Table of contents for VISI 100 in Visi

AHEAD of her seminar in Joburg on 25 February and in Cape Town on 2 March, renowned Paris- and New York-based trend forecaster Li Edelkoort gave VISI insight into what to expect from colour palettes, textiles and smart tech. According to our favourite soothsayer, the future is looking bright. Looking forward to 2020, why do you believe homes will embrace the use of colour more than ever before? Twenty years of great autonomous design coincides with the development of innovative materials, the testing of outsized volumes, and the adaption of changing rituals, and I predict that the new focus will be the use of colour. This taste for colour is just beginning and will grow in the next decade, influencing consumers to become happier. People’s innate fear of using colour…

“There is a line in a Tom Waits song that goes: ‘And you take on the dreams of the ones who have slept there’,” says Neville Trickett. “That’s our home all in one line of a song.” As a creative director and retail visionary, Neville is a maverick and mercurial soul, with a home to match. The 165-year-old Dargle Valley farmhouse in which he and his wife Sharon have lived for more than 25 years is crammed with the things they love. So much so that entering it is much like being delivered into a version of Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. You get the sense that their passion for collecting is a visceral affair, where instinct rules the day. “Sharon has strict criteria when it comes to aesthetics,…

EDOARDO VILLA’s journey had been a long one: from Italy to South Africa as a prisoner of war, and from classic realism to abstract modernism as an artist. After his release, he chose to stay on in Johannesburg and for a time lived and worked at the home of artist Douglas Portway in Kew, a suburb on the eastern fringe of the city. Villa soon became a prominent figure in the local art world and in the great surge of creative innovation that lit up the middle of the century. He was able to buy the Portway house in 1959, and in 1968 commissioned Ian McLennan to design a house for him on the same property, giving him no brief and a very small budget. It was a time when…

WHO WE ARE Led by George Elphick and Nick Proome, the 75-strong EPA team has undertaken a wide range of projects in South Africa and beyond our borders, with highly successful outcomes. An integral part of our architectural offering is a collaboration with interior architecture company novospace. eparch.co.za WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT Our repertoire covers the full spectrum of architectural typologies, but we specialise in premium offices, luxury residential, hospitality and institutional projects. Our design philosophy is driven by a highly contextual African response, which inspires memorable forms and spaces. Our strengths lie in an engaging personal and innovative design process that yields creative and unique works of architecture. YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! Rooi-Els Beach Retreat (left) in the Overberg, a provocative single-space construct that redefines coastal leisure; House Mansfield, a superb example of…

WHO WE ARE LYT is an 85-strong multidisciplinary practice of architects and support staff that pride ourselves on exceptional design and project delivery. Each of our buildings is a testament to our commitment to the craft of architecture. lyt.co.za YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! The PWC Tower was designed with the intention to create a beacon for the entire Waterfall area. The tower has become a prominent addition to the Johannesburg skyline. This sophisticated structure proudly sits alongside similar successful towers around the world. Innovative architectural and structural solutions create a legible and iconic structure. WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT LYT brings the diverse elements of the group into a single creative engine encompassing architecture, interior design, graphic design, upfront consulting and project execution. We seek to build on our track record of…

Ronelle Meyer was the first editor of VISI, before Sumien Brink took over as editor-in-chief in 2001 (issue 5) and began including summaries of selected articles in English. Starting in 2004, VISI was published in both Afrikaans and English. Johan van Zyl became editor in 2008 (issue 39), followed by Jacquie Myburgh Chemaly in 2011 (issue 51). Sumien was back at the helm in 2012 from issue 61, which is also the edition that revealed the new – and now iconic – masthead, designed by Garth Walker. From then VISI has been published only in English.…

CHRIS Weylandt vividly remembers the year VISI was launched – it was one year before he opened his first Weylandts store in Durbanville and started making furniture shopping the hippest weekend outing. “It was an incredibly exciting time pulling it all together, because this was my dream and vision,” he reminisces. “I was hands-on with the design and project management of the build, while at the same time sourcing and travelling in Asia, managing the local production in our factory, hiring staff, doing marketing, and managing the cash flow.” He recalls the first VISI shoot in the new shop, sitting on a sofa with his two daughters. Today, his eldest, Anna, is also involved in the business. Since Chris’s father opened his first furniture store in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1964,…

LADUMA Ngxokolo launched his brand MaXhosa by Laduma in 2011. In homage to his culture, he started out designing Xhosabeadwork-inspired knitwear and textiles, modifying and modernising pattern and colour to create statement pieces – which have gained wide acclaim. He is part of a new wave of non-conformist creatives who design with the African consumer in mind but also appeal to the international market. With the addition of accessories and homeware, including a range of rugs, he has broadened the scope of his brand. He also hones his inspiration through collaboration, which in turn has encouraged growth and recognition of other industry players. “For the brand, evolution is always a priority,” Laduma says. “We started as a celebration of our own culture; what’s next is celebrating other people’s cultures.” maxhosa.africa…

“LIGHTING isn’t just about making a space look good,” says Paul Pamboukian. ”It’s about being good. A healthy environment means having the right light at the right time of day.” Over the years, Paul, who founded Pamboukian Lightdesign in 1990, has had to adapt with a changing industry, which has seen the switch from incandescent to HID to LED. ”It was a different era back then,” he says of LED’s predecessors, whose special spark he still misses. To foster a lighting-design culture in South Africa, he and VISI ran the Haute Lumière competition for 10 years, inviting creatives from all disciplines to design decorative fittings with an emphasis on the light produced. Paul continues to light up the world through projects such as the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre, Norval…

WITHIN the ever-changing South African fashion landscape, Chu Suwannapha’s gift of being able to distinguish timeless style from transient trends has cemented his place in the industry in the few short years since his debut show at the first South African Menswear Week in February 2015. Born in Thailand, he studied and worked in Paris, and then worked for various South African magazines as stylist, fashion editor and fashion director before he decided to pursue his unisex label CHULAAP full time. Chu’s own perfectly tailored printed two-pieces and signature large-framed glasses echo his bold designs. “There will always be a slice of me or a reflection of my personal style in every look,” he says of his label. CHULAAP is wearable art, “like a collage of textures and prints in…

“WHEN VISI was launched in 1998 I was working as a landscaper, my first full-time job. “In 2003, when I started out on my own as a professional photographer, I presented my portfolio to editor-in-chief Sumien Brink and deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes. I will always remember they were both so friendly and warm, enthusiastic and encouraging, and they were both dressed in black from head to toe! “I am definitely not an ‘all my eggs in one basket’ kind of guy. I like to mix it up, which has allowed me to evolve naturally in an ‘ordered chaos’ manner. “Nature and my wife Bronwyn inspire me. “I believe one of the most important aspects for the future of design is authenticity. Be true to yourself, be original, take risks, and…

THE walls of Nelson Makamo’s studio in Joburg are lined with large-scale drawings and mixed-media works depicting the faces of children. Some of them look up as if in reverie, but many of them fix you with their gaze in a moment of stillness that packs an emotional punch. The prolific portraitist has a faculty for mark-making and line that he exploits to soulful effect in scenes of ordinary people doing everyday things. He’s been quoted as saying that “every piece is my soul”. “I always say as an artist your soul has been cut into millions of pieces, and you get to share each piece with others.” Last year was a big one for Nelson: two solos at CIRCA in Joburg and Cape Town; a showcase at 1-54 Contemporary…

HAVING lived as both a local and an immigrant, as a South African who grew up in Europe and South America, artist Siwa Mgoboza has been exposed to a broad range of influences. He uses a variety of mediums and explores global themes from an African perspective to create works that reflect his reality. As regards the future of local design, Siwa places importance on reconsidering traditional ways of making modern local goods to ensure a higher consumption by Africans first. “Essentially, forward and upward movement for creatives of colour, and building a stronger black economy.” Siwa’s series Les Êtres d’Africadia was the feature work at the 2018 MIA Photo Fair in Milan, and he returns for the 2019 edition of the fair in March. Before that, he’ll be at…

WENTY years ago, Mpho Vackier was busy wrapping up matric, with a glimmering future ahead as a process engineer in the mining industry. Today, her future still shines brightly, but now it’s as one of South Africa’s most promising furniture and product designers. “As TheUrbanative has grown, it gets easier to believe I’m doing exactly what I ought to be doing with my life! I still say that I try to ‘engineer’ my designs, which creates a link between my past and present.” When she went back to studying Interior Design at Inscape Design College, Mpho says she routinely poured over issues of VISI, and when TheUrbanative launched its first collection in 2017, VISI was one of the first publications to cover it. “I love the way VISI celebrates South…

WITH an unmistakable sensitivity to setting, architect Thomas Gouws, together with his wife and business partner, interior architect Sureen, have advanced Pretoria’s distinctive design heritage. They have created homes that not only suit the local climate and lifestyle but that have also grown conceptually from their environment. Their minimal aesthetic is given warmth and richness through a considered use of materials and textures and, oftentimes, a surprising pop of vibrant colour. Thomas is something of a sculptor of volumes, designing with a light touch and supreme attention to detail. Thomas and Sureen recently moved to Australia. “We’re taking a break from architecture and working on our new design brand TOO, a collection of artistic interior items, which we’ll be launching at Milan Design Week in April 2019,” he says. facebook.com/tgarchitects…

PERHAPS best known for her striking cowhide sculptures, Nandipha Mntambo credits South African sculptor Jane Alexander and French-American artist Louise Bourgeois as two of her artistic influencers. Much like Louise, Nandipha explores the contradictions in ideas around sexuality, gender binaries, and humanness contrasted with animality in her work. Whatever the medium, she combines seemingly incongruous concepts to mirror her shifting gaze. For Nandipha, 2018 was a year of letting go of relationships that didn’t work and habits that weren’t helpful to shift into a more positive space. She is busy building a studio – designed with architect Kate Otten – in the back garden of her Joburg home. “Moving from conceptualising on my own to working with architects has helped me to understand my practical needs as an artist. My…

WHETHER you call Gregor Jenkin an artist or a contemporary designer is of little consequence to the man whose furniture traverses the boundary between form and function with a wholly unique, often humorous point of view: Quaker chairs translated into stainless steel, enamel cups and bowls arranged on top of one another into lamp stands, and standing clocks that are almost anthropomorphic in their uncanny angular stances. “I’ve always considered myself a maker,” he says pragmatically. “The bottom line is, I make things from ideas that interest me.” As VISI was putting its first issue to bed 20 years ago, Gregor was at UCT studying architecture. This was followed by a stint in London doing shopfitting for Ralph Lauren, before Gregor established a small engineering company where he started making…

“IT’s been a long and winding road,” says Lisa Firer of the two decades she has worked with clay. “It is only relatively recently that I feel my style has really cohered into a recognisable body of work.” She likens the process of creating her functional artworks to sewing, and references textiles as a strong influence in her creative process. “I love textiles and have always drawn inspiration from them. Not simply the surface designs but also the process of sewing itself. “Our work [at Lisa Firer Design] is made of thin hand-rolled slabs of clay with patches, textures, seams and layering. You could say we sew our vessels.” Her porcelain tea-light holders, a much-loved part of Lisa’s repertoire for more than 18 years, will now become a standalone brand.…

“THE first time VISI featured my work was in 2011,” says Cape Town-based Laurie Wiid van Heerden. Since then, his studio, Wiid Design, has grown alongside Laurie‘s reputation from a young designer on his own to a nine-strong team. “I love what I do,” he says. “We now specialise in certain materials, such as cork, that push the boundaries of product design and development on an international level.” Laurie has a knack for creative collaboration and has a few standout collabs under his belt. His current focus is on strengthening existing relationships so Wiid Design can expand its product range and collaborate with creatives all over the world. “I see the future of design as positive, but we must continue to embrace our various cultures and skills to remain unique…

I had a VISI and then I started pouring Champagne #lettheweekendbegin #visimagazine #fridayfeels #summergoals #millennialpink – @we_are_dreamworld VISI! We could not be more proud to be a part of this beautiful issue and incredible magazine. #Design #Architecture #Interiors @zeanneandgoss – @zeanneduminy On our coffee table this month. I always look forward to a new issue of @visi_mag. One of my favourite & well curated local interior & design magazines. – @astoldbytiffany When your nails are on point with the new VISI magazine and new trendy colours monochrome with millennial pink #newmagazine #design #architecture – @anlimari Good morning @jessicamdleleni #safi #furnituremanufacturing #southafricandesign #furniture @sa_furniture_initiative VISI • slowliving – @allisonlou_ WIN WITH OBBLIGATO Courtesy of Obbligato, one lucky VISI reader will win one round planter with a mirror finish, worth R6 900. Manufactured using 304-grade…

FROM the moment that Paul Spambo, a South African doctor travelling in the UK at the time, fell in love with his future wife Viki, who was working as an ER nurse, their relationship has been a synthesis of different cultures. Viki wanted to get married in a castle, but instead of settling on a ballroom in Cheshire the couple held their wedding ceremony in a castle on Noetzie Beach and the reception at Zachary’s at Pezula Golf Estate in Knysna. The following year, Paul bought a plot of land at Pezula and they reached out to Guy Ailion of KSR Architects to design a house that was not only an aesthetic tribute to two cultures but also a space where they could meet, meld and grow together. “As a…

THIS is a story about a family who had to leave their farm Eden-dale in Zimbabwe to start a new life in South Africa. Behind them, maize fields, cattle, a farmstead and memories. Patriarch Fanie le Roux took the lead in the truck loaded with some equipment and matriarch Janette followed with their four children, Pierre, Juria, Robert and Fanie. Refusing to stay behind, farm foreman Fungai Nyakuramba waited by the side of the road with a small suitcase. Near the Lion and Elephant Motel in Fort Vic (now Masvingo), Fungai had to take refuge behind the piano and so entered his new homeland with quiet applause. Langverwagt was in the Le Rouxs’ future, two decades and a toiling distance away. Between the layers of history and the first Jean…

WHO WE ARE AMA Architects is a dynamic architectural firm that is committed to environmentally sustainable design. Our full-service offering is enhanced by D12 Interiors, which specialises in distinctive design in the commercial, residential and leisure fields. www.amagroup.co.za WE’RE KNOWN FOR… AMA has completed many notable architectural works, actively incorporating its skilled Building Information Modelling (BIM) experience, and has won SAPOA awards for Sustainable Design of Office Buildings and Urban Residential Projects. YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! The Lumière in Melrose Estate, Johannesburg, is a soulful experience embedded in an understanding of the culture of the City of Gold, formed of the urban materiality of concrete, steel and brick – a modern architectural signature building.…

WHO WE ARE Principal architect Joe van Rooyen strongly believes that each design must be relevant to a specific client, location and typology by ensuring that attention is paid to fluidity, comfort, quality, craftsmanship and innovative technologies. jvrarchitects.co.za WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT We strive to achieve balanced design in all our projects, and we’re known for our attention to detail. We focus on combining a modern approach with eco-friendly technology, and have extensive experience in upmarket residential architecture. It differs from other types of architecture in the sense that it is more intimate and involved for a client, particularly on a personal level where we engage and work with their dreams, aspirations and lifestyle – it is a great honour, but also a great responsibility. YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! Like this Pezula…

WHO WE ARE Under the leadership of Stefan Antoni, Philip Olmesdahl, Greg Truen, Phillippe Fouché and Mark Bullivant, SAOTA has established the studio as one of South Africa’s leading architectural firms and a dynamic player on the global stage. saota.com WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT With more than 30 years’ experience to capitalise on, SAOTA delivers boundary-pushing design, whether it’s residential, corporate, institutional or commercial. Backed by Tenebris Lab’s LUX Walker technology, clients can expect a fully immersive VR experience with the studio, from concept to completion. SAOTA’s inspired vision and work has seen the studio complete projects in more than 80 countries. YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! The design of the University of Cape Town’s New Engineering Building and adjacent Teaching and Learning Building delivered a modern facility in an…

“I really tried to make a space that felt both imagined in my rendering style and also habitable at the same time,” says Alexis Christodoulou of his approach to the image on VISI’s 100th cover. “It needed to be a meeting point of VISI’s vision and my interpretation of that.” His surreal digital renderings were first featured in VISI 96 in 2018, a year that proved to be a busy one for Alexis: He worked with online shopping giant YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP, Sunglass Hut, Belgotex, Stefania Mode, JW Anderson and MotherCityHardware, and he created some pieces for Architectural Digest and a rendering for the new Glossier flagship store in New York with Gachot Studios. This year is proving to be just as promising. It must be quite unreal when a…

What do you think the future holds for South African decor, design and architecture? As young creatives continue to immerse themselves in these industries, the potential for our unique ZA design aesthetic is limitless. The fusion of cultures and rich layers of character woven into spaces and pieces are the positives South Africa needs. I see this optimistic voice becoming louder on the global scene as more and more creatives take up the challenges of the business of design. You have worked in interior design, visual communications, magazines… How has your career evolved? By leaping at opportunities and saying, “Yes, I can do that,” even if I wasn’t completely sure I could; by collaborating with incredible designers, makers, artists and writers; and by not allowing myself to be defined by…

IN 1990, Des Armstrong headed to Mexico on holiday, a trip that would awaken in her a passion for colour and pattern. “I found myself so inspired by South American hand-made products that I simply had to bring them home,” she says. And, just like that, Hadeda was born. Des initially ran the business from her home in Hume Road, then she bought 151 Jan Smuts Avenue, and in June 2018 Hadeda settled at 40 Bompas Road, Dunkeld. The name Hadeda may be synonymous with hand-painted tiles, but Des only started importing these tiles from Central and South America four years ago. “I specialise in hand-crafted items that aren’t made here,” she says. “Mirrors, mainly from Peru and Mexico, are a big part of my business. In the past, South…

THE entrance of the Jumeirah Al Naseem Hotel in Dubai is flanked by large-scale Indigenus planters, and Sealand beach bags can be spotted beside sun loungers at the One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius. This is the work of Sean Weldon, who connects top local and global interior designers with with South African makers and manufacturers. Sean’s sourcing, procurement and export company Brandkonnect has kitted out hotels, cafés and offices around Africa and the Middle East with local gems. He’s helped create many a local icon, from Vida e Caffè to Cape Town Stadium. “People are looking for curated interiors with a local influence,” says Sean of his drive to furnish projects with pieces by design companies such as Wiid Design, willowlamp, Ashanti, Mungo and Douglas & Company. Brandkonnect is…

You know that blossom-filled die-cut issue of VISI that you keep in your collector’s pile? You can thank Peet Pienaar for that one. It was 2006, and as guest art director of issue 27, Peet developed something we had never seen before in magazines. “Sumien was open to me challenging all aspects, including cutting sections of the magazine into different shapes,” he recalls with fondness. Since designing that award-winning issue, Peet has gone on to publish his own magazines (Afro and Paris), design products (like sneakers and rugs), run creative agencies, own a concept store (Church in Cape Town) and co-create the pop-culture Toffie festivals. Although he now spends most of his time in Mexico, where he recently produced the visual language for Hacer Noche, an exhibition of Southern African…

“I WAS always curious about how a piece of material comes to be what it is. That and my first degree in architecture are what sparked my love for textile making,” says Sindiso Khumalo, who studied architecture at the University of Cape Town before moving to London and going on to do a master’s in Design for Textile Futures at Central St Martins College of Art and Design. Based in London, she continues to draw on her Zulu and Ndebele heritage for her textile designs, often striking watercolours she paints herself. Sindiso has a passion for empowering women. She works closely with a number of South African NGOs in developing handmade textiles for her collections. She’s also committed to following sustainable practices and using only natural fabrics like cotton and…

A LOT has happened over the past 20 years in the life and career of a young artist who, at the time VISI was launched in 1998, “was shoplifting British Vogue magazines in East London”. And the world is a better place for it. With shows at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris and Performa 17 in New York, and a major exhibition at WHATIFTHEWORLD, titled Queens in Exile, to name a few, Athi-Patra Ruga is one of the most respected enigmas in the South African art world. His work explores reinvention, creating communion through retrospective storytelling, and deconstructing the ways we find and create meaning. Through striking performances and visual art, Athi shape-shifts between different identities, adopting a myriad of make-believe realities that stitch the past together with an…

VISI featured Adam Hoets, owner and creative director of award-winning lighting company willowlamp, in 2005. “Off the back of that story willowlamp got its first serious order, so the article effectively helped to launch the brand,” says Adam. His design background – his father is respected potter Digby Hoets – and appreciation for travel, nature, sacred geometry and architecture have no doubt contributed to his creative point of view and attentiveness to authenticity and beauty. “When VISI was launched in 1998, I was doing my architect’s practical experience in London, after travelling around the world, and I ended that year working for Silvio Rech in the Okavango with Wilderness Safaris,” he says. The numerous lighting design awards, both locally and internationally, are testament to the impact of what he describes…

MARIA McCloy knows what drives culture. Something of a Jill of all trades, she’s been based in Joburg for 20 years, but lived over the course of her childhood in several African countries, including Nigeria and Sudan. These rich influences, as well as her own background and an appreciation of art (she holds her artworks by Kudzanai Chiurai and Sudanese paintings given to her by her parents as treasured possessions) have culminated in her having a solid grasp of the fashion, design and music industries. “My father’s roots are in England and my mother’s are in Lesotho. It influenced my love of African aesthetics, culture and people,” she says. As a publicist, shoe designer and owner of her eponymous brand, Maria has collaborated with local beaders and makers of traditional…

What were you doing in 1998, when VISI was launched? I was 11 years old and most likely painting in my room while eating ice lollies and listening to the Spice Girls. You sample text and visuals from the media in your artwork. What’s your relationship with it, especially print media? Ever since I can remember I have loved magazines. When I was a kid, I would cut out all of my mom’s tabloids and fashion mags, and make collages in my visual diary. I still love Vogue, Vanity Fair and more recently Apartamento. Then I’ve been going to the cinema almost every week since I was a teenager. I tend to replay songs and reread books quite obsessively. I also watch American daytime TV shows like The Wendy Williams…

LIEN Botha’s approach to the plant portraits she made for VISI presented a striking departure from conventional garden features. “With her unique sense of style, Sumien had the distinct vision of giving our flora iconic status in the magazine,” Lien recalls. Instead of the wide views and manicured landscapes standard at the time, vivid natural images of plants would spill across the pages, often set against a sheet of colour. So Lien and her assistant Ellora Ghosh set out for Kirstenbosch with a makeshift studio on a trolley, complete with large, bright Formica backdrops… “in the days before digital! That is how the first feature, about aloes, came into being. “Working on the series enforced my belief that Nature is the Only Guru, and made way for the language of…

WHEN Sian Eliot and Ari Geva established Mema Designs five years ago, using aluminium mesh as a design material was virtually unheard of. Yet, with the launch of Mema’s Ukhamba range, it was their deft manipulation of the fabric into intricate geometric pleats that made the local design industry take notice. “As a lighting design medium, it’s so perfect, because it reflects light while being utterly dynamic in a visual sense,” says Sian. “It looks different from every angle, reflects the colours in its environment and then suddenly looks transparent. It’s just magical!” In addition to being visually beguiling, Sian says aluminium mesh is also relatively rust-proof, doesn’t attract dust (it’s a conductive material), and is lightweight enough that it doesn’t require additional structural engineering when used in large-scale installations,…

THE quest to define ourselves is what differentiates human beings from other creatures. And it’s this question that drives Haldane Martin. Many of his most pivotal creations, like the Zulu Mama chair, were ways in which he sought to express a multicultural national identity in physical form for South Africans post-1994. “In the beginning, I was still designing without a computer. We would make full-size drawings of organically formed furniture pieces and hand-make mock-ups and prototypes with a jigsaw and an angle grinder.” By 1998, Haldane, who says he derives inspiration from his Scandinavian and South African heritage, found himself working with another iconic South African designer, John Vogel, on a variety of projects, including Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge. “My work explores the Scandinavian idea of democratic, humanist design in…

IT’S official: The boundaries separating work and play have blurred more than ever before. Technology enables more employees to connect remotely and businesses are coming to realise that an attractive, comfortable office environment can improve staff morale and wellbeing. (Which in turn means increased productivity and more profit.) The traditional fixed office desk has become almost redundant. The office furniture of tomorrow needs to address the diversity of today’s workplace, and should include co-working spaces for nomadic workers and areas that promote collaborative thinking. In other words, couches, double-seater booths, occasional chairs, height-adjustable desks, and moveable privacy screens. As one of the leading distributors, manufacturers and suppliers of contemporary office furniture and accessories, Cecil Nurse is adapting to – and informing – the office of the future. A diverse furniture…

MY BLENDER, MY PERSONAL CHEF VISI deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes “THE SKY IS THE LIMIT WHEN THERE’S A SMEG BLENDER IN YOUR KITCHEN ARSENAL.” LET THERE BE (STREET) LIGHT Architect Mokena Makeka “WELCOME TO MY MIND.” HYBRID DESIGN Designer-maker Joe Paine “THE WRAP BUREAU WAS DESIGNED TO OFFER A SMALL PERSONAL SPACE FOR WORKING ON A LAPTOP. The ceramic vessels can be used to hold plants, stationery or the severed heads of people who got up in your face while you were doing your tax returns.” TRAVEL IN STYLE The Fox Browne Creative team Chris Browne and Debra Fox “I LOVE COMPARTMENTS AND POCKETS, BUT THESE ARE ALL BLACK! I WOULD HAVE TO THINK COLOUR WHEN PACKING.” – DEBRA “Easy pull, smooth glide. A fast mover when one is late for the…

IN 1974, my father bought a plot of land on the Cape Flats, a sour-green puke of a scrub-land pockmarked with vygies. Now known as Gatesville, this gnarled and dusty outback abutted Rylands Estate. Gatesville was to be the next Indian-designated block. My father knew this long before, being in the business of buying and reselling houses in zones destined for reclassification. It was a profitable business, and he had no qualms about what he was doing. I recall standing before a long table at the Rotary Club, awed by the ease with which he sang the national anthem. What my father wanted was his own home, a home he could build from scratch, but with all his connections. As an Indian, the home he built would have to be…

FOR three years, Etienne Hanekom drove past a derelict 150-year-old cottage on his way to his grand old Victorian in Robertson, without noticing the nondescript ochre building. Then, one day, a friend told him that a small cottage near his house was for sale. Upon finally noticing it and entering it for the first time, Etienne instantly fell for both its dimensions and the price. “It was a forgettable, run-down, sad little house,” Etienne says. “A long, narrow house built of clay with four windows and a front door. Yet I walked in and knew I wanted it. The house had a certain atmosphere that I liked, a feeling that resonated with me.” There is always a house that winds its way into Etienne’s heart. These are his personal projects.…

LOCATED in Thornybush Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park, Kubili House sits atop the largest water reservoir in the reserve. You really don’t need to leave – game viewing from under the Mies van der Rohe-inspired pergola is unmatched. It is here that I made my dream of a second home in Africa come true for my family. Living in the materialism of New York City, one can often feel disconnected from humanity, and I didn’t want that for my children. I wanted to offer them a counterbalance to the gilded cage, to give them something I had growing up: a point of view that reminded them of what it is to be human, a connection with something real, wild and natural. As a family, we have…

WHO WE ARE Darryl Croome Architects’ 35 years’experience is complemented by a specialised residential and commercial design team of skilled technicians and interior designers, led by talented project architects. dcarch.co.za WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT We create buildings characterised by timeless simplicity, elegant design, a conscious approach to context and attention to detail. A keen understanding of the commercial aspects of property development allows us to provide a professional service to developers and private clients alike, tailored to their individual needs. We pride ourselves in creating living spaces that serve to maximise experience, quality of living and functionality, whilst always exceeding our client’s expectations. YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! Water’s Edge, Big Bay, a beachfront home that takes full advantage of the ocean views and indoor/outdoor flow; and Central Drive, Camps Bay, which sees its…

WHO WE ARE Nico van der Meulen Architects remains at the forefront of design by exploring new forms, pushing the boundaries and evolving with technology, without compromising on the authenticity of the design, aesthetics, materials and originality. nicovdmeulen.com WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT We excel at high-end architectural designs such as: • Contemporary residences • Additions and alterations • Commercial and boutique hotels • Clusters and multi-residential developments • Interior design YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS! We were fortunate enough to have worked on this extensive and quite creative renovation to Kloof Road house in Johannesburg. The client’s brief called for radical changes to an ageing house, prompting a response that is reminiscent of parasitic architecture, where forms merge and transform around junctions, into rooms and through spaces, emphasised and emboldened by…

WHO WE ARE Hood Napier Architects is owned and run by husband-and-wife team Nick Napier and Lara Hood. This award-winning practice has designed homes for prominent South African celebrities and properties as far afield as Mauritius and California. hoodnapierarchitects.com WHAT WE’RE GOOD AT We specialise in high-end residential design. Each project is site- and client-specific, as we strongly believe that context and the client’s individual dreams, needs and aspirations are fundamental to the design process. Design is a journey: Uncovering the existing and possible opportunities embedded in a site, and working within the available resources to push that design to its maximum potential, is an exciting ride. Architecture is a three-dimensional art form that must be experienced on a human scale, from within and without. YES, WE WERE THE ARCHITECTS!…

IN an industry that is notoriously fast and fickle, Marianne Fassler’s longevity is testament to her unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and her bold haute-couture sensibilities. New collections and an exciting project with Zeitz MOCAA prove there is no limit to her success. About your love of leopard print… Leopard print featured a lot more in my earlier work, but with time I realised it is also a universal perennial fashion theme: It’s never actually out of fashion. The print itself is very regal, timeless and exotic, just like our continent. You’re a frequent collaborator. How has this shaped your work? I believe creativity needs collaboration, and fashion should never exist in a vacuum. Fashion without a provenance or relevance is pretty one-dimensional and doesn’t interest me. Are there specific principles…

How has the business evolved? Cécile & Boyd turns 30 this year! We began designing in a traditional classic style informed by culture, and it has evolved into a contemporary, abstract style inspired by nature. What are you most proud of? Collaborating with my “design family” to evolve the perception of an African aesthetic. Who has had the greatest influence on you? Our founder, Cécile Tilley – about whom we are doing a book – taught us about hard work, the courage to be original, passion for what we do, and the healing power of beautiful spaces. What were you doing in 1998, when VISI was launched? We were gearing up to design the paradigm-shifting Singita Lebombo Lodge in the Greater Kruger National Park as a contemporary “hotel”/lodge, abstracting the…

“TWENTY years ago, I was trying desperately to sell artefacts I’d collected in the Zambezi Valley at the markets of Johannesburg and sitting on the side of William Nicol Drive,” reminisces Mark Valentine. “It’s been a long journey, from casually exploring the coolness and originality of Africa to our own African style and identity.” Along the way, Mark has had more adventures than he can count – including with VISI, specifically, deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes. “Being around Annemarie is always fun and entertaining. She once managed to fit a 10-foot carved Swazi crocodile into her Smart car!” Amatuli’s inventory is ever-evolving (they now also stock products made in-house), but the golden thread that runs through it all is that every hand-crafted object tells a story. At the moment, Mark is…

“TO me, design is a tool that should simplify, enhance and improve the quality of our lives,” says Hamzeh Alfarahneh, the designer behind T JUST A COMB, a series of one-of-a-kind plastic combs that he launched in 2017 and  Each of the four designs on six shoe styles, all hand-embellished by South African women artisans, embody a different concept associated with love. “With each design, I wanted to represent a theme that talks about the various types of love and how we can use the concept of love to build bridges and find our commonalities,” says Hamzeh. Love Rainbow features colourful patterns that represent love in its varying forms; and Pont des Arts et Tokyo is an ode to two of the world’s most romantic locations, the Pont des Arts…

“I WAS just playing with my kid,” says Faatimah Mohamed-Luke about how she discovered plastic building blocks as her artistic medium. Her pixelated “Afro-pop” artworks are fuelled by a love of pattern, symbols and bold colour, which she says draws on her African and Arabian roots. She has built a 2m-tall map of Africa and silhouette portraits of African heroines out of the tiny blocks. Her goal is to recreate the art form of tessellation in a modern way. It says a lot about Faatimah’s passion for making art accessible that one of her career highlights is transforming bus shelters around Johannesburg into public art installations, an activation she did with her husband, Al Luke, for Halls SA. “What I enjoy most about this medium is that it’s non-traditional,” she…

“WE were featured in the first issue of VISI as part of a fabulous article on contemporary design,” says Julia Day of Generation, a business that has stood the test of time in a constantly evolving design and decor landscape. “We started out 28 years ago, when our country had very limited access to international design. We were innovators in the industry, bringing new ideas and creativity into the country.” The original design and lifestyle ethos is still a key factor in what makes Generation a success. “We have a large store in Hyde Park Corner where the best international design can be found, as well as a team of passionate and talented interior designers,” says Julia. “I believe South African designers and architects will continue to grow and make…

ASTRID Van Der Heim has been in interiors “for what seems like forever”, she says. “Over the years I have been inspired by so many: architect James Brümmer; my daughter, Wanita Seekins; interior decorators David Hicks, Andrée Putman and Jean-Michel Frank; fashion icons Vivienne Westwood and Diana Vreeland...” Another inspiring woman in fashion is Vesselina Pentcheva, who entrusted Astrid with the renovation of her studio in Johannesburg to mark her label’s 10-year anniversary. VISI featured the results in 2010. “I am most proud of my reputation,” Astrid says. “I like to believe our success has been in creating lifestyle solutions, changing the way clients live happily ever after.” astrid@vanderheim.co.za FAST FACT FASHION EDITOR DIANA VREELAND IS CREDITED WITH COINING THE WORD “PIZZAZZ” WHILE WORKING AT VOGUE MAGAZINE.…

“We love a cover girl, honey!” jokes Thabisa Mjo, referring to the cover of VISI’s August/September 2018 issue, on which we featured her Potjie server. Building a scalable, sustainable business while remaining inspired and creative is not easy. “I’m still at it. At least once a week I want to throw in the towel, so I am proud that I’m persisting. It’s no walk in the park, I’ll tell you that,” Thabisa admits. But working for yourself has its perks, too. “Owning my time is one of the pleasures of being an entrepreneur. Time is a luxury.” In terms of the future of South African design, decor and architecture, Thabisa hopes to see more collaboration. “We don’t all see things the same way. Combining points of view inevitably leads to…

WE chatted to software-developer-turned-architect Mariam Kamara ahead of her talk at Design Indaba 2019 about how she believes design can make a difference. Why the move from computer science to architecture? Architecture was actually my original career choice, but I didn’t think it was reasonable to pursue a creative field. Computer science was simply a more sensible option. Even after many years as a software developer, I couldn’t shake the feeling that architecture was really my path. I finally took the leap when I came to view architecture as a conduit for positive contributions in the social, economic, cultural and often even political dimensions of a place. You designed the award-winning Hikma religious and secular complex in Dandaji, Niger, in collaboration with Yasaman Esmaili. What impact did you want to…

CERAMIC Matters’ relationship with VISI began in 2001 with a visit by deputy editor Annemarie Meintjies and photographer Dook to the studio on a farm near Lanseria Airport shortly after Gerhard Swart and Anthony Harris opened it. We caught up with them 18 years on in Wellington… How has Ceramic Matters evolved? Our initial product design was for advertising agencies, corporate trophies and gifts, and has evolved into installations working with local and international designers such as Stephen Falcke, Vicente Wolf in New York and, more recently, Studio Ashby in London. We continue to work on great design projects, both corporate and domestic. What have been some of the biggest influences on your work? Having had the opportunity to make work for Liberty in London, The Conran Shop and so…

“GOOD architecture happens where the site and brief are in unison, resulting in a positive response, so that architecture becomes art,” say Gardiol and Johan Bergenthuin of the award-winning firm Bergenthuin Architects. This isn’t merely a good soundbite. Looking, for example, at the two modernist residences that Johan designed in the Cradle of Humankind – all slate, glass and corrugated iron – you’d notice how the structures subtly acknowledge their palaeontological surrounds while simultaneously blending into them. “We are deeply rooted in the modernist era,” says Johan. “The discipline of modernism allows us freedom in design without the risk of submitting to fashionable jargon.” Asked how the industry has evolved since they started out in the ’80s, Gardiol says the age of the internet has revolutionised South African architecture. “We’ve…

IF design is a language, John Vogel is fluent in the carpentry dialect. Alternately spoken through the sometimes minimalist, sometimes organic lines of his furniture, and the polished dimensions of his sculptural wall mounts, it’s a dialect that can be both expressive and quietly considered. “My design aesthetic is sort of split in two,” says John. “On one hand, it’s moving toward products that are very simple in their resolution. On the other, the work that I do for the likes of Southern Guild is more of a personal exploration and an attempt to find expression in things unseen or that have not yet come into being.” John explores this ever-evolving aesthetic through American walnut. “It’s sourced from generally well-managed and sustainable American forests,” he says. “It is very workable…

IT was the early noughties when Adriaan Hugo and Katy Taplin’s paths crossed as students and eventually intertwined as husband and wife and partners in their multidisciplinary product design business. Their forward-thinking furniture, lighting and interior solutions have put them on the map, and their passion to create and collaborate continues to propel their imprint on the design world. “We opened our tiny shop at 44 Stanley in 2007, and VISI was the first magazine to feature us,” says Katy of their feature with fellow designer Joe Paine in VISI 35. They’ve certainly come a long way since 1998 – the year VISI was launched and the year Adriaan admits to discovering his love for making things, wearing chokers and playing djembe drums, and Katy was customising printed T-shirts for…

“ELEGANT sophistication and gender study-inspired threads, Thebe Magugu’s designs explore arresting contrasts.” That’s how we described the Joburg-based designer’s STYLEBYSA collection at SAFW 2018, only his second time presenting a collection at the local fashion week. We aren’t the only ones to notice his feminine silhouettes, playful textures and immaculate details: In addition to the collaboration with Woolworths, Thebe has been featured by Vogue Italia and continues to gain commercial success. His designs are part of the Zeitz MOCAA exhibition 21 Years: Making Histories with South African Fashion Week (2018-2019). How did your love for fashion design come about? I am blessed to have known from a young age that I would work in fashion, reinforced by my mother’s incredible sense of style and ideas around beauty. Describe your journey…

“ I AM a dreamer. I enjoy coming up with ideas and starting them, but I haven’t always been good at finishing them. So, for me having a collective of people to collaborate and work with is really important. “All of the women in my life have been highly influential in my development. As a child, I was always surrounded by smart, brave, inspiring women. “I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world. Through my travels, I’ve seen beautiful places and things, met amazing people, and learnt a lot about myself and the world. Travel has had a major influence on how I choose to live and what I do. “To me, luxury is having the time and the ability to do what I love for a living.” theninevites.net…