spark joy” through form, function and feeling.
5. Instinctive design
Consumers will continue to buy into
sustainable and adaptable products that use
the resources of the planet more wisely, with
ecological considerations now an imperative.
6. Design as drama
Bold, theatrical products and experiences will
set the stage for a heightened multisensory
approach to more interactive, playful design.
7. Thoughtful consumption
Value will increasingly be placed on the spirit
in which products are made. This evolving
mindset will drive consumers to reflect more
on sustainability, what they spend their
money on and the future of their purchases.
8. Newstalgia
Cultural nostalgia is at a high. The new
nostalgia is focused not on one time, place
or culture, but a vibrant mix – and it is set to
influence every design sphere.
9. Allclusive design
Brands are waking up to the power of
bringing together people from many
disciplines and backgrounds to design
products and services that work better for
everyone, regardless of age, gender, culture
or ability.
• trebene.com
• wgsn.com

FEB/MAR 2018 130

 34

THE ANNUAL CAPE TOWN ART FAIR BRINGS

A DIVERSE MIX OF CONTEMPORARY ART
THE MOTHER CITY. A NEW SECTION OF THE FAIR, SOLO,
IS YEAR FOCUSES ON THE WORKS OF 10 WOMEN ARTISTS.

01

02

WORDS ASHRAF BOOLEY

 01 Qunusa! Buhle
(triptych) by
Buhlebezwe Siwani.

02 LAGOM: Breaking
Bread with the
Self-righteous
by Lhola Amira.

03 Fortia 2 by Keyezua.

04 What Kind Of by
Maïmouna Guerresi.

05 Seat of Honour 3 by
Stacey Gillian Abe.

06 SOLO guest
curator Nontobeko
Ntombela.

03

04 05

N the continent’s foremost art fair is returning

ow called the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF),
to the Cape Town International Convention Centre
from 16 to 18 February, and is once again curated by
Tumelo Mosaka.
The CTICC will act as an international hub featuring
contemporary art by emerging and established artists
from South Africa, the African continent and abroad.
Added to the 2018 fair is an exciting new section
entitled SOLO, which will focus solely on the production 06
and promotion of women artists. SOLO will be curated
by Nontobeko Ntombela alongside Tumelo and the ICTAF team.
The line-up features artists from Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda,
India, Italy and, of course, South Africa – all represented by their
respective galleries. The local artists are crackerjack
ceramicist Lucinda Mudge (represented by Everard
Read CIRCA Gallery), performance artist Lhola Amira
(SMAC Gallery), painter Kimathi Mafafo (EBONY/
CURATED) and visual artist Ingrid Bolton (Candice
Berman Gallery).
“I am interested in the concept of what it means
as a female artist to have this extended self through
art’,” says SOLO curator Nontobeko. “The artists we are
working with have explored this in diverse ways. The
chosen pieces are all about upsetting the norm and
upsetting the image of women.”
• investeccapetownartfair.co.za

133 FEB/MAR 2018

 34 REASONS

F A
S T C
A
“Bob” is short

T
for “bobber”, a custom
motorcycle style that
originated in the US. “Fat”
refers to the Fat Bob’s
wide front wheel.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS UNBOXED ITS 2018

SOFTAIL MOTORCYCLE RANGE, AND THIS TIME
MORE THAN THE PAINT COLOURS ARE FRESH.

T
he typica del is about 8 years, chassis and the smooth and potent new Milwaukee-Eight

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON WORDS JUSTUS VISAGIE

whereas a motorcycle model can easily
reach 15 years before it’s laid to rest. Over that
period, bold colour schemes, accessories and
minor upgrades have to satisfy consumers’
desire for novelty.
Harley-Davidson plays this game
well. In 2008 the Dark Custom
evolution started, and chrome and
bright metal gave way to black paint
finishes. The rise of the dark side
also came as the antithesis to all that
over-the-top chrome associated with
cruiser motorcycles. Thank heavens then
that the Dark Custom theme has now
blossomed and can be seen in many new
Harleys, especially in the new Softail Fat Bob.
The Softail range comprises 17 derivatives.
All are built on and around Harley’s excellent new
engines. This combination endows the new Softails
with a sportiness that isn’t synonymous with
Harley-Davidson.
The Fat Bob fully exploits the power of
the Milwaukee-Eight engine and the
dynamic abilities of the chassis. The
designers made this possible by placing
the foot pegs higher up and fitting
the bike with swept-up tail pipes. This
allows the rider to lean the bike into
corners much further than Harleys
generally can or should. All this makes
it the most exciting bike to emerge from
Milwaukee in decades.
• 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Bob
R226 500 – R253 400
• harley-davidson.com

FEB/MAR 2018 134

BRUTEST NE
Grecian Marble

*HWL;V^U!/PNO^H`7HYR5VY[ONH[L,Z[H[L ‹;LS!
4PKYHUK!  6SK 7YL[VYPH 9VHK /HSM^H` /V\ZL ‹ ;LS!
:HUK[VU  9HUKI\YN!  9OVKLZ :[YLL[ ‹ ;LS!   
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+\YIHU!  :V\[O *VHZ[ 9K 4VILUP ‹ ;LS!   
7PUL[V^U!*UY6SK4HPU9K :[1VOU»Z(]LU\L‹;LS! 
.OHUH!:WPU[L_9K(JJYH‹;LS! 
9 T
BLACK: ARCHITECTURE IN MONOCHROME
IS A STRIKING NEW LAUNCH BY PHAIDON, PUBLISHER
OF SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE COFFEETABLE BOOKS.

he intensity and mystique of buildings in black is explored to the full in this book. Showcasing
150 structures built in the past 1 000 years, from Icelandic chapels to modernist houses, from
beach shacks to skyscrapers, Black celebrates dark architecture all over the world. Here is a taster.

STACKED CABIN The woodland home is constructed from

Johnsen Schmaling Architects,
Muscoda, Wisconsin, USA
At the far corner of a forested clearing sits
a compact cabin designed for protected
interaction with its bucolic surroundings.
exposed concrete at its base, and black cedar,
anodised metal and plaster. This black material
palette causes the cabin to recede into the
shadows and foliage, while also strongly
delineating its bold form.

EXTRACT PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM BLACK: ARCHITECTURE IN MONOCHROME (PHAIDON), 2017
 ROADS AND WATERWORKS SUPPORT CENTRE
Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Harlingen, The Netherlands
A regional support centre for a busy public works department, this low-slung trapezoidal structure was designed to support a number of
disparate functions under a single continuous volume. The tapered single-storey building is clad in black corrugated metal panels so that
the structure itself becomes a backdrop for the fluorescent painted roadwork vehicles that are constantly moving about the perimeter.
ARCHITECTURE/MARC ANGELES, NEUTELINGS RIEDIJK ARCHITECTEN/CHRISTIAN RICHTERS

BLACK DESERT HOUSE

PHOTOS JOHNSEN SCHMALING ARCHITECTS/JOHN J MACAULAY, OLLER & PEJIC

Oller & Pejic, Yucca Valley,

California, USA
Built on an isolated 1 ha site in
a niche carved between rock
formations in the High Desert in
Southern California, Black Desert
House was inspired by the client’s
goal to build a house like a shadow.
Since in the desert a shadow is
often the only resting place for the
eye, the intention of a black house
was to act as a similar respite, not
only from the relentless desert sun
but also from the stress of urban
life. In the evening, the house
disappears into the night, with only
the faintest impression of structure
lit by the moon and stars. The
interiors are also executed in black
and grey so that even the inside of
the house recedes into the shadows
during the day.

137 FEB/MAR 2018

 H gallery walls at Zeitz
is work now lines the

MOCAA in Cape Town, but

being a photographer was
never the plan for Mack
Magagane. When his dream
of studying architecture at
university didn’t pan out due
to financial constraints, Mack’s
sister presented him with
an alternative.
“I was introduced to photo-
graphy after matriculating
in 2008, through my sister,”
he says. “She knew about

0
The Market Photo Workshop,
01 Mack Magagane 02
a photography school based

1
in Newtown, Johannesburg,
close to where I live now.
I thought I would study there
for a time until I was able to
raise sufficient funds to go to
university. I later found that
“YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST I loved photography and just
PHOTOGRAPH” IS AN AXIOM THAT 27YEAR continued.”
OLD JOBURGBASED PHOTOGRAPHER Mack is fascinated with the
MACK MAGAGANE FIRMLY BELIEVES. infrastructural, economical,

PORTRAIT LEBOGANG THLAKO PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND ROOM GALLERY & PROJECTS; OLDER
social and political changes
seen in Johannesburg, and
his work is largely inspired by
the city’s burgeoning urban
environment and the way in
which the above variables

WORKS ACQUIRED BY ZEITZ MOCAA COLLECTION WORDS LINDI BROWNELL MEIRING

depend on one another. “I try
to find the in-between,” he says.
He aims to present pieces that
are both visually appealing and
politically, economically and
socially significant.
Before winning the Centre
03 04 Photographique d’Ile-de-France
residency in Paris in 2013, Mack
05 T F A got the opportunity to exhibit
S his work on the first floor of
C
F A

Mack is the Eiffel Tower, something

T

inspired by he considers a highlight.

photographers Guy
Tillim and Alex
Webb.
02 Untitled XXI, …in this city series,
2011, giclée print on cotton rag.
03 Untitled XII, …in this city series,
2011, giclée print on cotton rag.
04 Lamp, 2014, archival pigment on
Innova FibaPrint matte paper.
05 Sunshine, 2014, archival pigment
on Innova FibaPrint matte paper.
Since then he has exhibited at
numerous galleries in South
Africa and abroad. He plans to
continue studying and focus on
his practice in 2018.
We can’t wait to see what he
does next.
• mackmagagane.co.za
• roomgallery.co.za
• zeitzmocaa.museum

138
 11 A SNAPSHOT OF SOME
BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT SMART TECH
THAT IS SET NOT ONLY TO INTERRUPT THE MARKET
BUT ALSO TO IMPROVE THE WAY WE LIVE.

01 Fossil Q
Nate black
stainless steel
smartwatch,
R3 999.
Fossil Q Hybrid
smartwatches
Control your music, get
social media notifications,
track your activity and
02 Fossil Q
Accomplice navy-
blue stainless steel
smartwatch,
R4 699.

even take a selfie, all

from a classic-looking
wristwatch (which you
don’t have to charge)
that’s been infused
with smartwatch
technology. Personalise
your functions and alerts
through the app.
• From R3 799 at
watchrepublic.co.za
or Fossil Stores
• fossil.com

Sonos One smart speaker

A killer speaker with future-ready voice control that’s beautiful to boot, this is the wireless device for the audiophile that cast
shade on Apple’s announcement of its HomePod, the Siri-enabled speaker, set to launch early 2018. Although voice recognition
is not recognised in South Africa yet, the Sonos app is continually updated with new features, services and skills, so your music
and voice options keep getting better over time. • About R3 660 • sonos.com

WORDS AMELIA BROWN

 Levi’s commuter jacket with
Jacquard by Google
A jacket tailored for the urban cyclist
featuring articulated shoulders for extra
manoeuvring room, reflectors, a dropped
hem for coverage and a digitally connected
sleeve: Google’s Jacquard technology is
woven into the cuff and operated through
the removable, rechargeable snap tag
that you click in place like a press stud to
connect to your mobile device. Customise
gestures through the app, and with a tap or
brush you can control music, screen phone
calls or get directions.
• About R4 740 • levi.com

02 The Dyson Supersonic hairdryer’s V9 motor spins faster than a Formula One race car
Dyson Supersonic
engine. It’s up to eight times faster than other hair dryer motors and half the weight.
In designing the most
stylish hairdryer out there,
the smart engineers at
Dyson rethought the
prototype, and moved
the famous V9 motor
(developed over 15 years)
into the handle and
rebalanced the device. The
Tile Style and Tile Sport focus is on high-velocity
Always losing your keys? This discrete air flow for quicker drying
Bluetooth tracker allows you to “ring your and accurate temperature
things” and let you keep track of them control to prevent heat
through an app. The Slim version fits in damage. It comes with
a wallet or passport, and can even be a two-year guarantee.
glued to the TV remote. • From about • R6 499 at takealot.com
R410 for the Slim • thetileapp.com • dyson.co.za

Jabra Elite Sport wireless earbuds

These compact Bluetooth earphones with seriously advanced wireless connectivity
feature customisable comfortable fit options; superior sound quality for music
and phone calls, with two microphones in each bud that work together to filter
out background noise; and, for fitness fanatics, an in-ear precision heart rate
monitor that works with the personalisable app to track and analyse your fitness.
They are waterproof and come with a three-year warranty against sweat damage.
• R3 699 from takealot.com • mea.jabra.com

Polaroid Snap Touch

This nifty 13 MP instant camera blends the nostalgia of Polaroids with the benefits
of modern digital technology, all in a slim package (available in six colours) that
fits into a pocket or clutch bag. This second-generation version of the Snap has an
LCD touchscreen and prints in colour, black-and-white and vintage sepia, with or
without the classic Polaroid border. • R1 689 from takealot.com • polaroid.com

141 FEB/MAR 2018

 2
01

1
02
I
nspired by a layout of industrial pipes
he had seen at an oil refinery, Guy Harris
returned to his studio and designed a series of
lights featuring 30-, 60- and 90-degree angles.
The designs are unconventional yet elegant,
and utterly appealing. The name of the new
collection, 369, refers to the angles.
Made to order and powder-coated in Broken
White, Anthracite, Yellow or other custom colours,
the lights include a cluster of three standing
lamps in the same colour. The table lamp features
a space-saving off-centre placement of the post
on the base, which is intended to hold a coffee
cup. Then there’s the F4, a 2,2 m-tall lamp that will
certainly make a statement wherever it’s used.
“Statement pieces enhance a space and can
add a sense of humour and whimsy,” Guy says.
“I like playing with scale during production and
I enjoy creating large pieces.
“I’d put the F4 in a sparsely furnished living
area or entrance hall with a console table, a nice
rug and a piece of art.”

• newport.co.za
WORDS MARY GARNER

THE 369 COLLECTION BY 01 The Newport 369 collection includes the

 NEWPORT LIGHTING 60 cm-tall T1 table lamp (R3 150), F1 floor
STANDS TALL. lamp (R3 960) and F3 floor lamp (R9 250).

02 Guy Harris, owner of Newport Lighting, with

the 220 cm-tall 369 F4 floor lamp (R9 430).

FEB/MAR 2018 142

 13
34 REASONS

T F A
S
A Birch extract

C
01 The Fin locker (R6 713)

T
works as a solo piece, or is used in the
back-to-back with another cosmetic industry to
one or a Fin bookshelf to
fragrance soaps
form an island.
and shampoo.

THIS SUPER-PRACTICAL LOCKER, MADE BY MULTIPLY FURNITURE,

FITS THE BILL FOR A COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE.

C has an office range with a number

ape Town-based Multiply Furniture
of storage solutions, of which the Fin locker
is one of our favourites. Made of birch ply,
the Fin locker and its family members the
Fin bookshelf and Fin planter – designed by
Scarlett San Martin – offer versatile storage-
slash-decor options for the home or office.
Comprising nine lockers, each measuring
38 cm x 33 cm x 24 cm, the Fin locker is
available in different finishes: natural, oiled,
lacquered, stained, painted and veneered.
When you design office furniture, says
Multiply co-owner Alice Taylor, you have to
consider things like adjustable height, cable
management and multiple uses.
“Workspaces are becoming more
collaborative, modular and, of course, cost-
effective. The rise in popularity of standing
meeting tables and workstations is something
to look out for in the coming year, as well as
branding and personalisation of workspaces.”
• multiplyfurniture.co.za

WORDS MARY GARNER

FEB/MAR 2018 144

 14
34 REASONS

01 Igshaan Adams.

What are some of the key themes you

IGSHAAN ADAMS, WINNER OF THE 2018 STANDARD
BANK YOUNG ARTIST AWARD FOR VISUAL ART,
IS AN ARTIST TO WATCH. WE CHATTED TO HIM TO FIND
OUT WHAT HE HAS PLANNED FOR THE YEAR AHEAD.
explore in your work?
I started out considering the influences my
domestic environment had on my identity:
my upbringing; the internal conflict about
my spirituality, race and sexuality; and the
dynamics within my family. Now my work
is more abstract. I remain engaged with the
relationship between the sacred and the
profane. Overriding themes are still centred
around self, but from a mystical point of view.

What inspired your latest body of work?

For my solo exhibition, I grappled with the
dynamics of chaos and order in an attempt to
unravel the rigidity of certain universal laws.

Tell us more about your creative process.

I’m often inspired by the materials themselves
and how they can be used to express
02 The Path of the Upright, 2017, emotions. I used to draw and make preliminary
beads, ropes, twine and dye. sketches a lot, but now I work more intuitively.

What drives you as an artist?

There’s a simple need to create to the point
where if I don’t, I feel unsettled. I enjoy feeling
that my work forms part of something far
bigger than myself.

What do you love about contemporary

South African art?
That we are now, I believe, being noticed for
the right reasons. I think South African art is
driven not only by conceptual inquiry but also
aesthetic resolve.

What are your plans for the year ahead?

I will be participating in The Armory Show
INTERVIEW ASHRAF BOOLEY

in New York in March, then I will show at

the National Arts Festival as the SBYA in July.
In September I start a performance-based
residency in Sweden, and I’m working on
a group show in Norway for early 2019.

• blankprojects.com
 0118/5/VS/FPFC
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 15
WINNING
STREAK
A NEW ITALIAN TILE
COLLECTION AT
STILES TILES TICKS
ALL THE RIGHT BOXES.

S tiles Tiles, which has showrooms in

George and Paarden Eiland, Cape
Town, stocks both locally manufactured
and imported tile ranges from Italy, Turkey
and Brazil. It recently launched the exciting
Italian Monocibec One collection.
These tiles are made of porcelain
stoneware, yet have the soft appearance of
01 Monocibec One Sable 60 cm x 120 cm porcelain stoneware tiles. resin flooring thanks to a colour application
technique that creates subtle streaking.
They’re available in a variety of colours,
patterns, sizes and thicknesses, and are
suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
“The One collection has the ability to
express many looks,” says Steve Joubert,
co-owner of Stiles Tiles. “For a minimalist
aesthetic, use Monocibec One tiles with
a uniform colour and controlled variation
in an oversized format.”

• stiles.co.za

T F A
S
A
WORDS MARY GARNER
C

Porcelain
T
F

stoneware tiles are

produced by a fast
firing of unglazed
ceramic.
02 Monocibec One Blanc 60 cm x 120 cm porcelain stoneware tiles.

FEB/MAR 2018 148

 16
34 REASONS

A NEW RANGE OF WALLCOVERINGS BY KZNBASED

FINE-FABRIC MANUFACTURER COTTONBERRY
HAS CAPTURED DREAMY BOHO ISLAND VIBES.

C Felicity Ellis, a former

ottonberry owner

ad exec who ventured into

textiles in 2005, describes the
growing business’s aesthetic
as “global inspiration, local
production”.
Her Indigo Bay fabric range
was influenced by hand-
dyed textiles she’d seen on
a trip to Mozambique. Her
experimentation with blue-
hued dying techniques that
would capture this laid-back
spirit led her to the Japanese
art of shibori, a form of tie-
dyeing that involves folding or
twisting cloth and binding it.
“During the development
process I felt more like an
intrigued facilitator than
01 a designer,” Felicity says.
01 The wallcovering range, available at Robin Sprong, is a first for Cottonberry. Following on the success
of this range, Cottonberry
02
recently extended the theme
by introducing new designs
on a cream-coloured cotton
and on wallpaper. The
new digitally printed fabric
collection, called Indigo Bay
Extended, is available from
Walnut Interior, The Blumberg
Fabric Co, Lynn Fagg and
Halogen International. The
range is now also available as
wallcoverings through Robin
Sprong Wallpapers.
03 Felicity Ellis.
What’s next for the
F A
S T
brand? Look out for a mid-
A century-inspired range that
C

WORDS AMELIA BROWN

A cotton gin is incorporates bold poppies

T
F

non-alcoholic; it’s and retro geometrics, due

a machine for separating
cotton fibres from
the seeds.
02 Indigo Bay Extended fabric range.
out in March.
• cottonberry.co.za
• robinsprong.com

FEB/MAR 2018 150

 F ans of mid-century
furniture continue
to be thrilled by the
offering of Copenhagen-
based design house
sofacompany.com, which
has had a South African
presence since 2015. The
brand is the brainchild of
Danish designers Cathrine
and Christian Rudolph.
The local online store
and two showrooms,
located in De Waterkant,

17
Cape Town, and Kramer-
ville, Johannesburg, offer
a variety of modern,
classic and retro designs.
In addition to Scandi-
sleek living room
staples – sofas, daybeds,
armchairs, ottomans and
coffee tables – you’ll find
SOFACOMPANY.COM BRINGS DANISH dining tables, chairs and
DESIGN TO LOCAL SHORES, AND ALLOWS plush pillows.
YOU TO ORDER A STYLISH NEW SOFA FROM Choosing a sofa is a key
THE COMFORT OF YOUR OLD ONE. decision when you want
to bring a living room
together. “The choice of
size, colour, texture and
style are very important
in terms of setting the
tone for the aesthetics
and energy of the room,”
says Nicole Sherwin, CEO
of sofacompany.com
South Africa.
The latest products
feature cheeky pink and
pastels, richly textured
fabrics and quirky new
02 Dixie footrest in Velour Vintage Rosa, R5 199. designs. Some old
01Flynn armchair with smoked-oak favourites have had
legs in Sunday Dusty Rose, R7 599. makeovers, too. WORDS MARY GARNER AND AMELIA BROWN

A stock rotation every

four to six weeks at the
showrooms ensures
continuously updated
ranges. Your purchase
also comes with peace
of mind: Every piece has
a lifetime warranty on
the frame.

03 Harry two-seater sofa with stained-walnut • za.sofacompany.com

04 Lexi chair with brass legs in
legs in Velour Rosa, R9 999.
Velour Vintage Rosa, R4 999.

FEB/MAR 2018 152

 BEAUTIFUL
LIVING
The new lounge collections from Mobelli bring modern,
easy living home. Curated by Sam Lurie from Sprout Design,
these new collections express attainable beauty and
comfort. Available in a range of design styles and soft hues to
complement your home.

1. Berkley sofa R 60,795. 2. Dakota ottoman R 4,395. 3. Lafayette occasional chair R 11,295.

Find us on... mobelli.co.za

Sea Point | Illovo | Fourways | Menlyn Piazza
NEW Concept Showroom now open in Paarden Eiland
 34 REASONS
G shoes and stepping barefoot
01 Eight Softology shades: Brunia, Faun, Suave, Dahlia, etting home, kicking off your
Downy, Abyss, Mink and Zephyr.
onto plush carpeting is one of life’s
little pleasures, and this is exactly
what the Softology carpet range by
Belgotex has been designed for.
The collection was developed using
a trademark master fibre technology
that ensures feather-like softness.
Given that carpet trends in 2018 are
expected to lean towards a healthy
dose of colour, this collection includes
refreshingly vibrant yet subtle hues
named Swoon, Dahlia, Suave and
Regis, among others. “Colour is
definitely a big trend in carpets,
breaking the grey, beige and dark
colour monotony so common in soft
floor coverings,” says Helen de Villiers,
18 02 Softology in Dahlia, a dusty pink.
A NEW RESIDENTIAL
RANGE OF SOFTOLOGY
CARPETS BY BELGOTEX
BRINGS TOGETHER ONTREND
COLOURWAYS AND THE
ULTIMATE IN COMFORT.
03 Softology in Suave, an inviting deep blue.
FEB/MAR 2018 154
Marketing Manager at Belgotex Floors.
“This range has distinctive colours that
lend a modern feel to a home.”
You can add some colour and
comfort throughout your home:
Softology carpets come in 8 mm,
11 mm and 13 mm pile. The higher pile
works well in bedrooms, whereas the
lower heights suit the lounge.
And if you’re concerned about
keeping luxurious carpeting spotless,
the Belgotex designers have thought
of that too. Along with an increased
number of finer filaments in the
pile, the carpets have stain-proof
qualities, making them pretty, plush
and practical.
• belgotexfloors.co.za
WORDS MARY GARNER
THE ULTIMATE CONTROL
THE PERFECT SHOWER

With the GROHE Rainshower® SmartControl 360 shower system you’ll enjoy this
personalised and luxurious, award winning showering experience every day.
Providing you with the choice of your favourite spray pattern, at exactly the right
temperature and using exactly the right amount of water, you have 100% control.
Now available at groheonline.co.za
 W as a fascination
hat started out

with the characteristics

of paper combined with
natural fibres and pigments
has blossomed into
artist Georgine Jacobs’
EnlightenMe home
decor brand. In 2014,
Georgine embarked on an
18-month artistic journey
of material exploration that
entailed experimenting
with the combination
of natural and recycled
fibres, and developing
techniques for creating
interesting textures. The
result: eco-friendly home
accent pieces that display
a perfect balance between
dainty and durable.
Georgine colours the raw
materials with plant-based
dyes, pigments and oxides
to make vessels dressed in

19
pretty pastels and hues of
blue, terracotta, charcoal,
01
lime and various earth
colours. Each vessel is
numbered and signed.
EnlightenMe is stocked
by LIM and ODEON
in Cape Town, Ebony/
Curated in Franschhoek,
and Kim Sacks Gallery and
THESE INTRIGUINGLY SHAPED VESSELS Studio 19 in Johannesburg.
IN ALLURING EARTH HUES ARE MADE USING The brand has also been
getting some international
RECYCLED PAPER AND NATURAL FIBRES.
exposure: Africanologie
showcased the vessels
02
at Decor + Design in
Melbourne, a collection
was displayed at The
Conran Shop Autumn
Winter 2017/2018 press day
in London, and Source SA
Design Export took
a selection to NY Now.

• enlightenmehd.co.za
WORDS CHERI MORRIS

01–02 Organic pod-shaped vessel

and bowl with weave-like
texture (from R575), and wonky
raw-edged bowls with textured
interior finish (from R536).
- Fabula

Euro Nouveau presents a curated selection of luminares by

some of the foremost European lighting designers and
manufacturers. This unique concept is presented by local
lighting experts Eurolux and aims to offer the discerning
buyer more options when it comes to luxurious lighting.
Euro Nouveau presents a variety of pieces, from bespoke
chandeliers to statement pendants, representing top
brands like Fontana Arte, Slamp, Inarchi, Manooi and
Panzeri. The Euro Nouveau collection caters to every taste
and style, from sophisticated old-world inspired pieces in
crystal and glass, to modern architectural styles in marble,
chrome and steel.

9 Raceco e Road M er on Cape ow 744 V ew ng by appo nt en

Contac n o@euro ouveau o za or 02 528 84 0
www euronouveau co za | www facebook co / u oNo veau | www instagram com/euronouveau

Designer Lighting
 20 PR POWERHOUSE
JENNA MCARTHUR
REPRESENTS SOME OF THE
TOP LOCAL FASHION BRANDS
IN THE COUNTRY. HER
STYLISH NEW STUDIO SPACE
IN CAPE TOWN IS WHERE THE
MAGIC HAPPENS.

01

C This is how the ever-so-elegant

lassic, minimalist and unfussy.

Jenna McArthur describes her personal

style – and it’s reflected in her agency’s

PHOTOS MICKY HOYLE PRODUCTION SUMIEN BRINK WORDS ASHRAF BOOLEY

new showroom-cum-studio in Cape
Town’s East City Studios.
The space is light and airy, with
panoramic views of the city. On one wall,
the simple yet striking Jenna McArthur
logo in black, designed by Fred Viljoen
of Kinsmen Collective, jumps out at you.
An emerald-green sofa, by Cathrine
Rudolph for sofacompany.com, is
complemented by a Nguni hide from
Woodheads. The tables were custom-
made by Dark Horse in Woodstock and
the steel rails are from Weylandts.
“The new and the old merge,” Jenna
says. “Our modern desks contrast with 03
a few key pieces that are more old-
01 Jenna McArthur.
world. The industrial elements give it
a cool urban edge without taking away 02 The work of some of the agency’s jewellery
from the elegance of the space.” clients, which include Pichulik, on display.
03 The Jenna McArthur PR team at work: clockwise
• jennamcarthur.com from left, Jade Williams, Louise van Wyk, Jenna
• @jennamcarthurpr 02 and Dani Bossenger.

FEB/MAR 2018 158

CAPE TOWN - HUDSON BUILDING / CNR HUDSON & STRAND STREET / DE WATERKANT
JOHANNESBURG - 1ST FLOOR / TRUMPET BUILDING / KEYES AVE / ROSEBANK
 21
34 REASONS

AFRICAN JACQUARD
COMBINES LOCALLY INSPIRED DESIGNS
AND THE TRADITIONAL FRENCH
JACQUARD WEAVING METHOD TO
PRODUCE A BEAUTIFUL RANGE OF
100% COTTON TEXTILES.

T
en years ago, French-born entrepreneur Christine
Daron’s sister took her to the Tissage Moutet
weaving mill in Orthez, France, where she discovered
personalised tea towels. Fast-forward a decade and various
experiments in weaving jacquard, and Christine can count
Babylonstoren and Marble restaurant among her clients.
Her core range includes aprons, oven gloves, table
runners, scatter cushions, bags and, of course, the classic
jacquard tea towel. She is on a mission to elevate the
humble kitchen cloth by means of striking designs to
a high-quality product that champions local craft and
employment.
It took Christine six months to develop the jaquard
fabric with the right absorbency, softness, lightness and
the signature reverse weave design. The motifs are inspired
by her travels and by traditional fabric designs such as
shweshwe and kuba cloth.
For bespoke projects, she spends time on site getting
to know the colours, textures, logos and patterns to make
a signature design. She works with an in-house designer
to refine the motif, consults with the client and reviews
samples, which are then rigorously washed and tested.
The precision and personalisation of African Jacquard
is in evidence in a range of shopping bags and tea
towels made for The Yard in Cape Town using artist
Lucie de Moyencourt’s ink illustrations of the Silo District.
“The possibilities are endless,” Christine says.
WORDS AMELIA BROWN

With designs for Zeitz MOCAA and an exciting

collaboration with artist and designer Michael Chandler
of Chandlerhouse in the works, African Jacquard is just
getting started.

• africanjacquard.com

FEB/MAR 2018 160

 Luxaflex®
Wooden
blinds
With passion for quality,
style and practical
features you can enjoy
beautiful windows
in every room with
Luxaflex® blinds.

The Art of Window Styling luxaflex.co.za

 2
34 REASONS

2
L
ittle Playroom is the
brainchild of Joburg-
based designer and interior
architect Daniela Sanchez.
On a mission to develop
compact furniture for
hildren that is functional,
ffordable and cool, Daniela
signed a range of tables,
airs, chalkboards and
age pieces, as well as
ons and play mats. The
re comes in four colours,
ndo Blue, Blush Pink, Cool
Snowy White; and the
otifs are playful and graphic.

esigns do you find work

children’s furniture?
THE LITTLE PLAYROO designs are functional and
OF FURNITURE, CUSHION e, and can grow with a child.
PROVIDES KIDS WITH A FU mportant that children’s
WHICH TO PLAY AND does not detract from the
the rest of the home.

materials do you use?

current Little Playroom
n we’ve worked with
01 nation of solid pine and
only for their strength and
rability but also because they
ake for more affordable products.
e only use water-based paints. For
e cushions and play mats we use
02
er bull denim or 100% cotton.

hat do you have planned for

tle Playroom in 2018?
ere are some exciting new designs
the pipeline, and we want to grow
brand.

ittleplayroom.co.za

01 Up Up and Away blackboard, R510.

02 Happy House chalkboard, R620.

F A
S T C
A
INTERVIEW MARY GARNER

MDF, or
T
F

medium-density
fibreboard, is a mixture of
wood fibres and resin that
is pressed, dried and
cut to size.
 *now open*
FLAGSHIP STORE AND NEW MUNGO MILL
P L E T T E N B E R G B AY | O L D N I C K V I L L AG E | ( + 2 7 ) 4 4 5 3 3 1 3 9 5
CAPE TOWN | 78 HOUT STREET | (+27) 21 201 2374
JOHANNESBU RG | 44 STANLEY | (+27) 87 135 5988

01 With her Whimsical Collection Wildlife at
Leisure art series, Deziree Smith focuses
on indigenous animals in unusual spaces.
The images are printed on place mats,
trays, cushions, bags, gift tags and more.
23
TWO LOCAL BRANDS, ARTLAB AND
WHIMSICAL COLLECTION, HAVE COME
TOGETHER TO CREATE DECOR ART USING
THE LATEST PRINTING TECHNOLOGY.
G I
FEB/MAR 2017 164
H a drastic decline in the
aving witnessed
South African textile industry
over the past 20 years, Craig
Whyte, CEO of digital printing
facility ArtLab, believes digital
textile printing could spark
a revival for local artisans and
small businesses that work in
clothing, upholstery and soft
furnishings.
Craig has introduced a new
printing technique to South
Africa that taps into the
printerior trend – coined from
“print” and “interior”. What it
means is that designs can
be printed on cushions, wall
coverings, flooring, curtains and
more, “all on-demand and with
no minimum metreage,” Craig
says. “With this technology
now arriving on our shores,
we expect to see the local
design community experiment
with the concept to create
fresh designs.”
Collaborating with Deziree
Smith of Whimsical Collection,
ArtLab prints an extensive
collection of African-inspired
motifs that Deziree paints.
“I want to change the way we
look at Africa’s animals,” Deziree
says. “My focus in each new
range is to portray the animals
in such a light that it will make
us respect them, remember
them and conserve them.” The
Whimsical Collection promotes
awareness of the plight of
endangered local species and
donates money to The Rhino
Orphanage in Limpopo.
ART DEZIREE SMITH WORDS MICHAELA STEHR
• artlab.co.za
• whimsicalcollection.co.za
F O R
S
T
Y
You could win
F
a 3 m x 6 m wall vinyl,
worth R15 000, or four
printed scatter cushions,
worth R4 000. Enter at
VISI.co.za/win.
 01 Buster Bunny play mat left and
Pooky Polar play mat below, R1 695 each.
24 EVERY ASPECT OF A PICALOW PLAY MAT AND RATTLE
IS DESIGNED WITH A BABY’S NEEDS IN MIND, INCLUDING
THE CHOICE OF FABRICS FROM HERTEX.
T he Picalow collection
began as a labour of love
by an expectant mother. When
interior designer Kristyl Best fell
pregnant with her first child, she
immediately began to sketch her
dream nursery: a space that would
evoke serenity and lightness,
where she and her daughter
would adore spending time
together.
The biggest design challenge
proved to be the floor, which is
probably the most important
creative and developmental space
in any child’s room. Unable to
find a play mat to complement
her muted palette and gorgeous
textures, Kristyl decided to make
one herself, a process that involved
long hours of experimentation.
“It had to be comfortable, so
I made it padded. It had to look
02 Crochet rattles, hand-made in organic
beautiful for years, so I chose
cotton and wood, R265 each.
FEB/MAR 2018 166
strong luxury fabrics with a high
rub-count that would launder well.
I wanted it to entertain her, so the
character Buster Bunny was born,”
she says.
Fabrics from Hertex were
lovingly chosen to stimulate
sensory development: velvet for
the muzzle, satin for the whiskers,
vinyl for the nose, and felt-like
fabric for the face. Moveable
padded ears were designed to add
an element of play.
The reaction from friends (and
her new daughter) inspired Kristyl
to realise her dream of creating
a collection of luxury homeware
WORDS STEFANIA JOHNSON
for little ones. For the brand, she
chose the nickname her father
gave her when she was a child:
Picalow.
• hertex.co.za
• picalow.co.za
 THE RANGE OF NEOLITH
5
SINTERED COMPACT SURFACES
HAS BEEN EXPANDED WITH THREE
EXCITING NEW DESIGNS.
Heat-resistant and scratch-resistant, and suitable
for both indoor and outdoor use, Neolith slabs have
revolutionised the surface materials industry. It is
a first-rate cladding for walls, floors, countertops and
facades. The brand was launched in 2010 by TheSize
Surfaces, which has its headquarters in Spain, and has
since wowed homeowners everywhere.
Retrostone with a Silk finish
This surface is characterised by the
mosaic-like patterning reminiscent
of traditional terrazzo flooring, which
has seen a surge in popularity.
Mirage with a Silk finish
This product mimics sandstone but has
none of the porosity of the real deal,
so it offers an excellent way to get the
look in bathrooms and kitchens.
Krater with a Riverwashed finish
Dark with a swirling deep-grey grain,
Krater is great for incorporating
a natural-looking darker tone in
a room and creating bold focal points.
FEB/MAR 2018
01
02
TREND WATCH
Mar Esteve Cortés, Marketing
Director at TheSize Surfaces,
highlights three trends in kitchen
and bathroom surfaces:
1. A classic reimagined
The terrazzo look – that ’70s
flooring favourite consisting
of marble, quartz and granite
chips set in concrete or epoxy
resin – has made a comeback.
2. Hyper-realism
There’s a demand for products
that closely resemble natural
stone. Surface manufacturers
are striving to perfect the
sandstone look as more home-
owners look to incorporate this
richly textured yellowish stone
in their homes.
3. Turning up the contrast
WORDS CHERI MORRIS
Light is contrasted with dark,
01 The bathroom wall is clad in Calacatta and different textures are
Gold, and the vanity top and floor in juxtaposed, such as rough
La Bohème. stone and polished marble.
02 The wall cladding is a combination of
Pietra di Osso, Pietra di Luna and Barro. • neolith.co.za
168
 26
34 REASONS

CUSTOMISE YOUR BATHROOM

WITH STATEMENT PIECES THAT
DEFY TRENDY TRANSIENCE.
01

M sense of style as the rest of your home. One such personalisation

ore than ever before, bathrooms can reflect the same individual
that we firmly approve of is the sophisticated matte black bathroom
accessories in the Bathroom Butler range of toilet paper holders, robe
hooks, soap racks, and towel rings and heated towel rails in both
a round and square design, made of a high-grade stainless steel.
Another major opportunity to make a style statement is with
your bath. German-engineered BETTE baths are made of titanium
steel and finished with a smooth yet tough enamel coating called
BETTEGlaze. An extensive range of designs, sizes and custom solutions
are available. The elegance of BETTE’s ergonomic designs means they
work well with any interior aesthetic. And while you lie back and relax
in a beautiful bath that follows the curves of your body, you can rest
assured that the craftsmanship is of the highest quality – BETTE offers
a 30-year guarantee and is committed to conserving resources.
• bathroombutler.com
• bette.co.za

WORDS AMELIA BROWN

02

01 Bathroom Butler five-bar heated towel rail in matte black (from R4 244). The range is available in a round or square design.
02 The BETTELux Oval Silhouette bath is available on special order.

FEB/MAR 2018 170

 Makuleke Contractual Park | Pafuri | Kruger National Park
w w w.t h e o u t p o s t .co. za
LET’S GET SOCIAL! For the latest offers and information, find & follow us on social media.
 27
01 The Woodlands range of luxury vinyl planks in the Vanguard Collection is KBAC Flooring’s flagship range.

R
esilient and more grain effect. The 184 mm-wide tiles
affordable than solid have a 0,55 mm-thick wear layer,
wooden flooring, vinyl is a popular making them suited to heavier
choice for residential and traffic areas and commercial
commercial floors. The Vanguard applications.
Collection of luxury vinyl planks Woodlands comes in
is a sophisticated natural-looking 10 colours. Two of these, Charred
flooring option that is both easy Oak and Oregon, feature hand-
to clean and easy on the eye, says scraped embossing that
Brandon Park, Sales Director
F A resembles the patina
at KBAC Flooring. S T C of beautifully aged
VINYL FOR There are four wood- A
Vinyl flooring is wood. The vinyl is
T
F

look vinyl ranges in reinforced with

THE WIN
easy to clean with
the collection: a damp mop. It should fibreglass for
Nature’s Look, not be flooded with added stability
which is available in water, though. and the planks
eight colours, emulates have a 0,55 mm-
FOR PRACTICAL VINYL FLOORING THAT the look of real wood. The thick wear layer.
CLOSELY RESEMBLES REAL WOOD, planks are 2 mm thick, 230 mm Parquet, a new addition
wide and 1,2 m long, so they offer to the Vanguard line-up, comes
LOOK NO FURTHER THAN economical floor coverage. in four colours that can be mixed
THE VANGUARD Plantation also comes in eight and matched for a realistic
COLLECTION OF LUXURY VINYL wood colours and is embossed to parquet effect.
PLANKS BY KBAC FLOORING. replicate the pattern of a wooden
surface, creating a realistic wood- • vanguardcollection.co.za

FEB/MAR 2018 172

 TOUR DU MONDE

DEDON COLLECTION DEAN

Design by Jean-Marie Massaud

www.dedon.de

CA N E TI M E
Loop Street · Maitland · Cape Town · Tel: + 27 21 510 10 72
cane@canetime.com · www.canetime.com
 28
34 REASONS

PERCHED ON TOP
OF MESH CLUB IN
ROSEBANK’S PRESTIGIOUS
KEYES ART MILE IS JOBURG’S
TRENDIEST NEW 01 A Bocca Dark Lady sofa by Studio 65 for Gufram is paired
CHAMPAGNE BAR AND with a Moroso Take a Line For a Walk swivel armchair.
SOCIAL HUB, With an interior overhaul headed by Statement furniture pieces from some
UPSTAIRS AT MESH. True Design, this venue went from bleak of the world’s leading brands, including
to sleek in just three weeks. The space Cassina, Moroso and Kartell, make for
features vogue colour arrangements with a tasteful pairing with custom-made tables
alluring hues of pink and blue. in light ply timbers.
Intending not to distract from the Keep an eye on social media platforms
expansive (and rare) views of the City for event information.
of Gold, the design is simple and the
space is dotted with functional art pieces. • @upstairsatmesh
Rotating wall art ensures the interior • meshclub.co.za
design remains fresh and ever-evolving. • truedesign.co.za

02

B
oasting stellar views of the Johannesburg
cityscape, this stylish venue is where
bubbly, art and culture come to converse and
create. Upstairs at MESH, teaming up with
Kaya FM, MOMO The Magazine and True Design,
is hosting a series of events as part of their
WORDS CHERI MORRIS

Culture Lab sessions. These include talks,

screenings, art exhibitions, music sessions and
sensory dining experiences.
03
Clink flutes and treat your taste buds to
a gourmet selection of meals inspired by street 02 A Khaya Witbooi artwork, exhibited at Upstairs at MESH.
food from around the globe. 03 The bar tables were custom-designed by True Design.

FEB/MAR 2018 174

 1372
A-928

5309
A-728

1598
A-729

1576

Fourways : Silver Lakes : Umhlanga :

011-691 7700 012-809 3519 031-566 6777
29
02 Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2017, R131 at Caroline’s.

03 Jean Roi Cap Provincial Rosé from

L’Ormarins, R300 at Wine Cellar.

R
osé is the new Sauvignon Blanc, says
Moses Magwaza, who guides diners
through the wine menu at Restaurant Mosaic
at The Orient in Pretoria. Indeed, rosé could not
be trendier, agrees Roland Peens, director at
online merchant Wine Cellar, but, he says, also
expect your Sauvignon Blanc to have an extra
the rand-per-litre price for Chenin achieved at
the 2017 Nederburg Auction.
In line with the fine-dining trend towards
lighter, healthier foods, Moses says, diners are
asking for food-friendly lighter-bodied reds
such as Grenache, Cinsaut and Cabernet Franc.
Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar can attest to the

WORDS KAY-ANN VAN ROOYEN

WONDERING gear this year.
WHICH WINES When it comes to white wines, Mosaic
EVERYONE ELSE IS diners are starting to ask Moses to recommend
Chenin Blancs and even Rieslings, two varietals
DRINKING IN 2018? that the restaurant has been including in its
A SOMMELIER wine-pairing tasting menu. After falling out of
KNOWS BEST. favour for a while, Chenin is on the up, agrees
Lieze Norval, wine guide at Caroline’s Fine Wine
Tours. This trend is borne out by the 30% rise in
rising demand for these three varietals. Long
underrated or used mainly in blends, they are
now getting some attention and care from
a few highly rated winemakers and gaining
a growing band of admirers.
• carolineswine.com
• restaurantmosaic.com
• win c lla co a

04 Bellevue Cinsaut 2015, R101 at Caroline’s.

01 Moses Magwaza, sommelier at

Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient and
winner of the Wine Service Award
at the 2017 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz
Restaurant Awards.

F A
S T C
A
05 Leeuwenkuil Grenache Noir 2015, R127 at Caroline’s.
F

At the 2017
Nederburg Auction,
a Meerlust Bordeaux
Blend 1978 sold for
R16 000 per 750 ml
bottle. 06 Onderkloof Cabernet Franc 2014, R74 at Caroline’s.
 sa852017/54/e
AXMINSTER
a new generation of crafted carpets

MONN Axminster | Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, Cape Town | Source IBA
Proudly woven in Harrismith, South Africa | Head Office 058 623 2805

monn.co.za
 30
34 REASONS

WE’VE PUT TOGETHER

FIVE OF OUR FAVOURITE SPIRITS
FROM AROUND THE GLOBE TO GET YOU IN THE
FOR DESIGN SEASON!

2. FORTALEZA AGAVE TEQUILA

Origin: Mexico

WORDS TRACY GREENWOOD

This small-batch hand-crafted pure agave tequila
hails from a family-owned distillery on the slopes
of an extinct volcano in the town of Tequila, Jalisco,
where the same method has been used to create
it for five generations, without any of the tech
associated with the 21st century. This, ladies and
gentlemen, is the real deal. Olé!
• From R750 • tequilafortaleza.com
1. ABSOLUT LIME
Origin: Sweden
No stranger to local vodka lovers, Absolut has
a brand-new flavour – the first new release in
four years. Serve a tot of Absolut Lime over ice
topped up with soda water, and add a wedge
of fresh lime. Yum! • R200 • absolut.com
F O R
S
3. BLOEDLEMOEN GI T
For a chan
G I F

Origin: South Afri

to win a hamp
There is no shortage of top-quality gins on th
spirits featured
market, but one of our faves is Bloedlemoe
page, visit VISI
(meaning Blood Orange), a brand that recent
win to ente
launched a limited-edition gin that’s aged
Hungarian oak for six months. Only 300 bottl
were made, and the labels were designed b
illustrator and designer Marlize Eckar
• R500 • bloedlemoengin.co

Origin: Canada
This premium vodka was conceived of by actor
Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander. It is
smooth, with a hint of sweetness and vanilla.
Milannese glass-packaging maker Bruni Glass
designed the fab bottle.
• From R650 • crystalheadvodka.com

5. WOODFORD RESERVE BOURBON

Origin: USA
This superpremium small-batch bourbon whiskey, made in a Kentucky distillery with
a 200-year history, is best suited to cocktails like the classic old-fashioned: Combine
25 ml Woodford Reserve, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 2 dashes bitters in a mixing glass and
half-fill with ice. Stir, strain into a tumbler filled with ice, add a further 25 ml Woodford
Reserve and garnish with a curl of orange zest. • R499 • woodfordreserve.com

178
 3 1
34 REASONS

EXQUISITE DESIGN AND BEAUTIFUL

PHOTOGRAPHS ARE THE COMMON THREADS
IN OUR FEATURED BOOKS THIS ISSUE.

THE JAPANESE GARDEN by Sophie Walker, Phaidon

Featuring gorgeous photographs of 100 featured gardens printed on thick matte paper, this book by garden designer Sophie Walker explores
the art, history and philosophy of the Japanese garden. Her research was thorough and she makes the topic accessible and interesting.
Seven guest writers also give their perspective. One of these essays is by the renowned architect Tadao Ando, who writes: “Japanese garden
culture is based on a set of values diametrically opposed to the Western view of the garden, which seeks to control nature as part of the
artificial world.” For someone used to the Western concept of gardening, it opens a whole new world. Did you know that moss is the most
common plant in Japanese gardens?

THE FERRARI BOOK:

PASSION FOR DESIGN
by Jürgen Lewandowski, photographs
by Michel Zumbrunn, teNeues
Race car, sports car, status symbol and design object…
Few brands have the aura that Ferrari does. Founded
by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of the race division of Alfa
WORDS KAY-ANN VAN ROOYEN

Romeo, the company built its first car in 1940 and the
first one with the Ferrari badge in 1947. A large part
of the brand’s appeal can be ascribed to the racing
victories, especially in Formula One, but without the
elegant, trend-setting design the road cars wouldn’t
enjoy the high covet factor that they do. This 400-page
book is a tribute to the designers, and features the
most popular models and anecdotes about the brand.
It would make a great gift for a car enthusiast.

FEB/MAR 2018 180

 AFRICA RISING:
FASHION, DESIGN
AND LIFESTYLE
FROM AFRICA
Design Indaba and
Gestalten
With the Design Indaba
conference and festival coming
up this month, we paged
through this book again, which
was released a year ago at
the London Design Biennale.
It celebrates a new wave of
African artists, designers and
architects. The photographs
are vibrant and the essays
insightful. South Africans Athi-
Patra Ruga, Dokter and Misses,
Haldane Martin and Rich Mnisi,
among others, are featured
alongside established artists
and designers from elsewhere
in Africa as well as newcomers
who are making a name for
themselves. The book shows
how, from the grassroots level
to the high-end market, African
design has come into its own.

F O R
S
T We have

Y
G I F
copies of three of

O U
these books to give
away; visit VISI.co.za/
win for details.
CLOSET: THE REMARKABLE
WARDROBE OF NATANIËL
Human & Rousseau
The hard-working, exceptional South African
artist Nataniël has staged and performed in
more than 80 original productions, on top
of the numerous albums and books he has
released. He needs no introduction, but for
those who haven’t been to one of his stage
shows, they are true extravaganzas featuring
lots of fantastical costumes. And he has kept
most of them. The book features a collection
of new and old photographs showcasing the
elaborate, glamorous and often over-the-top
costumes. But nothing Nataniël couldn’t pull
off. If nothing else, the book might inspire you
to visit the theatre more; we can all do with
some spectacle and escapism in our lives.
 2
34

THE NEWEST RANGE ROVER, THE VELAR,

SLOTS IN BETWEEN THE EVOQUE AND THE SPORT.
ITS FUTURISTIC DESIGN MAKES IT ONE OF THE
MOST BEAUTIFUL SUVS TO DATE.

THE silver car before me looks like it’s sculpted out of

a solid piece of metal. The new Velar is indeed a design
masterpiece. The door handles retract into the body so as not to
interrupt the side flow. Resulting in clean, futuristic styling.
Inside, it is the same story. The Porsche Panamera featured digital
landscapes first; the recently launched Audi A8 perfected the cockpit
design; and in the Velar the two 10-inch high-definition touchscreens
totally enhance the interior space, replacing most of the typical
buttons in the cockpit. Resulting in a clutter-free environment.
And what’s in a name? This time around a lot of history. Evoque
was just a fantasy name. But when Land Rover tested its very first
Range Rover in the 1960s in England, it created a secret name for the
forefather of fashionable off-roaders: Velar. Now, half a century later,
it is the fourth Range Rover in the line-up.

FEB/MAR 2018 182

WORDS DIETER LOSSKARN
Despite being based on the racy Jaguar F-Pace platform, the Velar
doesn’t match the latter’s drive and dynamics. It’s less sporty and
precise, which was quite apparent when I had the chance to do a few
laps in it at Kyalami in Johannesburg. On the highway, the Velar is more
of a comfortable cruiser than an agile racer. It has a similar driving feel
as the two bigger Range Rovers, just without their mighty V8 engines.
The Velar only comes with a four- or six-cylinder power plant.
Whereas the F-Pace disappoints off the beaten track, the Velar
convinces with the trusted Terrain Response system and the inherited
Land Rover genes. But who in his right mind would want to get this
fashion icon dirty?
• R1 235 100 – R1 356 900
• landrover.co.za
33
A
FEAST
FOR
THE
EYES
THE MUCH-
ANTICIPATED
2017 EAT OUT
MERCEDES-BENZ
RESTAURANT
AWARDS GALA
WAS A DAZZLING
EVENT THANKS
IN LARGE PART
TO SPECTACULAR
LIGHTING.

T F A
S
A
C

The Test
T
F

Kitchen in Woodstock
was named Restaurant
of the Year for the
sixth consecutive
year.

01

01 A tower of Graham Beck MCC and coupes invited guests to drink to the award winners.

FEB/MAR 2018 184

 T he annual Eat Out Mercedes-
Benz Restaurant Awards event
was held in November at the Grand
Arena at GrandWest in Cape Town,
this time with a distinctly different
PHOTOS JAN RAS AND SHAVAN RAHIM WORDS LINDSAY SEPTEMBER

format, conceptualised by Rainbow

Experiential Marketing. Guests were
treated to MCC and canapés before
a threatre-style ceremony where the
30 nominees were narrowed down
to 20, followed by the restaurants in
the Top 10 spots being announced.
The Test Kitchen was named the
Restaurant of the Year to a shower
of fireworks before the after-party
area, filled with food and drinks
installations, was revealed by the rise
of a floor-length red curtain.
“We knew the installations needed
to have impact,” says Shakierah
Abrahams, project manager of
design company Something
Different. “As the curtain rose, we
wanted the eyes to follow and 02

marvel as the installations

were unveiled.” It was no easy
feat. Employing 100 light
bulbs and as many hanging
elements, they transformed
the 2 250 m2 venue into
a luxurious space befitting
the Old Hollywood theme.
Each installation had
a different lighting feature,
with custom bars to match.
The 7,5 m-long central
bar was decorated with
geometric shapes and lines
in bold black and gold. Four
giant white draped-fabric
lampshades, tiered to create
the illusion of movement,
complemented it.
Another clever use of
lighting was above the
Hendrick’s Gin bar, which
served gin and tonic in
teacups. The light bulbs were
hidden inside enormous 04
upside-down teacups
wrapped in a pastel floral 02 Eight fringed lights in the lounge area evoked
print, designed to echo the the flapper frocks of the 1920s.
enchanted garden feel of the 03 Mercedes-Benz has been the title sponsor of
Hendrick’s Gin branding. the event for the past four years.
04 Guests enjoyed Graham Beck MCC, Acqua
• eatout.co.za Panna and S.Pellegrino during the ceremony.
03
 4
34 REASONS
3
One lucky VISI reader will win
the ultimate stora e cupboard from
MILESTONE KITCHENS,
WORTH MORE THAN R20 000.
C lever design of small
spaces is on the rise,
from compact cabins to
micro-homes. Downsizing is
inevitable for anyone moving
to a smaller home, but there
will always be a need for smart
storage solutions.
Now, thanks to Milestone
Kitchens, you could win a free-
standing kitchen storage
cupboard that measures
2,1 m high, 1,4 m wide and
0,65 m deep – delivered free to
your door by removal company
Biddulphs International.
The unit is just what you
need for hiding household
clutter such as laundry items,
cleaning products and even your
washing machine. It is made
at the workshop on Milestone
Farm near Wartburg, KwaZulu-
Natal, and has been created by
artist, designer and entrepreneur
Silvia Miles, the owner of
Milestone Kitchens.
• milestonekitchens.co.za
To stand a chance to win this fabulous prize, go to VISI.co.za/win to enter.
FEB/MAR 2018 188
VISI
COMPETITION
RULES
• VISI competitions are
open to all South African
residents excluding
employees of New Media
Publishing, employees
of the companies
supplying the prizes,
associated companies
and advertising and
promotion agencies,
and their immediate
family members. 
• The winner will be chosen
at the sole discretion
of the judges, whose
decision will be final.
No correspondence
will be entered into. 
• Winners will not be
eligible for other prizes
for three months after
winning a competition.
• The prize is not
transferable or
redeemable for cash. 
• Neither New Media
Publishing nor any of
its partners can be held
responsible for disputes
in connection with prizes
or for any loss, damage
or injury that may be
suffered or incurred by
prize winners. 
• Entrants will be deemed
to have accepted
these rules and agree
to be bound by them
when entering VISI
competitions. 
• Data collected may be
shared with the prize
sponsor company, but
will not be sold or passed
on to third parties. 
• New Media Publishing
reserves the right to
cancel, modify or amend
competitions at any time
if deemed necessary.
Online orders :
www.beautifulage.co.za
Enquiries :
catherine@beautifulage.co.za
 SHOPPING DIRECTORY

Escape... and indulge

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125 Springfield Rd, Carlswald, Midrand
cinda@cindahunter.com 083 284 1818
011 468-2591 Open:10am-4pm Tues - Sat

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The District,
41 Sir Lowry Road,
Woodstock,
Cape Town

+27 021 4211122

warisansa.com
SMART IDEA

MAKE A STRIKING PENDANT LIGHT

USING TWO PLASTIC GLASSES  AND
INCORPORATE THE PANTONE COLOUR
OF THE YEAR 2018 INTO YOUR HOME.

P H OTO M A R I J K E W I L L E M S
P R O D U C T I O N & WO R D S A N N E M A R I E M E I N TJ E S

The Pantone Colour of the Year 2018, Ultra Violet, is a deep

purple that conveys intrigue, originality and ingenuity. It
will undoubtedly boost sales in the commercial world, but
designers and architects will always choose black as one of
their favourite colours of any year!
If purple is your favourite colour you are in luck; if not,
use it sparingly – in touches only.
Make a striking pendant light using two plastic glasses:
a translucent purple one topped by an opaque red beer
glass. You’ll also need an electrical cord, a plug, a socket
and a low-voltage LED (the plastic might melt if you use
an incandescent bulb).
Drill a hole in the base of the two glasses and lace the
cord through both of them. Fit a socket to the bottom
end of the cord and a plug to the other end, and screw in
the LED.
Good news: You can now get a 2 m length of silicone
cord fitted with a socket on one end and a plug on the
other from most electrical suppliers and hardware shops.