Table of contents for VISI 101 in Visi

AFTER the enormous success of our bumper VISI 100 edition, it feels a little odd to produce our regular-size 192-page magazine again! But we have enjoyed creating a very inspiring Issue 101 for you to delve into somewhere cosy as the seasons change. Can you believe it’s April already and we’re two months into the Year of the Pig? Before we know it, it will be our Design Issue 2020, full of more amazing talent and surprises. We can’t wait for what’s to come. Enjoy! Sumien IN our world of design and fashion, it pays to have insight into consumer trends. There are people and institutions whose job it is to watch global movements in order to predict future consumer behaviour, and among trend forecasters, Li Edelkoort is one of…

IN 1964, when I was 14 years old, my family was forced into exile. For most of his life my father, Joe Slovo, lived under the shadow of imprisonment and assassination. In 1982, my mother, Ruth First, was murdered by agents acting on behalf of the apartheid regime. Not surprisingly, I have ambivalent and complicated feelings about the country of my birth. Though I am grateful for the advantages of growing up and being educated in the UK, the sense of loss I have always felt, and the longing to be back under African skies, never went away. It is no coincidence that two of the films I have scripted are set in South Africa. When my citizenship was restored in 2005, and after 54 years away, I started to…

EVERY year, Design Indaba calls on industry leaders and influencers to nominate what they think is the most beautiful object in the country, before opening up the vote to the public to decide which object or concept should win. Designed by Phillip Hollander and Stephen Wilson of Houtlander, the Interdependence II bench received the annual accolade, with 20% of the total number of votes. The bright-blue bench, punctuated by a playful sculptural twist, was nominated by entrepreneur Nandi Dlepu, who applauded the quality of the manufacturing and the abstract yet familiar nature of the design. Among this year’s nominees were Ebert Otto’s copper-and-glass kettle, nominated by VISI editor-in-chief Sumien Brink; African bridal dress by Mzukisi Mbane, nominated by TV presenter Bonnie Mbuli; and the Nenzima desk by Mpho Vackier, nominated…

“OTHER THAN A GOOD CHAIR, GOOD LIGHTING IS ESSENTIAL FOR A WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO PRODUCTIVITY.”– GUY HARRIS, OWNER OF NEWPORT LIGHTING “A TABLE NEED NOT BE JUST A SURFACE, OR A PLANTER NEED NOT BE JUST A VESSEL.”- DESIGNER JOE PAINE…

THE Caesarstone Design Studio is an experiential space that offers tailor-made shopping, complete with one-on-one service and expert advice when it comes to selecting surfaces. It also features interactive visualisers and private meeting rooms. “This showroom, the first of its kind in South Africa, will ensure that Caesarstone is made readily available to the public in a more efficient way, allowing us to be more responsive to local designers, architects and homeowners,” says Trevor King, marketing director of Caesarstone SA. Available to view in full slab scale at the new showroom is Caesarstone’s lightweight Ultimo Collection. In a response to a trend shift towards thinner countertops, this collection features 13 mm slim-line slabs. They come in Caesarstone’s concrete- and marble-inspired designs, as well as classic polished finishes. With the same…

CRAMMED with armoires, linen presses, cabinets, tables, chairs, sofas, gilded furniture, mirrors, chandeliers, lanterns, candelabras, and silver and crystal accessories, The Crown Collection in Bryanston is every antiques lover’s dream come true. “Our clients, which include many decorators, are looking for beautiful, unique pieces to incorporate into their homes and offices,” says Allana Waisberg, marketing and brand manager at The Crown Collection. “Antiques are trend-proof and inject personality into even the most austere modern spaces.” Antique and vintage pieces add warmth and character to an interior. “Statement pieces, such as a linen press, display cabinet, an antique table or chairs, mirrors or an armoire are versatile and easy to incorporate into most settings,” says Allana. “Integrating antiques into a contemporary space is straightforward. Antiques cost much the same as new…

What began as a creative outlet for graphic designer Quentin Horn – “something other than logos and corporate identities” – has seen him turn his doodles into art. How did you develop your style? I was about to recycle a notebook when I noticed my doodles – pages full that I had unconsciously drawn while speaking to someone on the phone, trying to work out the best colour combination for a corporate identity or wondering what to have for dinner. On a whim I scanned all 200 pages and painstakingly “cut” them out in Photoshop to create my first “brush” library. I started to use these ‘brushes’ to create a bigger picture, so to speak, and it just snowballed from there. Do you have a favourite medium? I don’t like…

IT takes only a few clicks to set in motion the creation of a stylish, affordable custom-made carpet that suits your space. Yudu has designed a way for you to create a rug in the size you need, the style you want and with a trim of your choice. From long and narrow runners to rugs that can fill large or irregular areas, Yudu is the modern rug problem solver. Log on to the website and browse designs. Pick your favourite, select a trim from one of the 18 colourway options, and voilà, in 14 working days or fewer your new made-to-order rug will be delivered to your door. If you want to touch or colour-match your rug before you place your order, the online platform allows you to buy…

IMAGINE a minimal-effort self-sustaining garden that comes complete with a self-watering tank, a grow light and a diverse selection of plant pods for sale online. Well, Click & Grow Indoor Smart Gardens are now sold in South Africa. With more than 45 varieties of fruits, leafy greens and herbs to choose from, you have a compact garden at your (green) fingertips, available online. The concept behind digital farming is to move away from conventional – and often bland-tasting – store-bought herbs in wasteful packaging. These smart gardens feature a sleek design, perfect for your kitchen countertop. In addition to aesthetics, with Click and Grow you are encouraging local food production, minimising waste and promoting organic eating. Click and Grow says it is working towards making essential, fresh, vitamin-packed food free…

Ever wondered why so many pro chefs prefer cooking with gas? For the most part it definitely has the edge over electric alternatives in supplying instant, highly responsive heat with total control for enhanced cooking quality all round, but it’s also reliable and, most importantly, highly efficient and the friendlier option for the environment. Electricity might offer you the convenience of unlimited access at the flip of a switch, but with the changing energy landscape, more and more people the world over are going green and switching to gas. And here at home, with rising electricity costs and supply constraints, gas cooking has become a fast-growing trend in making life without power that much more bearable. “For the environmentally conscious and style-centric homeowner, there’s no better solution than Smeg -…

FOLLOWING a fire that tore through the heart of &Beyond Phinda Homestead two years ago, the safari villa recently reopened with a bold new look. While retaining the original footprint of the building, architect Nick Plewman cleverly re-oriented it to afford more generous under-roof outdoor space, which flows seamlessly from the interior, and front-row seats to the goings-on at the waterhole. The former pitched thatched roof was replaced with a flat steel-and-timber substructure roof. “The lodge now sits more subtly in the environment, forming an understorey between the surrounding tree canopy and the ground,” Nick says. Expansive wooden decking, undressed concrete floors, vertical eucalyptus poles and latte screens speak of Nick’s affinity for authentic materials. They don’t distract or detract from the landscape and the activity at the pan. The…

DANIEL Grobbelaar studied interior design and went on to work in the industry for nine years before he established Profurn in 2016 to focus on his passion for furniture design. Besides original pieces made of high-quality timber, mostly locally sourced, Profurn creates and renovates pieces using reclaimed materials. Everything is made by hand. What made you choose joinery as a career? It was never a choice; it’s what I love doing. I’ve always had a passion for creating something in a form that doesn’t yet exist. What are the prospects like for young South African creatives who wish to follow the same path? South Africa’s creative manufacturing industry is in a very exciting phase. People around the world are becoming more aware of the amazing work being produced here. Talented…

SINTERED stone has quickly gained popularity. Created by fusing raw clay, feldspar and silica at an extremely high temperature, it is natural, recyclable, hygienic and stain-resistant. Plus, it’s lightweight and easy to install, just two of the reasons it’s super versatile. NEOLITH has introduced four new colours to widen your range of choice. And it has developed a revolutionary water-based decoration technique that reduces the contaminating emissions produced by traditional printing methods. With distinctive grey undertones, New York – New York’s on-trend urban style is influenced by the infectious energy of the Big Apple and its majestic skyscrapers. Mar Del Plata, inspired by Brazilian stone, is a rippled slab that boasts wavy white quartz striped on a grey backdrop. The whiter and lighter grey striations are produced with a special…

OVER 12 weeks, three design duos were challenged with designing the interiors of three brand-new apartments at Balwin Properties’ Paardevlei Lifestyle Estate in Somerset West. Each week, the teams had to transform a specific space and impress the judges, Bryan Courtney of Private Property, Slade Brookes of Balwin Properties, and Buhle Mathole of Kabu Design Architects. For every challenge, the teams had to collaborate with a local designer on a bespoke element. When it came to choosing finishes, they had the advantage of working with Win A Home’s product and service sponsors, namely Caesarstone, Magma Surfaces, Cosi Home for cabinetry, Oggie Hardwood Flooring, Flush Bathrooms, Durum Smart Paint, and Samsung for all appliances. In addition, the duos each had R160 000 to spend at Weylandts. Rekopile Belebesi and Koketso Marole…

INSPIRED by her Japanese roommate in London who would make origami pieces for extra money, Morongwe Mokone first started making her paper swans 11 years ago. “I was intrigued by this type of art and had to learn,” she says. Morongwe’s creations are decorative as well as functional. It takes her about 6 hours to make one sculpture by hand: cutting and folding paper before putting the swan together and sealing it with glue for shine and strength. “I love both colour and practicality,” she says. “I also love the idea of injecting colour into work spaces.” The swans, which sell for between R250 and R300 under Morongwe’s decor brand Mo’s Crib, will be available at Decorex Joburg in August, and at KAMERS/Makers in Stellenbosch and Irene towards the end…

“I grew up in a small coastal town on the Indian Ocean and, after university, spent 13 years as a designer in the then-thriving and soulful surf industry in Durban,” says Kathy Burns, founder of Bungalow Living. “I now live on the Atlantic coast, and spend every possible holiday travelling to a different far-flung beach.” What began as a creative outlet, capturing the foliage, shells and treasures of local shores became so much more than that. “Taking photos of elements of the sea and nature led to experimenting with digital printing on fabrics,” she says. “This evolved into a range of scatter cushions, wall art, place mats, ceramics, tote bags, soaps and candles. I love the organic patterns and simple shapes in nature, and I love capturing them on camera.”…

REMEMBER the simple pleasures of childhood summers, when every day was a mini adventure? Constance Hotels and Resorts recently introduced its new sister brand, C Resorts, and wants you to feel that way again when you stay over. Here, the emphasis is on playing, letting go and feeling free. The first C Resort, C Palmar Mauritius, overlooks a lagoon on the east coast of the island. As CEO Jean-Jacques Vallet says, “We want it to be a place where guests can regain the free spirit of their youth and let go of adult concerns.” To make this easier to achieve, each C Resorts property will offer 12 original guest experiences (Cignatures), including swings for grown-ups, an activity centre with games, giant floating mattresses, a musical shower on the beach in…

FURNITURE ANGELSHACK   AngelShack creates innovative, agile office furniture and makes it easy to buy.  AngelShack is pushing boundaries within the office space by challenging conventions and using a leading German designer to develop prototypes of great-looking office furniture, which are made in a state-of-the-art factory here in South Africa.  The result is a collection of practical, smart contemporary office furniture and accessories that you can afford. +27 10 035 4410 angelshack.co.za FURNITURE SHELL EXEC Entrawood’s designers broke the mould of the traditional executive office and explored the elements that can make a work environment inspiring. “We wanted to promote freedom of thought while at the same time providing the thinker with a sense of control. The result is a truly unique executive desk shaped to its user.” – Entrawood Product Manager. Come and…

THIRTY years ago, when designer Anke Stegmann and her husband, civil engineer Johnny Cullum, bought a piece of open land on the slopes of Table Mountain, they were taken with its location in a glen. Situated between two rivers, the property offered various open riverine spaces and an amazing variety of plants and wildlife. Finding this piece of paradise was a profound moment for Anke, whose childhood in Namibia had given her an appreciation for the “profundity of vast open spaces and nothingness”. Their original home was “a simple box of a house” set within a terraced garden that had been created 60 years before by a local resident who was a keen gardener, the late Lucy May Bean. “When we first built, we had no fences, so we had…

When you own a share in a farm just outside Joburg with the Crocodile River running through it, setting up a weekend getaway place makes more than a little sense. But the owners of this property took their time. In fact, years went by, says architect Joe van Rooyen of JVR Architects, before they decided to commit to the project. The perfect spot was patiently awaiting them. On a picturesque site overlooking the river stood the ruin of a stone cottage, believed to be the original farm manager’s house. It had so much potential that Joe and the owners decided to renovate, although it would be more accurate to describe what the project developed into as a reinvention rather than a renovation. “It’s not a cottage any more,” says Joe.…

COOKING shows like Chef’s Table and MasterChef have turned many home cooks into amateur chefs and fostered an interest in cookware and tableware with a difference. Cookbooks outsell all other categories, and these days it’s all about eating in rather than eating out. Exhibitors at Ambiente 2019 catered extensively to this movement and showcased exciting new designs, colours and solutions, which will appear on our shelves soon. Keep an eye out for rough textures and beautiful imperfections, and a multitude of small individual dishes Inspired by traditional Japanese cuisine. Be sure to buy plates with edges or lips, and glassware that calls for a celebration. And if black is your colour, now is the time to stock up on your favourite items in your favourite hue. MODULAR COLLECTION A love…

A group of multitalented architects, designers and artists from across Africa have, together with five designers from IKEA, created the ÖVERALLT collection, a range of furniture, accessories and textiles inspired by modern urban rituals. The collaboration, which was launched at Design Indaba in Cape Town in February, is in fact two years in the making, having initially been announced at the Conference in 2017. “Through Design Indaba, we got the opportunity to team up with some great people, developing the design brief together,” says Johanna Martin, IKEA’s senior press officer. The African creatives are fashion designer Selly Raby Kane and product designer Bibi Seck from Senegal; Ivorian architect Issa Diabaté; Kenyan furniture designers Naeem Biviji and Bethan Rayner of Studio Propolis; Egyptian designers Mariam Hazem and Hend Riad of Reform…

ARCHITECTS often claim that they draw inspiration from nature. The final construction may echo the subject with a set of similar curves or with artificial simulations of natural functions. The new National Museum of Qatar by architect Jean Nouvel does not just echo the aesthetic of nature, but it also exemplifies it. In Jean’s words, “Qatar has a deep rapport with the desert, with its flora and fauna, its nomadic people, its long traditions. To fuse these contrasting stories, I needed a symbolic element. Eventually, I remembered the phenomenon of the desert rose: crystalline forms, like miniature architectural events, that emerge from the ground through the work of wind, saltwater and sand. The museum, with its great curved discs, intersections and cantilevered angles, is a totality, at once architectural, spatial…

IN preparation for their new role as creative directors of Design Joburg, featuring Rooms on View, presented by Sanlam Private Wealth, Greg Gamble and Philippe van der Merwe analysed the show format from the ground up – quite literally. They have settled on a new layout and packed every square centimetre of space available at the Sandton Convention Centre with the most covetable decor and design the country – and the continent – has to offer. The addition of a new headline event, the Kohler Design Forum, is a massive drawcard and the biggest news around this year’s show. An auditorium space in conjunction with SA Tourism, designed by Philippe and Greg together with Belgotex, the Design Forum will host internationally renowned designers and local luminaries, all of whom will…

THE word mantua, from the French manteau for a cloak or mantle, refers to a loose gown worn by women in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is also the name of the Italian city to which Shakespeare’s Romeo was banished. And it’s the name Juandi Andrag’s silk scarves go by. Juandi founded Mantua Silkwear in 2017. Working from her home studio in Stellenbosch, she opts to either paint directly on silk fabric, or on paper, which is then transferred to silk. When it comes to technique, “I disregard most of the classic guidelines on silk painting,” Juandi admits, “and the artworks develop organically with a colour, pattern or theme in mind. I am intrigued by the fluidity of concentrated watercolour pigment diluted with water, and the way it flows…

WHENEVER I hear the name Hilux I think of one of my favourite Top Gear episodes. Aired several years ago, when the motoring show was still innovative and cool, then-host Jeremy Clarkson tried his best to destroy a red Toyota Hilux, which he had dubbed the Jihad Mobile after “watching news footage of various people in the Middle East shooting Americans from the backs of their Toyota pick-up trucks”. Subsequently, Clarkson and co. rammed the red workhorse into walls, dropped it from a crane, set it on fire, hit it with a wrecking ball and left it in the stormy Atlantic overnight. And when the engine remained running, they put it on top of a block of flats earmarked for demolition by implosion. Out of the rubble emerged a still-functioning…

Japanese creative duo TENT – Masayuki Haruta and Ryosaku Aoki – repurposed the tension rod to create spacial solutions for small homes. They collaborated with tension-rod manufacturer Heian Shindo to create what they dubbed DRAW A LINE: It comes with accessories like hooks and clip-on shelves, tabletops and lamps. We were introduced to DRAW A LINE at Ambiente in Frankfurt and thought it the ultimate Smart Idea. We can’t think of a better application for a tension rod than positioning one between floor and ceiling next to the bed with a clip-on bedside lamp. tent1000.com…