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Each year we begin production of our Summer Issue in early August, right after returning from 100% Design South Africa at Decorex Joburg. As always, this year’s exhibition did not disappoint. VISI partnered with 100% Design SA on a new feature, Designing in Wood, which put the spotlight on woodcraft and other skills required to produce wooden furniture and accessories. We were delighted to be associated with the magnificent work by established designers and some exciting new talent. Read about it on page 128. As I moved through all of the stands, the one phrase that I heard again and again from new exhibitors was, “We sell online and our designs can be flat-packed”. This gives me so much hope that local design will be more accessible to enthusiasts around…

Size matters @visi_mag – @drewhendrix45 Safari essentials… Champagne and VISI #visimagazine @visi_mag – @renscheolivier There aren’t many magazines I enjoy, to be honest, but #VISI is one of them. It’s a source of aesthetic inspiration, especially now that we are doing some refurbishing in our flat. – @coverd_books With the cold front up ahead, what better than a good magazine in front of the fireplace @visi_mag #visi #visimagazine #fireplace – @wernerhumpel IF YOU COULD REVAMP ONE ROOM IN YOUR HOME, WHICH ROOM WOULD YOU CHOOSE? More than 1 300 of you took our online poll to let us know where you’d start. Here are the results: Can’t wait for the next issue of VISI? Get your daily dose at VISI.CO.ZA INSTANT INSPIRATION Follow @visi_mag on Instagram, where we share some of the…

By the age of 29, I was raising my two boys alone in a leafy suburb called Manors at the foot of Fields Hill in Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal. The features of this home were indicative of my heightened need to protect my children. The yard was flat for safety while they ran all the endless energy out of their systems during the day, and it had a jungle gym near my bedroom window so I could see and hear everything while they played. Fast forward to today and we are living in Fourways, Johannesburg, and in what feels like it will be just a few short years my boys (21 and 14) will likely be leaving home. And with that the idea of a home that doesn’t have child-friendly features as…

I had two doll’s houses as a child. The first (I am guessing the order based on fabrication, because time tends to play tricks on memory) was a plastic tree house from Fisher-Price, which you can now find on eBay under vintage toys. It came with a group of Tree Tot inhabitants, a dog, some beds and other plastic furniture, but for me the real selling points were the bright-green Dr Seuss-like dome-shaped canopy that opened and closed like an umbrella, and a hollow tree trunk that included a moveable elevator. For the record, I still think tree houses are marvellous places to live, although I have not lived in one. Yet. The second doll’s house was one of those fancy ones, with a proper family that each had two legs, not…

A Week in the Kitchen and Another Week in the Kitchen detailed Karen Dudley’s rise from caterer to restaurateur to author and veritable food celebrity. Her latest book, Set a Table (Jacana Media), documents her food philosophy: how food is about people connecting, putting down their cellphones, being present in the moment, and giving and receiving of themselves and the dishes in front of them. It goes a long way to explaining just why the ever-burgeoning popularity of The Kitchen meant the restaurant needed to expand. Here is an extract from Set a Table: “Let’s not beat around the amuse-bouche; it’s a big deal hosting a dinner party – whether it’s for strangers, acquaintances, family or friends. By the time the first guests arrive and I hear ‘They’re here!’, my poor…

André Eksteen of Earthworld Architects believes in skyhooks. He loves designing buildings, or at least parts of them, roofs especially, that seem to float. But just as much as he goes to great lengths to create a sense of weightlessness in his designs, he also believes that buildings should be rooted in their context. And so it was with this family home he designed for Chris and Annelien Coertse and their five-year-old daughter Heidi in Waterfall Estate, Midrand, Johannesburg. Chris and Annelien had a well-positioned stand on a green belt in the estate. The sweeping landscape around it seemed to call for an open design – a blurring of the boundaries between the end of the Coertses’garden and the grassland beyond. At the same time its prominent position demanded privacy. Chris and Annelien’s…

The idea for the Bertie Bike came about after Richard’s son, an interior designer, asked his dad to help him build a carbon fibre bicycle, a material that Richard specialises in. “Well, I had to say yes!” says Richard, who thought he’d try to build a wooden bike at the same time. “I would do it old school and he would build using new technology.” It was important for Richard that his wooden bike be made by hand using sustainable materials. “It takes me back to my roots,” he says, referring to his building in wood with his father.“The timber comes from the earth and the off-cuts and waste go back to the earth, into the garden. I also like the idea of not using too many electrical and mechanical tools, trying…

DESTINATION: BIARRITZ Les Eux de Chanel is a new line of fragrances inspired by three of Chanel’s favourite places. In 1915, two years after the launch of her clothing line, Chanel chose a location for a store in this high-society holiday destination, now known for its sporting pursuits. This fragrance is, appropriately, the most aquatic of the three and pairs well with these Wayfarer-like sunglasses from local brand Zemp. Les Eaux De Chanel Paris-Biarritz, 125 ml, R2 070, woolworths.co.za | Zemp Electra C2, R995, zemp.co.za DESTINATION: DEAUVILLE Known as the Parisian Riviera, this seaside resort in Normandy is where it all began for Chanel. Spritz on this citrus-zest and basil scent and head out to see and be seen in these stylish Prada sunnies. Prada Linea Rossa, R3 690, luxottica.com/en | Les…

Abu Dhabi has a reputable airline, Etihad, which, for the inconvenience of a few hours’ layover, makes it an affordable hub through which to travel. It’s not a city that would come to mind to actually visit, especially not if you’re looking for lofty art culture. Then again, money can buy most things. And a price of US$525 million granted Abu Dhabi the rights to name the new museum after the largest and most famous art museum in the world, the Louvre in Paris. French architect Jean Nouvel has built a number of museums in his 50-odd-year career – and there are others in the pipeline. He drafts each place according to its setting, creating excitement around what he will design next, as none of his projects has a look that links…

What is your current favourite lighting trend? Clusters of small pendants dropping 4 m, either in a double-volume entrance hall or staggered above a dining table – it gives the pendants the drama they deserve. If you could use any found object to make a light, what would it be?  Anything made from brass or glass, but it would have to be the Crystal Head Vodka skull decanter with a filament bulb. What is next for Streamlight? We are working on opening a bar/coffee shop, a place where our community of designers can come and utilise a space with like-minded people.…

As a youngster, Tessa Wessels spent hours commuting by train between her home in Muizenberg and her school in Newlands. To while away the time, the now-25-year-old freelance concept artist would whip out her ballpoint pen and sketch rough portraits of fellow passengers on the back of her train tickets. “I’d pick anyone with interesting features,” she says. “There were so many people to choose from on the 6.45 am train – from hung-over teens to distracted businessmen.” In the evenings, Tessa would work on her drawings with red pen and black markers, adding intriguing layers to the collage of memorable faces. “Eventually I had so many sketches they were spilling out of my blazer pockets,” she says. “I scribbled numbers, words and characters on them, and eventually my friends…

OLD HOUSES MADE NEW by Macarena Abascal Valdenebro, teNeues, about R1 023 Barcelona-based architectural and interiors author Macarena Abascal Valdenebro put together this marvellous compendium of old buildings that have been revamped, renovated and remodelled to suit modern living. Some are the result of extensive rehabilitation, whereas others have been nipped and tucked in deceptively simple cosmetic ways to affect some amazing changes. Simply inspirational if you are looking to make changes in your own home. LIVING ON WATER Phaidon, about R950 This gorgeous image-driven book showcases contemporary dwellings close to or on a river, a lake, pools or the sea. It is divided into sections covering houses “built to look at water”, “built on water” and “built to reflect water”, and features 55 homes from all over the world chosen…

• 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…

Constitution Hill, a former prison complex in Johannesburg, is today a museum and the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the highest court in the land. It is one of my favourite buildings in Johannesburg, for a variety of reasons. My initial encounter with the building was more than a decade ago when I was a student at Artist Proof Studio, where I studied fine arts for three years and majored in printmaking. As part of the programme, lecturers took us on field trips to art museums and galleries around Johannesburg. My first visit to Constitution HIll has remained with me all this time. We were taken on a tour of the entire precinct: Number Four, The Old Fort, Flame of Democracy, the Women’s Jail, Civic Centre and the Constitutional Court.…

BRIGHT HUES COME FROM LED STRIPS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. “I first saw her from a bridge in Paris, sexy, slender, stealth matte black, slinking along the Seine River. She’s so out of this world compared with the other vessels on the river that I thought she could easily belong to the demonic Darth Vader from Star Wars. I imagined him, evilly exhausted, horizontal on the sun deck, heavy breathing in his charmingly evil way, drinking Moon-Uranus cocktails through an eco-friendly straw while watching the French countryside slide silently by for the eight-day trip from Paris to the coast and back. She is the brainchild of another class act, the stylish South African Tollman hotelier family. Their Uniworld Boutique River Cruises fleet traditionally serves a predominantly very mature market in their…

When Nick Gluckman, the owner of Oggie Hardwood Flooring, and his wife Robyn chose to overhaul their majestic Tamboerskloof home, it was both an emotive and a financial decision. Recently married, the couple wanted to create a refreshed canvas that reflected their new life together and at the same time maximise the value of their property. One decision was a no-brainer: extending upwards from the double garage to create a self-contained unit for guests staying over. Having worked with design duo Zeanne Duminy and James Goss of Zeanne + Goss Interior Architecture Designs on previous ventures over the past 10 years, Nick had absolute confidence in their vision and gave them carte blanche with the build. “I let them run with it 100%,” he says. “I saw concepts, made quick decisions and had…

Tell us a bit about your research. My research focus is on medicinal plants, indigenous as well as non-indigenous species. I currently lead a team of postgraduate students who’re working on commercialised medicinal plants as well as a few species where we are attempting to uncover new pharmacological activities and potentially new uses and commercialisation. How do gardens benefit us? Apart from their aesthetic beauty, gardens have healing properties linked to psycho-spiritual healing. They may provide us with food, medicine and an interconnectedness to nature and the world around us and to ourselves. The benefits are thus psychological, physical, social and emotional. Working in the garden can be meditative but also physical – it provides good exercise that benefits both the cardiovascular and muscular systems and even works the brain. Where does one…

Made out of clay that is rich in iron and manganese oxides, these hand-crafted vases form part of Martin Vorster and Colin Braye’s new ceramics range. “The vase is meant as a subtle reference to the continent we call home,” says Martin. “It’s a deceptively playful design that rewards a second look. “Looking down at the vase from above for the first time, it was quite a thrill to see Africa outlined before us.” This design is available in a 10 cm-tall small vase, R578, a 24 cm-tall medium vase, R995, and a 30 cm-tall large vase, R1 595. vorsterandbraye.co.za WIN! Two readers will each win a vase from Vorster & Braye, worth R578 and R1 595, respectively. Go to VISI.co.za/win  to enter.…

Lauren Geldenhuys, owner and designer at Phlo Studio, worked in the magazine industry and (briefly) at an ad agency before starting Phlo Studio back in July 2015. She named the business after her dog, which may seem odd but, says Lauren, it’s a name she has always loved. “Before I started Phlo I did a lot of research on brands and what’s on the market. There really wasn’t much quality, on-trend bed linen for children, so I decided to broaden the homeware offering and do a kids’ range,” she says. Lauren’s base of operations is at her husband’s textile factory in KwaZulu-Natal, where she is lucky enough to get help from his team of 160-plus employees. The Phlo Studio range extends to scatter cushions, duvet cover sets and even aprons,…

In 2010, when the The Pot Luck Club opened, Sandalene Dale-Roberts proposed to her husband, chef Luke Dale-Roberts, that she design a chair for the restaurant. The school chair had the right attitude: It’s immediately recognisable to the guest but all grown up with leather and fine finishes. Plus, Sandalene could create enough custom chairs to fill a restaurant, all made locally and at a reasonable price. The chair was a hit, and in the years since Sandalene has made all the chairs for The Test Kitchen’s new interiors and designed and made all the furniture for The Short Market Club. She has also collaborated with Nando’s on Afro-inspired school chairs for its casas under the brand name Naturalis, named for a pop-up restaurant where she originally expanded the range…

Tjing Tjing, the shrine-red rooftop bar on Cape Town’s Longmarket Street, has always had a Japanese slant: Its mansard roof is papered with black-and-white photos from owner Ilse Koekemoer’s trip to Tokyo. But that Japanese influence has filtered down through the floors of this nearly 200-year-old building. After a major renovation, Tjing Tjing launched three striking new restaurant spaces in July: Torii, Momiji and Momiji Lounge. Designer Francois du Plessis, who has been involved for the past eight years, introduced architect Suzanne Schekman of Untitled Design Hub for this ambitious project. On the ground floor, neon lights in the shape of the Japanese character for torii (gates at the entrance to a Shinto shrine) announce the new location of the Japanese street food-inspired restaurant. Wallpaper designed by Terence Kitching and Kim…

ULRICH KNOBLAUCH, PHOTOGRAPHER What’s your ultimate summer thirst quencher? Sparkling water with lemon.  Do you have a song on repeat? I have two, actually: Ed Sheeran’s “Happier” and Kendrick Lamar’s “M.A.A.D City”. What’s your favourite memory of summer? Forever Arniston. If you could live in a fictional home from a book or movie, where would you choose? I wouldn’t mind renovating Bilbo Baggins’ pad. Do you have a guilty pleasure? I go for a massage once a week. The summer read that changed your life? Magazines. They’re an endless source of inspiration for me. What is your most treasured possession? The millions of pictures of my two daughters, Sofia (pictured) and Miemie. Dogs or cats? Dogs. Ulrich shot the photos of the farmhouse in the Overberg on page 58. MICHAELA STEHR,VISI CONTENT…

HORSE Entrepreneur Simone Stiglingh: “This horse is happiness! It’s Jackson Pollock on a sugar rush – amazing! Art consultant Kholisa Thomas: For me, horses embody freedom. This multicoloured paint-dripping horse shouts it. TORTOISE Kholisa: The busier my life gets, the more I value slowing down and finding stillness. This golden tortoise is a beautiful reminder of that. Simone: Alchemists of old could only have wished to turn tortoises into gold. What a wonderful time to be alive! LIZARD Simone: Reptiles have always amazed me. I admire how they don’t let their exterior dictate their growth – they simply shed their skin. Kholisa: It has that otherworldly “take me to your leader”kinda vibe. Very cosmic, very cool! DOG Kholisa: This piece is so playful. It’s a good reminder that life is supposed to be fun and…

When I think of the Scarborough house, I remember the wind whipping through my salt-hardened curls and my little-girl feet bare and crusted with sand as I run through its heavy wooden doors. I was four and wild as the landscape itself. My grandparents bought the Spanish-style home back when the coastal town had no electricity, bringing the structure to life with flickering paraffin lamps and a small gas stove. My grandfather used to say the Scarborough house had the best sunsets in the world, which justified any other inconvenience. Its bleached, windblown curves seemed an obvious extension of the world around it, as natural as a whale-bone washed up on the shore. Every Christmas, we would trek to this remote corner of the country, laden with gifts. As a…

There is a hat stand as you enter the apartment, and from it hangs a collection of elegant and cheeky vintage hats covered in classic Royal Stewart tartan – a marker that Brian, an architect of Scottish descent, and Cecile, a Namibian-born vintage-obsessed fashion designer, are in residence. In the years that they have been married they have lived in Scotland, Italy and now South Africa. For Brian, their Mother City home was love at first sight. “We used to live in the city centre in Edinburgh in an apartment overlooking Edinburgh Castle, so we wanted to do the same here in Cape Town. And now, instead of having a view of an ancient castle, we have an uninterrupted one of Table Mountain.” When asked about the energy or the…

For most architects and interior designers, the dream is to have carte blanche or, better still, to work on a property of their own. Interior Designer Hendre Bloem had been looking for the right space to launch a property development arm of his design studio. He knew immediately that this Woodstock semi-detached house was it, so he suggested a collaboration to architect Mias de Vries of Fifty8 Twelve Design. “It’s always a pleasure designing beautiful spaces for others, where I have to balance the client’s needs with my own ideas and somehow come to an acceptable design loved by both parties,”says Mias, who owns a share in the property.“Working for a client pushes you to think differently and stretches you as a designer, whereas being your own client gives you the freedom to make all…

“The trend of ‘less is more’ is being replaced with its antithesis, ‘more is perfect’,”says Stephen Black. Sumptuous fabrics and opulent wallcoverings couldn’t be more suited to this upsurge in luxury. Stephen’s mission since he founded Black Fabrics in 2004 has remained unchanged: to make aspirational fabrics attainable. His wife Nicole joined the business in 2015, adding a new dynamic and perspective. The choice of a name for the business more than a decade ago was both straightfoward (it is Stephen’s surname) and playful (considering the multicoloured world of textiles). In fact, Stephen has noted a colour resurgence over the past few years from deep greens, jades and navy blues on walls to plush fabrics and bold prints that champion the tropical effect.“These colours are not going away any time soon,”…

He’s an industrial engineer who’s been working in the textile and apparel industry for 12 years… and, fuelled by a love of and passion for design, he recently started an online bespoke furniture business. We were curious to know more about the multitalented creative behind Grapefruit Designs. Why launch a furniture design studio? There is something honest and beautiful about furniture. I want to create pieces that make a statement without overpowering the spaces they occupy. What inspired the name? I think my love for design started in Paris when I was 21. I like the word pamplemousse, which is French for grapefruit, so in keeping it simple and linking it back to the “start”, I went with Grapefruit Designs. Which design principles did you focus on for your debut range? Less is more. In…

Looking for decor or fashion with a moody, sexy edge? DARK is an eclectic multi-label lifestyle store (and lighting range) that gives local shoppers a taste of international brands with an African twist. Expect to find an array of lifestyle, decor and fashion pieces from as far afield as Denmark displayed alongside local designs. Says Brad Kalish, product designer at Streamlight: “DARK gives South African creatives a space where they can showcase the latest in African and international street trends. We took our collective knowledge of European trends and created a more cost-effective range that is just as impressive as any Italian or Spanish design collection. We then integrated both international and local street brands to create the lifestyle concept store.” Two brands to look out for are LEFF Amsterdam with…

Whether you’re building a new house or renovating a bathroom, to achieve a sophisticated end result you need to pay attention to the details. Which is where Vici Bathroom Glam comes in. Vici imports a wide range of quality bathroom accessories, but manufactures products locally wherever possible. The company aims to supply South Africans with “beautifully designed, high-quality products”, says Vici director Don de Souza.“We take pride in distributing the ultimate finishes for all types of bathrooms, and strive to bring customers the latest designs and styles at affordable prices.” All Vici products come with a 15-year guarantee and parts are always available if something needs to be replaced. The range includes shower arms, shower drains, free-standing bath spouts, basin clickers and stainless steel shower roses, to name but a few. “All our shower…

What began in 2003 as a small pop-up market has turned into one of South Africa’s most anticipated national showcases. After a record-breaking Joburg show, with 16 000 attendees, KAMERS/Makers had a brief hiatus and now returns at brand-new venues for Summer 2018. “After 16 years and 37 shows we’re still blown away by all the new ideas we saw during the curation process for this summer’s events,”says KAMERS/Makers co-owner and creative director Wanda du Toit. Here is what she says visitors can expect for the next exciting installment: “Plants and botanicals are still a strong trend. We are also seeing retro colours and patterns making a comeback. Visitors can look forward to lots of wood, clay, organic shapes and all things authentic. “We are excited to showcase dozens of new young makers.…

Get behind the wheel of the new Lexus LS 500 and a few things come to mind. For starters, it’s a sophisticated ride with oodles of space in the tastefully equipped cabin. And with its sleek coupé-style silhouette and bold design signature, it is a truly good-looking car. Known for epitomising automotive luxury, the Japanese brand takes the proud history of its predecessors one step further with this model, which draws on the notion of omotenashi – the uniquely Japanese approach to hospitality – to set this model apart. Chief engineer Toshio Asahi says that this, the fifth generation of the Lexus LS, is a reimagination of what a flagship sedan should be. “Four key pillars have underpinned the development of the new LS: brave design, Takumi craftsmanship, exhilarating performance and imaginative…

We love the Kikuyu Turf option from Nouwens Fieldturf, which is the closest you will get to the real thing. It has just the right texture, density and height (30 mm), and is speckled with the odd “dead” blade to add authenticity. It is made of polyethylene and comes with an eight-year UV warranty. Cut the turf to size with a Stanley knife or a strong pair of scissors, and attach it to a tabletop using double-sided carpet tape. We bought all the bits we needed at Builders. The Kikuyu Turf – 3,8 m wide and sold by the metre – cost R265,84/m2 . builders.co.za fieldturf.co.za nouwens.co.za…