Table of contents for VISI 133 in Visi

While I fundamentally agree with its boundary-breaking premise, I've too often found myself in the unfortunate situation where an overly enthusiastic business coach is exhorting me and my bored-to-tears colleagues to “C'mon, guys, think outside the box!” Cue a collective eyeroll. Creative teams don't like to be told to think outside the box – it's pretty much what we do every day. And yes, we tend to lean into arrogance. Now, if that business coach had said, “C'mon guys, think outside the outside of the box!” – that would be a different story. It would be a crucial rephrasing that both keeps the basic premise of thinking beyond one's comfy boundaries and still massages the creative ego. There are a bunch of people in this issue of VISI who have…

WIN WITH LUCY One lucky VISI reader will win a LUCY bag worth R5 000. Crafted in 100% metallic pebbled leather and designed with a circular aesthetic, the large, sculptural LUCY bag pays homage to Brutalism – but still evokes a sense of unassuming softness and femininity. Go to VISI.co.za/win to enter. WE ASKED YOU ONLINE: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TREND FROM MILAN DESIGN WEEK? 158 of you took our poll to let us know. Here are the results: 41% Bold terracotta and burgundy hues 34% Innovative bio-materials and circular design 15% Hyper-tactile surfaces 10% Organic “pillowy” shapes #READERLOVE If you're enjoying the latest issue, we'd love for you to take a pic of your mag and share it with us. Simply tag VISI on Instagram, Facebook or X with your…

MOST EVENINGS after returning from work, my dad would dive into an array of passion projects, sometimes long into the night: dismantling a Series II Land Rover, lovingly constructing radio-controlled aircraft, modifying a cabinet that was being moved from the dining room to the lounge… The tasks were endless. Surrounding him were workbenches piled high with tools and supplies in an organisational system that worked perfectly for my dad, but made little sense to anyone else. Many attempts were made by my mother to introduce order to the sprawling mass in the form of neatly labelled containers and boxes – but, like a natural ecosystem finding balance, everything would gradually migrate and return to its original state. The smell of freshly cut wood, the flash of welding, the drone of…

EXPERIENCE GAINED WITH OKHA DESIGN STUDIO and some lessons learnt from running a small fashion label were the seeds that led to the launch of N I S H at Decorex in 2022. Since then, Tanisha Neill has hit her stride with a range of Brutalist-inspired furniture pieces and a couple of collaborations – including the Bjorn rug with collage artist Britt Appelgryn, which won the Best Design Award at this year's Cape Town Furniture Week. ✖ For me, design is about making someone's soul sing. A particular piece doesn't need to resonate with everyone – but it should capture someone's heart and become special to them. The idea that someone will fall in love with a piece of furniture and recognise it as the perfect addition to their home…

✖ SPEYBURN 15 YEAR OLD SCOTCH WHISKY Left to steep in both American and Spanish oak casks for 15 years, the spirit is endowed with deep flavours from the barrels before being combined to produce a splendid Speyside dram. On the nose, there are hints of dark chocolate with notes of raisin, zesty citrus and vanilla – and you'll taste oranges, toffee, vanilla and leather, all wrapped in a gentle spice. The long-lasting, warm finish is spicy, yet sweet and creamy. From R1 490 ✖ PENDERYN MADEIRA FINISH WELSH WHISKY Aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Madeira wine casks to bring out its full golden character, this whisky was a silver medallist at the recent Trophy Spirits Show. The nose features a classic freshness with aromas of cream toffee,…

SNEAKERHEADS WILL KNOW SHELFLIFE WELL. Since its beginnings in 2006, the brand's two physical stores – one in Cape Town and one in Rosebank – as well as its online store have been the go-to for anyone looking for limited-edition or rare sneaks. But thanks to founder Nick Herbert's vision, it's not just Shelflife's desirable inventory of footwear that's attracted a loyal following: the brand has become an integral part of the South African street-culture community courtesy of Nick's lifelong passion for sneakers and graffiti. After 14 years in its Longmarket Street location in the Mother City, the brand recently moved down the road to open a new flagship store at The Barracks in Bree Street. The 270-year-old heritage building has been renovated, and is now home to Shelflife's curated…

SEA POINT APARTMENT STEP OUT of the elevator on La Camargue's top floor, and you'd be forgiven for thinking you've been teleported, not lifted. Instead of walking into the penthouse of this Sea Point apartment block, you're welcomed into the cabin of what appears to be a superyacht. The long, rectangular space, angled windows, high-gloss wooden panelling, slabs of marble and curved walls are all classic signatures of luxury nautical design – and if there's any lingering doubt, the windows are filled with the uninterrupted blue of the Atlantic Ocean. To your right is a sweeping staircase that ascends to what is, for all intents and purposes, the vessel's upper deck. There, at your feet, is maritime-quality wooden decking – and above your head, nothing but open skies and sunshine.…

“How did Angama Amboseli come about? Well… What do lodge owners do during a pandemic lockdown? Go shopping, of course – and not for the usual ‘add to cart’ purchase, but for something much more exciting: a new luxury lodge!” says Nicky Fitzgerald, co-owner of Angama. “We thought, why only have one [Angama Mara], when two would be just as great – and our guests could then extend their time with us on safari in Kenya?” Located in the Kimana Sanctuary, and basking in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Angama Amboseli is an intimate lodge surrounded by a forest of towering fever trees, and offers guests the opportunity to take part in a truly extraordinary experience – seeing some of the last remaining “super tuskers” roaming freely in the wild.…

ON AN AUTUMN MORNING IN APRIL, when Cara Saven, founder of Cara Saven Wall Design, and artist and illustrator Lucie de Moyencourt waded into the Atlantic Ocean wrapped in seashell-patterned wallpaper, it was more than a numbingly cold sea they walked into: it was also into a tradition that stretches back to ancient times, of seashell-inspired art and decorating. The reason for Cara and Lucie's adventurous morning swim was twofold. It was partly a form of quality control (see below). More importantly, it signalled a new collaboration between the two creatives – one that marries seashell imagery from Lucie's Shellegance collection (which started out as a series of two-dimensional decorative ceramics and sconces) with Cara Saven Wall Design's continued commitment to developing unique wallpaper ranges with local artists under the…

FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS, the Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust (SOST) has brought contemporary art to a broad audience of locals and international visitors in the historic Boland town by mounting a free annual, public art exhibition. To date, the SOST has brought more than 450 works of fine art by some of the most renowned artists in the world to the streets of Stellenbosch. ✖ THE 2024 EXHIBITION Curated by Stellenbosch-based artist and educator Maryke van Velden (pictured below) with the help of assistant curator Pule Dlothi, the latest exhibition is called “(Un)earthed”, and revolves around identity and how ceramics – both current and unearthed – offer clues about the representation of our collective South African identities, both past and present. Over a number of years, Maryke has collected…

THE IRONY LOOMS LARGE: asking a person with an impressive track record of depression and an empty tank of self-esteem to write about their happy place. The world is a cut-and-dried case of bleak prospects, polluted skies and profiteering politicians. Right? Add to that the growing girth of undisciplined post-menopausal misery, a teenager bent on scriptwriting matric into a one-woman hit show at Montecasino, and a relentless inability to say “No”, and you're stuck with a smorgasbord ranging from calm discontent to frenetic busy-ness that sucks the life and soul out of every dinner party. I must confess to exceptionally happy pockets of peace in the home. Take snuggling up in front of the wood-burning fireplace on our voluminous fuchsia-pink sofa – set against a wall of sage green. Or…

KNOWN FOR HIS ACCLAIMED ARDMORE FABRIC and scarf designs – including the prestigious Ardmore x Hermès collaborations – artist Sydney Hadebe joined forces with Wiseman Mpofu, a shining star among Ardmore's talented painters. Together, they were tasked with adorning the 8m × 3m wall of the new Ardmore Satara Suite at Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa. The concept for the collab came via Fairlawns' creative and managing director Michael Kewley, who envisioned an exclusive, one-offsuite for appreciative guests among the hotel's picturesque gardens. He imagined a tapestry of vibrant flora, with majestic leopards nestled amid the branches – a tableau reminiscent of Africa's untamed wilderness. And, taking cues from Ardmore's acclaimed collaborations with British brand Cole & Son – particularly the Jabula collection and Leopard Walk wallpaper designs – the…

BO - KAAP APARTMENT IT'S DIFFICULT NOT TO BE IMPRESSED by the view that greets you as you enter this top-floor, double-volume apartment. Even more difficult is deciding exactly what's impressing you the most – the view, the architecture, the art, or the furniture. It's impossible to avoid the uninterrupted vista of Table Mountain through the floor-to-ceiling window, but even that can only hold your eye for a moment or two before you wonder at the expanse of off-shutter concrete and black metal catwalk above your head. Echoing the exterior's asymmetrical boxiness, the inside of this apartment may be all right angles, but there's certainly no square-matrix uniformity to the space. Then you take in the 40-plus artworks – the paintings and large framed photographs in bright reds, yellows, greens…

✖ BETTINA WOODWARD, ARCHITECT The Light and the Sharpness (1935) by Paul Klee. I am nostalgic about Klee's geometric paintings because my childhood home was filled with expressionist posters. This painting evokes a strong emotional response even though its creation followed a logical analysis of colour, perception and simplified geometric form. In architecture, I'm similarly interested in how an underlying geometry or sequence of spaces can create a poetic force. It appears effortless, but requires tremendous discipline. Read Bettina's story about a Cape Town building icon on page 66. ✖ NKULI MLANGENI-BERG, TEXTILE DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF THE NINEVITES I would love to own one of Cape Town artist Asemahle Ntlonti's works. She is part of Blank Projects – and I absolutely love all her pieces. Nkuli wrote one of our Voices essays…

MY GRANDMOTHER used to run a shebeen at the back of our house in Kagiso. It was a popular meeting spot in the community. The space also functioned as a secret hub for trade unionists and workers to organise against the apartheid government. People from all walks of life came in and out of our home, and it is here that I fell in love with black culture and style. It is also where my obsession with singing protest and spiritual songs began, and where I learnt about community organisation and being selfless. One of my favourite pastimes was observing the patrons' fashion at the shebeen. People were very stylish and cool. I was inspired by how they made the best of what they had, and maintained a certain elegance…

“WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF SHAPE AND SCULPTURAL DESIGN – BUT WE NEVER COMPROMISE ON COMFORT.” – TOMMY HYLDAHL, FOUNDER OF 101 COPENHAGEN AND DESIGNER OF THE BRUTUS LOUNGE CHAIR All items are available at Créma. cremadesign.co.za…

WITH A MISSION TO BE A PROUD PURVEYOR of sophistication and allthings chic, The Crown Collection offersa distinctive and curated blend of antique, French and contemporary decor pieces. If timeless elegance istheaesthetic you're after, then it's definitely worth payingthis Bryanston treasure trove of a store a visit to see the vast handpicked collection that combines classic antiques with more contemporary items. We spoke to director Jacqueline Moskovitz to find out more about how The Crown Collection became the go-to for that perfect French chandelier, gilded mirror or 18th-century armoire. How did it all start? It began when we hired a top interior decorator to transform our home in 2016. In the process, we realised there was a huge gap in the South African market when it came to decorative antiques…

FOUNDED IN 1978, Patrick Mavros began with a simple yet heartfelt gesture: Patrick carved a pair of earrings for his wife, Catja. This loving act garnered admiration from her hairdresser, sparking the beginning of what is now Africa's definitive luxury jewellery and objets d'art brand, celebrated worldwide for its exquisite design and craftsmanship — and the Mavros family, including sons Alexander, Forbes, Patrick Jr and Benjamin, continues to uphold its legacy. While the brand prefers to keep its esteemed clientele private, it has a notable global following of celebrities and leaders – including Denzel Washington, Hugh Grant, Bruce Springsteen and Catherine, the Princess of Wales – with dedicated fans regularly seeking out the Mavros family for custom pieces. A hallmark of Patrick Mavros jewellery has always been an unwavering attention…

JOHANNESBURG HOUSE “We want something inspired” was the brief given to architects Catherine de Souza and Guy Trangos of Meshworks Architecture + Urbanism by the owners of this Johannesburg home. “We need newness… the kind of architecture that would look forward, not back.” When describing what they hoped for, the owners spoke not of rooms but of a “meander” or a “journey”. For Guy and Catherine, it was the realisation that to meet the brief, they'd need to test what it meant to build a new house in Johannesburg. The design began as a series of pathways – “ways through” rather than boundaries. A series of rammed-earth walls spiral inwards, as Guy puts it, “directing energies, flows and people away from the edge, and through.” At the centre is a…

LOCATED IN THE TRANQUIL EMBRACE of Villiersdorp in the Western Cape, Leeuwenhof is a beautifully restored Victorian home imagined by collector Bernie Diedericks. It's full of character, mirroring the tastes and personality of its owner – the former owner/curator of The Treasury, a vintage decor store in Woodstock. With a unique approach to interior design that's grounded in slow consumerism and mindful collecting, Bernie believes there is an air of poetry and depth in gathered homes that branded items and mono-store interiors cannot touch. “The core of my philosophy is a return to Old World values, which is reflected in my choice of collections,” he says. “I'm constantly inspired by the past, and I enjoy reworking historical forms. My approach to restoring Leeuwenhof was to keep the building simple, like…