Table of contents for VISI 93 in Visi

We did it again! VISI won big in New York at the annual Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards, scooping the win and honorable mention in the Consumer: Shelter/Home/Garden category. After a tumultuous year, all I want to do is spend as much time as possible on that beach bed on our cover, read all the books I never got to during the year, and reconnect with that quiet, happy place in my head. But if that is not your idea of bliss, this issue is packed with many varied experiences and ideas to help you make this holiday a truly memorable one. To get you in the mood for the festive season, we asked influencers Maps Maponyane and Joe Paine to weigh in on some of the most sought-after drinks…

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I REMEMBER PAGING THROUGH MAGAZINES OR SCROLLING ON THE INTERNET AND SEEING PICTURES OF FAMILIES CAMPING IN CARAVAN PARKS. The images portrayed families or friends huddled around a fire and laughing with their heads tilted back, or singing and clapping in glee. For me, then, caravan parks were associated with camping and pleasure; they were places of relaxation, communion, community and adventure. This image was quickly altered after our eviction. In 2010, we were evicted from our home. We were a family of six who went from spreading ourselves across a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a lounge, plus a cottage in our back garden, to sleeping in a tiny cabin with all our belongings. Small blankets were rolled and stuffed against…

I AM WRITING, INTERMITTENTLY GLANCING OUT AT THE RIVER SEINE, IN A SECOND- FLOOR WALK-UP ON ÎLE SAINT-LOUIS. The season is turning. It is a cool autumnal day of pale sunlight and scudding clouds. A slight breeze flutters the long lace trail of a bride who is being carefully arranged and photographed on the far shore. When I look up again there are three brides. They resemble elegant white swans. What is it with photographing brides at this precise location? The answer arrives. Notre Dame is in the background. If I lean over the wrought-iron railing at the window, I see the hulking back of the church across the bridge on the tip of Île de la Cité. This island is the heart of Paris and the site of its…

SHOW STOPPING HOME WARE BUMP COLLECTION by Tom Dixon These delicate vessels with subtle translucent pink and grey tones and solid black accents offer an elegant approach to the alchemical processes of tea making, mixology and flower arrangements • tomdixon.net LOUIE BANANA LAMP by Studio Job for Seletti This is one of a series of three dimmable table lamps – called Huey, Dewey and Louie – by Studio Job for Seletti. Looking like a half-peeled banana, each one features a polished-bronze peel and glass fruit filled with LED lights. The one pictured here made Annemarie think of King Louie, the orangutan character in The Jungle Book. • seletti.it MATURIN THE DONKEY DESK by ibride This is a beautifully designed workstation made of matte-grey high-pressure laminate that features concealed storage behind sliding doors…

Organic practices, environmental awareness, respect for the land and its inhabitants and oodles of passion are just some of the factors that go into making the farm Kleinood, owned by Libby and Gerard de Villiers, something rather special. Libby, who is always “busy with plants”, began to dream of capturing the essence of the fynbos, grasses and other indigenous plants on the farm, the scents of which perfume the air. This dream was the beginning of a new venture for Libby, who called on perfumer Agata Karolina of House of Gozdawa to capture the spirit of Kleinood in a perfume. “Agata and I spent hours in the garden, picking, crushing leaves, smelling, developing ideas and discarding them for new ones,” says Libby. “At the end of each day we would…

Renowned for its organically formed jewellery, Pichulik needs no introduction. For the new collection, called Harvest, founder Katherine-Mary Pichulik has once again teamed up with designer Nadya von Stein on a clothing range. The garments are made of hand-dyed hemp, this time in white, stone and wheat yellow. The collection includes a collaboration with textile brand Mungo for the linen of a jumpsuit. We asked Katherine-Mary about the inspiration behind the collection. The apparel range was partly inspired by Britain’s Land Girls from World War II? The time of the Women’s Land Army, when women were recruited to do the work of men who were off fighting, was an amazing period in women’s liberation. It ushered in a new pragmatic tailoring fit for physical labour, and marked an important departure…

What are you currently working on? Queens in Exile, which is centred on a new avatar called The Versatile Queen Ivy, who performs imaginary resurrections and has conversations with three historical figures: Senegalese dancer Feral Benga, Delmas Treason Trialist Simon Tseko Nkoli, and transgender civil rights activist Sylvia Rivera (to whom the title is attributed). After showing in Cape Town in its entirety at WHATIFTHEWORLD in Woodstock, the exhibition will move on for a European cycle in autumn. What are some of the key themes explored in your latest body of work? My work explores the human body in relation to sensuality, culture and ideology. What is the exhibition composed of, and which mediums have you used? It is a continuation of my multimedia practice, which is based on performance…

Abigail Borg is known for her nature-inspired wallpaper and fabric designs. Her nostalgic new range, reminiscent of vintage floral design, features a delicate hand-drawn arrangement of blossoming feverfew, wildflowers and trailing foliage. The design is printed on wallpaper and a cotton/linen blend. It also features on a range of lampshades made in collaboration with UK-based lighting and interiors brand Love Frankie. “Feverfew is a light, elegant design that will bring the English countryside into your home,” says Sally Ives, owner of The Silk and Cotton Co, which stocks the collection in South Africa. “It’s perfect for summer decorating.” • abigailborg.com • lovefrankie.com • silkco.co.za…

GIFTS FOR YOU We have a bottle of Dom Pérignon X Tokujin Yoshioka 2009, worth R2 100, to gift one lucky reader. Enter at VISI.co.za/win.…

JAN RAS, PHOTOGRAPHER Bush or beach? Beach before bush only if it’s a tropical island. Holiday plans? Travelling to the Friendly City (PE) to see the family. Favourite summer dish? Braaibroodjies. The greatest compliment you’ve ever received? A veteran in my profession whom I really respect admired some of my work. What’s at the top of your gift list? A fitness watch. Hopefully it will encourage me to exercise more in 2018. And at the bottom? Over-roasted imported coffee beans. The last gift you gave someone? A wool jacket I bought in Estonia. What are you listening to in your car? Best of Vivaldi. The last TV show you watched? Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a weekly satirical US news update combined with British humour. The last place you…

DRINKS UNITS by Egg Designs The Rosette drinks unit is made of kiaat clad with stainless steel plates and decorated with copper-plated flowers. The Gazelle cocktail trolley is made of timber, copper and bronzed steel. • Rosette drinks unit R100 600 • Gazelle cocktail trolley R14 700 • eggdesigns.co.za FACADE CABINET by Tonic Design The aluminium frame that reveals a tinted mirror backing brings to mind a Johannesburg apartment block when the sun is setting. • R70600 • tonicdesign.co.za GATSBY DRINKS TROLLEY from @home This is a sleek trolley design at a great price. • R4999 • home.co.za LUNA DRINKS CABINET from Weylandts The brass handle of this cabinet sits like a full moon in a constellation of roughed-up Caesarstone. • R79995 • weylandts.co.za KELLY CAPWELL DRINKS CABINET by Joe Paine This cabinet is mounted to the wall but…

I MOVE INTO MY CURRENT HOME ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO. IT'S ON A BUSY ROAD IN THE CAPE TOWN CITY CENTRE, PERCHED ON THE SLOPE OF LION'S HEAD AND LOOKING ONTO TABLE MOUNTAIN. It was on the market for a long time, probably due to the desperate state it was in. The property had been covered in concrete, and the Victorian house had been turned into a series of poky office spaces without any logic or soul. The main rooms were situated on the busy street side, where the southeaster whips down from Camps Bay, rattling the sash windows. Nobody could see the potential that I could see in this sorry little property, not even the estate agent, who kept emphasising the office-space possibilities. It was perfect for my lifestyle…

ALL THE RESORTS MAKE USE OF THEIR GREATEST ASSET: THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE ISLAND ITSELF. THE RESORTS’PHILOSOPHY OF BAREFOOT LUXURY ESCHEWS FORMALITIES SUCH AS A STRICT DRESS CODE. “ONE THING I’VE LEARNT IS THATMALDIVIANS ARE NATURALLY WELCOMING. IT’S NOT AN ACT. IT IS A SINCERELY FRIENDLY CULTURE.” IT’S A CLICHÉ UNTIL IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE. don’t think you could ever get used to it: the first glimpse of a sleek grey shape below. The pulse of your breath in the snorkel stops. Caught between fight and flight, you float. Two blacktip reef sharks slowly curve their way along the drop-off below. “Relax,” you tell yourself. “Stay calm.” Instead of putting distance between you and the sharks, you follow them. Look at you: David Attenborough in the…

SURFBOARDS LINE THE DRIVEWAY, AND THE INTERIOR IS FILLED WITH COLOUR, PATTERN AND ECLECTIC FINDS. IT’S A GREAT TIME OF YEAR TO CATCH UP WITH FRIENDS. IT’S A FAMILY HOME IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD. When you live in a beach bungalow on the southern tip of Africa, Christmastime has a decidedly different flavour than it does in the northern hemisphere. The 1950s wooden bungalow that journalist and editor Kerryn Fischer shares with her husband Morné and their two young sons, Luc and Guy, is a laid-back space. Surfboards and paddle-boards line the driveway, and the interior is filled with colour, pattern and eclectic finds. It’s a family home in the true sense of the word. The houses on this side of the Cape Peninsula…

Leanne and Ryan Botha ran a design consultancy for 15 years before deciding to take the leap and launch their own brand. “Skirting the edge of a mid-life crisis and frustrated by the restrictions of client briefs, Ryan wanted creative carte blanche to design a range he was truly proud of. It was cheaper than buying a Porsche, so I was happy to join him for the ride!” says Leanne, who runs the business and manages their 10 staff members, leaving Ryan to get on with his whimsical designs. “Whimsical”is an apt word to describe the motifs in all aLoveSupreme collections, including Lionise. Vibrant colours and African-inspired prints adorn lifestyle and homeware products, including scatter-cushion covers, place mats, coasters, trays, pencil cases and – our favourite – notebooks. “I illustrate…

With more than 30 years’ experience in art direction, retail and media under her belt, inveterate traveller Juditha Sakinofsky was inspired by traditional soap makers in Syria to recreate her soap-on-a-rope concept. Years ago, she moved from the local glossy magazine environment to Toronto and New York, where she honed her creative skills styling for magazines and television before moving into the gifting sector, where she began specialising in artisanal gifts made using materials sourced from as far afield as Turkey, Central Asia and North and West Africa. Tribal textiles are one of her great passions. Colourful, riotous prints adorn many of the textiles she uses to create the tote bags and smaller cosmetic bags in her range. Now back in Cape Town, Juditha works with a small team from…

A highlight of summer holidays is the freedom to laze away the day outdoors. And for that most gratifying pastime, you need something comfortable to lounge on. The original WAZ Outdoor Amphibious Lounger is designed for both relaxing poolside and floating on the water. The lounger’s clean lines are created from fabric and soft beaded filling only. Owner Sarah Wassell is very particular when it comes to selecting fabrics, applying an energetic and fervent approach to sourcing both locally and internationally. The WAZ vision incorporates quality fabrics in both neutral and attention-grabbing colours such as bright orange and fuchsia. “The fundamentals for my design have always been aesthetic appeal combined with absolute comfort,” Sarah says. The Amphibious Lounger has exceptional outdoor specs, such as fade resistance. “Thorough understanding of materials…

FOR more than a decade, stylist and creative director Bee Diamondhead has been carving out a career abroad and here in South Africa. After studying at London College of Fashion she did a stint as fashion assistant at Vanity Fair and then at Dazed & Confused magazine. Fast-forward to 2017: Bee has a rich portfolio that includes work for a highly covetable client list as well as top fashion glossies. One of her favourite collaborators is Zimbabwean artist Kudzanai Chiurai, whose work is exhibited at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. For his recent exhibition at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, he again called on Bee. “I’ve worked with Kudzi for more than 10 years,” she says. “And since he started incorporating photographic pieces into his work, I’ve done the…

Architect turned artist and illustrator Lucie de Moyencourt’s latest show, Sunday Drive, continues her theme of exploring her love of the Cape Peninsula. “I’ve called the show Sunday Drive because I start at the V&A Waterfront, then travel along the Atlantic Seaboard and all the way around the peninsula to Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak, Cape Point and Muizenberg,” she says, describing one of Cape Town’s most scenic and popular drives. When we meet up with her, she’s already been doing the drive regularly, each time taking loads of pictures of iconic scenes along the way, some of which she has already painted. “I am looking for a spirit of the times, to sort of capture us as South Africans and how we live in cities, almost like the illustrations that…

Based on the notion that quality homeware should be passed on from one generation to the next, the Grace Collection from @home was designed to reflect old-world glamour. “Quality materials such as glass, silver, linen and knitwear never date,” says @home Head of Buying Karen Brumfield. On the trends front, says @home Trends Researcher Louise Vorster, “Grace feels like old money, and that’s the point! Even though some pieces are new, they feel like they could have been handed down from another era. We based our tableware on that concept, so we used a Victorian design on the dinnerware and flatware, and all the embroideries have been taken from historical inspiration.” Key colours and materials in the range hinge on modern neutrals like soft putty and crisp whites, offset by…

We caught up with Roberto on a recent visit to Cape Town. How did you and Ludovica start out? While I studied architecture, one of my lecturers introduced me to design and I fell in love with it. My wife, who was involved with garden design in the early days, came on this journey with me. We started designing Murano glass vases, which soon became trendy, and so we found our path. Do you do mostly product design now? No, I love architecture too. Ludovica and I travel the world doing all sorts of projects. I spend more time in the air than a bird. We are busy designing houses, resorts and hotels around the world. There are also about 20 brands with which we are associated, designing things. Bathrooms…

VIVA LA FRANCE! MOËT & CHANDON GOLDEN SPARKLE COLLECTION It’s not hard to understand why a bottle of Moët is sold every minute around the world! The Moët & Chandon Golden Sparkle Gift Box will rock your party table. • From R530 • moet.com BOLLINGER ROSÉ 2006 This limited-edition Champagne is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – the grapes came from nine top vineyards – that was aged for more than 10 years. We love the latticework of the metallic rose gold packaging. • R1 500 • champagne-bollinger.com ON A PAR WITH CHAMPAGNE BABYLONSTOREN SPRANKEL 2012 A fruity, crisp MCC, this beauty is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes that were carefully selected from vineyards at varying altitudes. Buy Sprankel online at babylonstoren.com/shop and have it delivered to your door. • R605 • babylonstoren.com STEENBERG…

AFRICA MODERN: CREATING THE CONTEMPORARY ART OF A CONTINENT Edited by Ekow Eshun, KT Wong Foundation in association with Wallpaper* Lady Linda Wong Davies writes in her foreword that architect Thomas Heatherwick first called her from London in April 2017 to discuss the idea of a book that would represent his ideas and design for the new Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, and would introduce readers to the burgeoning art scene in South Africa. The foundation normally sponsors the commissioning and production of music, theatre and film, but she was convinced, and they put this book together in four months. It features essays about the Zeitz MOCAA and African contemporary art; profiles of artists and influential people on the local art scene; and projects…

Bloomin’ Beautiful Styling it like the VISI Spring Cover #visimagazine #goingpottyforspring #interiordesign – @towerbridge_dbn Love gifts from home #visimag #visimagazine #lakelife #canadiansummer – @s.a.s.h.a.b #riotouscolours #colourexplosion #cover #magazinecover #mostbeautifulmagazine #sundaymorninginspiration #visi #visimagazine #springissue – @jonesingrid My mom’s new wall colour is so photogenic This Spring cover is everything #vsco #vscocam #spring #sunday – @jessica.tracey Ready, steady Spring! #visimag #visimagazine #architecturelovers #vegetablegarden #fruitandherbs #favemag – @ingridgerber Ready, steady SPRING Getting some inspiration from the latest @visi_mag – @fromtheeyesofadreamer SPRING is just around the corner! #springtime #visimagazine #designcafe – @seven.circles Got the @visi_mag spring edition! – @free2btheo Sunday morning bliss – @sonjamckaiser Bederfie van my boo #visimagazine #houseporn #sweeteninguphissugarmama #househusbandmaterial – @eldivl KEEP COOL AND WIN Getting ready for summer picnics? You’ll want to win one of these 22-litre canvas cooler bags…

I AM 10 AND SELF- CONSCIOUS. We have just moved into a small, dark townhouse. This is the best we can do right now. Mummy tells us our house doesn’t define us, our manners do. I find this hard to believe, but I don’t say so. The house has our things in it, but in the early weeks – when we have just arrived in this hot, hot place where all the children are bright pink in the summer heat – it does not feel like home. Home is cool in the mornings and breezy in the afternoons. Home is bougainvillea creepers and avocado trees; it is paw-paws cut up and ready for you to eat in the morning. Home is the smell of sour porridge and it is never…

“ WE LOVE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR ” “I LOVE SCANDI DESIGN AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH LIGHT WOOD, SO I DIDA SCANDI-AFRI MIX.” “WE LIKE TO MAKE THE SEASON FEEL SPECIAL.” HER HOME IS A SANCTUARY FOR THE SENSES. but we’re not big on celebrating the traditional way, especially here in South Africa, where our summers are so hot. We like to make the season feel special, though, by doing something different with the festive decorations each time.” The “we” is stylist and creative consultant Shelley Street and her teenage daughter Phoebe. The “something different” is a monochrome palette that Shelley has put together by incorporating local crafts with organic elements, a signature of her personal decorating style. There’s no more apt description of her home…

“BUT WE WANTED TO STAY AS FAITHFUL TO THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE AS POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT AUTHENTIC.” IT LENDS ITSELF TO A BAREFOOT-AND-BRAAI LIFESTYLE. Approaching Keurbooms Lagoon through subtropical indigenous thicket, the unsuspecting visitor will emerge into a clearing and encounter, within it, an unusual holiday home, the getaway of choice for Frances and Wojtek Orzechowski and their son Tadj. Frances designs women’s leisurewear under the label Soul Clothing, which is sold in her Indalo Living and Indalo Clothing shops on the Garden Route. She believes nature’s systems are interrelated, and sustainability is a valuable attribute. It is not surprising then that this home suits them so well. In essence, the thatch-roofed house is a collection of three rondavels linked by a covered passageway. The rondavels were…

German design is generally known for precision and reliability. Now, the wonderfully quirky Marshmallow stool by German product designer Paul Ketz adds originality and creativity to the mix. Studio Paul Ketz is, in fact, based in Istanbul, Turkey. “The city’s visible range is quite sand-coloured and muted, and the mood is slightly melancholic,” Paul says. “I wanted to create a human-friendly visual contrast. I was inspired by the omnipresent traditional stools to design a lively and cheerful stool against the background of the melancholic city vibe.” The flexible yet firm seat is made of a polyurethane foam that Paul pours from the bottom of the steel wire frame so it expands upwards through the metal mesh before it solidifies. Since he doesn’t use a mould, each seat is different.“The result…

GIFTS FOR VOU To be in line to win a Sealand Bettie bag, worth R1 540, enter at VISI.co.za/win.…

Cape Town’s new Silo District is brimming with freshness, especially in the host of new galleries, concept stores and restaurants that have formed an inner circle around the Zeitz MOCAA. One of these destination stores is fashion designer Kat van Duinen’s new flagship of the same name. Recently opened, it flies the pennant for the proudly South African luxury brand’s select range of eveningwear and superbly crafted leather accessories. Part art gallery and part boutique, the store confidently straddles both worlds. Two walls feature striking large-scale artworks by hyperrealist Kelly John Gough. Elsewhere, multi-hued totes in exotic materials perch on bronze wall spikes, specially designed by German artist Gerrit Giebel, along with a semicircular bronze clothing rail. The remaining section of wall is a floor-to-ceiling drop of voluminous fabric that…

It’s been a year since we introduced you to HOT COFFEE and artist Harem, who co-founded the brand in 2015 with entrepreneurs Eed Sukonpongpao and Tim Harbich. The art-driven products under this label are now stocked by Loft Living and SHF (Sutherland Home Furnishings), among others. Harem’s body of work over the past two decades has been rooted in natural history and a fascination with vintage images.“The obsession started when I found a box of old photographs in a house we’d bought and started experimenting with them,” he says. His latest series of Japanese-inspired artworks for HOT COFFEE was a hit at the SARCDA Trade Exhibition earlier this year. “We started with the Japanese Tattoo image,” Harem says, pointing to a colour-edited photograph of a man with an intricate tattoo…

IT is only a few minutes’ walk from where the original one stood, but it is different. Not unrecognisably so. Sophisticated and authentic. The well-appointed glass entrance hall offers both glamour and striking views of the magnificent Franschhoek Mountains. The art on the brick walls is South African, and the old airplane wing now forms part of the courtyard bar. Like the restaurant, the menu is eclectic, featuring some Asian influences and great local ingredients. Some familiar flavours and some new ones. This is the food that Reuben likes to eat. This looks and feels like the home Reuben and his wife Maryke share. “I have always wanted to have my own place,” Reuben says. “I needed to feel that this is mine. Not just the building, but also the…