Table of contents for VISI 94 in Visi

Here at VISI HQ we kick off every New Year with a Design Issue, which 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…

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 homeowners’ 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. ABIAH MAHLASE AND BRADLEY MUTTITT Great fans of chandeliers (they used them all over their apartment!), Abiah…

NO ONE, LEAST OF ALL ME, WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE TIME I SPENT LIVING IN CHICAGO WOULD HAVE AS VIVID AN IMPACT ON MY PERCEPTION OF DESIGN AND AESTHETICS AS IT HAS. 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 –…

“I TREAT EVERY PROJECT AS IF I’M GOING TO OCCUPY THE SPACE.” “IT USED TO BE ALL WHITE, BUT I WANTED SOMETHING MOODIER AND EDGIER.” KIM SMITH is a very busy woman. In 2017 this director of Weylandts travelled to China, Germany, Italy, Singapore, India and Indonesia. In June she renovated the Chefs Warehouse restaurant at Maison Estate in Franschhoek, and in November Weylandts launched its first standalone Homestore (“70% homeware, 30% furniture”) in Sandton City. “So most of this was done via WhatsApp,” she jokes as we enter her newly renovated penthouse apartment in Manhattan Place on the corner of Bree and Dorp streets, overlooking the Cape Town nightlife district. It’s the middle of the day but the apartment is dark. Exposed black piping and steel girders cut…

JACKIE BURGER’S 11TH SALON 58 SOIRÉE,ENTITLED TRACE,WAS HELD AT THE OLD TANNERY IN WELLINGTON. IT’S A CELEBRATION OF FOOD AND FASHION AND FINERY. IT’S 3PM 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…

TUESDAY I was invited by Wonderful Copenhagen, the tourism organisation for the Capital Region of Denmark, to take a short trip to the city. It was a first for me in so many ways. Who knew it was possible to pack so much into four days? We arrive at Copenhagen Airport at 7am. 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 parkland 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…

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,…

The 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 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. The woodland home is constructed from 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. ROADS AND WATERWORKS SUPPORT CENTRE Neutelings Riedijk Architects, Harlingen, The Netherlands A regional support…

Stiles 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 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 FAST FACT Porcelain stoneware tiles are produced by a fast firing of unglazed ceramic.…

Getting home, kicking off your shoes and stepping barefoot 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, 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…

The 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 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 marvel as the…

SAM WOULIDGE, WRITER Who is your favorite local designer? For fashion, Karien Belle (I’m an avid collector of her Jetlag Poetry scarves); for food, Jacques Erasmus from Hemelhuijs; and for furniture, Gregor Jenkin – his steel tables are perfection. Which local product can you not live without? The candles from the Scent Room at Babylonstoren. What’s your most treasured possession? There are many; I love beautiful things. But my obsession with my vintage Murano glass ashtrays has endured for many years. What role does design play in your life? I like it, but I don’t live by it. Three people, dead or alive, you would want to invite for dinner? AA Gill. Dominick Dunne. Max du Preez. The conversation, gossip and stories would make up for whatever it is that…

I AM GOING BACK A VERY LONG WAY, TO THE MINE HOUSE IN SPRINGS WHERE I SPENT THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE 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…

EVERY DESIGN DECISION WAS MADE WITH A CLIENT IN MIND. THE MASTER SUITE WAS THE JUDGES’ FAVOURITE. Over the course of 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 viewers 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 –…

“PINK IS MY HAPPY COLOUR. THIS APARTMENT NEEDED TO BE PLAYFUL.” KARIEN’S HOME IS ADORNED WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS. “I NEVER WANTED TO BE TIED DOWN,” 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…

WHO? ANTÓN GARCÍAABRIL 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 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…

Now called the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (ICTAF), the continent’s foremost art fair is returning 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 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…

His work now lines the gallery walls at Zeitz 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 photography after matriculating in 2008, through my sister,” he says. “She knew about The Market Photo Workshop, a photography school based 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 I loved photography and just continued.” Mack is fascinated with the infrastructural, economical, social and political changes seen in Johannesburg, and his work is largely…

Little Playroom is the brainchild of Joburgbased designer and interior architect Daniela Sanchez. On a mission to develop compact furniture for children that is functional, affordable and cool, Daniela designed a range of tables, chairs, chalkboards and storage pieces, as well as cushions and play mats. The furniture comes in four colours, Commando Blue, Blush Pink, Cool Grey and Snowy White; and the fabric motifs are playful and graphic. Which designs do you find work best for children’s furniture? The best designs are functional and adaptable, and can grow with a child. It is also important that children’s furniture does not detract from the decor in the rest of the home. Which materials do you use? With the current Little Playroom collection we’ve worked with a combination of solid pine…

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…

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…

Clever 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 freestanding 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 VISI COMPETITION RULES • VISI competitions are open…

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 I #visimagazine sooo much #riebeekkasteelweekend #addictedtomagazines – @colsie123 Easy like Sunday when a new VISI issue is out :) Always inspired by South African talent #visimagazine #visi #cominginhot #coffeeandamag #southafricandesigners – @dandc_creations When you see your a$$ on the cover… #WhenTheLightingIsTheCoopoo #VisiMagazine #zeitzmocaa – @tammytamati <<SATURDAY INSPIRATION>> The weekend is the perfect time to gain inspiration for the week ahead with an early-morning smoothie and @visi_mag #inspiration #decor #designinspiration #decorideas #beautifulthings – @beautiful_thingswithdirk Healthy snack #carrots #healthysnacks – @agnesss1984 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…

OUR HOUSE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR STREET. BEING A MADNESS FAN, I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THAT. 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 fireplaces 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. 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…

FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER I HAVE LOVED CABINES, FROM MOSSY GARDEN SHEDS AND GREENHOUSES TO BEACH SHACKS AND VERDANT TREE HOUSES.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…

“I ABSOLUTELY WANTED TO KEEP THE SOUL AND THE FEEL OF THE HOUSE.” “I LOVE OLD THINGS AS WELL AS NEW.” THE AIRY EXTENSION OF GLASS AND ALUMINIUM IS STRIKINGLY CONTEMPORARY AND LINEAR. THE HARMONY IS NOT MERELY VISUAL. Marielise van der Merwe’s husband Adriaan bought Gideonshoop four years ago: “somewhere to have a bit of peace and do a bit of farming”, she explains. The farm lies just west of Meiringspoort, 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…

SURFACE LAMP Nendo This simple portable lamp consists of a thin steel chassis 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 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 TOTEM FLORAL & VALET Damien…

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 involving Chanel’s packaging, art direction and formulation teams. Designed to look like a water-worn river stone that fits in the palm of the hand, the packaging features a retractable dispenser inside that, when pressed, delivers just the right amount of cream for a single application. We here at VISI HQ think it’s a thing of great beauty. • R1 010 for 50 ml • chanel.com…

Classic, minimalist and unfussy. This is how the ever-so-elegant Jenna McArthur describes her personal style – and it’s reflected in her agency’s 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 a few key pieces that are more old-world. The industrial elements give it a cool urban edge without taking away from…

Having witnessed a drastic decline in the 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…

More than ever before, bathrooms can reflect the same individual sense of style as the rest of your home. One such personalisation 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…

Rosé 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 gear this year. When it comes to white wines, Mosaic diners are starting to ask Moses to recommend Chenin Blancs and even Rieslings, two varietals that the restaurant has been including in its wine-pairing tasting menu. After falling out of 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 the rand-per-litre price for Chenin achieved at the 2017 Nederburg…

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…