Table of contents for VISI 102 in Visi

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Sumien Brink Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes Art Director Crispian Brown Managing Editor Samantha Charles Features Editor Amelia Brown Online Editor Lindi Brownell Meiring Content Producer Michaela Stehr Copy Editor Kay-Ann van Rooyen ADVERTISING & MARKETING Freelance Sales Executive Diane Lubbe 083 391 1651 Freelance Sales Executive Eva Cookson 076 662 0785 Key Account Manager Elna Coetzer (Cape Town) 021 417 5151 / 082 971 9715 Key Account Manager Hannelie Stemmet (Cape Town) 021 417 1111 / 083 448 2074 PUBLISHING Group Account Director Jeanine Boshoff Editor-in-Chief: Owned Titles Adelle Horler Production Manager Shirley Quinlan MANAGEMENT Managing director Aileen Lamb Commercial director Maria Tiganis Brand strategy director Andrew Nunneley Chief financial officer Venette Malone Head of HR Camillah West CEO: Media24 Ishmet Davidson…

About seven years ago, when my wife and I were expecting our first child, my in-laws suggested to us that we move into their house. We decided to turn some of the additions into a garden cottage, which they now live in, and we moved into the main house. They had mentioned before that they thought the house had once belonged to an architect, but, despite a large chunk of my job being to write about houses and architecture, I’d not really paid attention. When we began planning the alteration and got the plans, it turned out they had been right. The house had been designed by an architect by the name of Hans J Schirmacher in 1965. It was a clever, exuberant design – at its heart a low-slung…

A symbol of love and adulation that emerged from grief and heartache as he laid his beloved to rest. The story of two lovers, an emperor and empress, and his wish to preserve her legacy in one of the most exquisite architectural structures in the world. This is the story of the Taj Mahal. Seeing it was a significant moment in time for me. The trip to India was my first voyage beyond the shores of the Cape of Good Hope. After a brief stopover in Dubai, my flight continued to Mumbai and then to New Delhi. In the wee hours of the morning, while still dark outside, I found myself at the railway station waiting to travel to Agra, where this iconic mausoleum complex can be found. Nothing prepares…

“EVEN IF YOU DON’T STAY THE NIGHT, POP IN FOR THE COFFEE, THE PASTRIES, A MEAL, DESSERT, AN HOUR AT THIS OASIS.” WHITE, WHITE EVERYWHERE. WALKING INTO ONE OF THE FIVE EN-SUITE ROOMS IS LIKE STEPPING INTO A FELLINI MOVIE.…

His love of “basic geometry” informed the novel design, says Michael Anastassiades about the convention-bending Beosound Edge speaker he designed for Bang & Olufsen. The coin-like speaker can be rolled on its base a few degrees to either side to control the volume. Why did you to take on the B&O project? It made perfect sense. They’re about quality, material craftsmanship and excellence in sound. Those are qualities that speak to my own views on design. How did the coin shape inform the speaker’s design? I just loved its simple form and the fact that you can roll the coin back and forth. I wanted it to look abstract and non-technological – you can’t see a power cord or buttons. I like that ambiguity. Tell us about your design philosophy?…

Metallic finishes remain popular in interior design, but for an industrial feel or a weathered look, the tarnished patterns and patinas of aged metal lead the way. WOMAG’s new range of porcelain tiles that look like oxidised metal comes in a variety of textures, colour gradations and effects. Some feature thin veins and others mimic weathered steel, and they have a slightly glittery finish. Available in a non-slip and matte finish, these tiles can be used on floors and walls in any room. Create a feature wall or a statement splashback, or go all out and tile a whole room. womag.co.za PRICE CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRINT FAST FACT DIGITAL INKJET PRINTING HAS MOSTLY SUPERSEDED SCREENPRINTING IN HIGH-END PORCELAIN TILE MANUFACTURING.…

Masterminded by Sandalene Dale-Roberts, The Inside Job took just under two years to compile. She worked with Berlin-based design and photography duo Janine Egger and Leopoldine Liechtenstein on the book, which is divided into restaurant chapters: The Test Kitchen, The Pot Luck Club and The Shortmarket Club. The linen-bound hardback book features illustrations of smiling staff by Lawrence Moorcroft. Inside are a selection of recipes and cocktails from the LDR & Co establishments, many handwritten so you feel as if you’re being slipped something straight from the kitchen. The criteria for inclusion? “Doable,” says Sandalene. Each chapter is layered with portraits and photo essays; collages, illustration and hand-written notes; anecdotes, quotations and foldouts; and intimate stories of the staff’s passions and pursuits beyond the kitchen. Woven throughout is a day-in-the-life…

We received a record number of pics sharing VISI’s 100th collector’s edition Enjoying the latest issue just as much? We’d love to see your snaps on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Remember to tag us so we don’t miss it! :-) Get to stay in bed with this beaut and see all these amazing people aaaand eyeopening design! Yay for rainy research days! – @amypig Fresh Off The Press: VISI magazine’s 100th edition! Such a beautiful cover! – Theodore Absolon I opened my front door this morning to this beautiful view! My first hand-delivered VISI, and it’s their iconic 100th edition! O happy day! @visi_mag @magsathome #visimagazine #design #architecture #inspiration #proudlysouthafrican – @lisamcgrgr The Accidental Tourist. VISI’s 100th issue unexpectedly lands up in this traveller’s hand luggage (adding about 10 kg…

It sat at the edge of a forest, a squat, ordinary house made beautiful by love. Behind the house, just beyond the chicken coop and the vegetable garden, a thick carpet of pine needles nudged the fence, an introduction of sorts to the forest itself. Step into the forest, and sound softens and elongates, like toffee, until you get to an area of white sand and absolute silence. I thought it was the centre of the world. Maybe it was. On hot summer days we would burrow into the sand, enjoying the coolness against our skins. The house wasn’t built in any particular style. It was just bricks and mortar, a roof, windows, doors. It started out as a one-roomed structure. Through the years, as the family grew, they added…

The story of Gorgeous George is one of connection. There’s the literal connection of architecture and eras: two historical buildings, one Art Deco, the other New Edwardian, on one of Cape Town’s oldest streets, St George’s Mall, rather haphazardly connected to each other some time in the ’50s or ’60s. There is its recent renovation, which, while preserving the building’s character, has also integrated its two parts and connected them to the present with steel and concrete and contemporary design. And there’s the hotel itself, a place that invites connection with the city centre and with one another. “Hotels for me have always been magical places,” says owner Tobias Alter. “Restaurants in hotels are different from freestanding ones. There’s constant life going on in those rooms; there are stories happening…

Emma Shortt, the founder of The South African Sheepskin Company, was looking for a way to create an unshorn-sheepskin product that could be used in winter and summer, which is how a new range of reversible outdoor chair covers came about. Thanks to the wool trapping pockets of air that act as a thermal barrier, sheepskin keeps you warm in the winter months and cool in the summer months. The unshorn Merino sheepskins, which Emma selects by hand, are a by-product of the meat industry. They make great rugs, throws, play mats for babies and bedding for pets, which can be washed in the washing machine. But her new reversible range is even more versatile, and is perfect for patio decor. Last year, at 100% Design South Africa, where one…

Four years ago, Moooi first introduced a collection of high-quality carpets to the decor world. Today, its growing range features relatively new technology that creates photo-realistic prints. The 2019 catalogue, “Discover a World of Opportunities”, showcases signature collections and the endless possibilities they present. Create custom designs with unlimited colour schemes as an entirely original solution for any setting. The printed carpets are available in three versions: wool, polyamide with low pile, and polyamide with high pile. The Extinct Animals Collection celebrates the imaginative textures, colours and shapes of various extinct species, such as the quagga, the armoured boar, the bearded leopard and the Japanese macaque (pictured). The motifs surprise and convey a spirit of risk and adventure. In February this year, Moooi Carpets launched The Nordic Collection, created by…

Through collage, printmaking and video, Sitaara Stodel’s experimental solo exhibition for SMITH gallery at Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2019 reflected her experience of domestic spaces and the role of movement and settledness, not only in the exhibition itself but also in the broader context of South Africa’s past. When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? I realised I wanted to do something with art when I got a desk job after matriculating, so I applied to UCT’s Michaelis School of Fine Art. I hadn’t thought beyond university, just that I would need to get a job to pay the rent. Art-making seemed like an expense I couldn’t afford, but I was fortunate to be awarded the Tierney Fellowship. What has been a highlight of your…

For a century, household brand KitchenAid has been inspiring creation, experimentation and creativity in the heart of the home. Igniting culinary passion and being at the forefront of impeccable kitchen-tool design have been two key drivers for the brand. Its stylish appliances have always set the trend while delivering on quality. “Innovative, colourful, ground-breaking products have helped to grow KitchenAid into the most recognised appliance brand in the world,” said Dr Susanne Reuther, director at KitchenAid Africa, at a celebration of this 100-year milestone. “Not only is KitchenAid the world’s number-one mixer brand, but it has also been at the heart of family get-togethers for decades and been passed down from generation to generation. We look forward to making memories for generations to come.” kitchenaidafrica.com To stand a chance to…

GREG COX, PHOTOGRAPHER What is your favourite space at home in winter? My couch, with a good movie and a glass of red wine. Which city in the world would you most like to visit in winter? Norway. I’d love to snow-shoe through the icy forests and sleep under a dome, observing the Aurora Borealis. Red wine or hot chocolate? Definitely a good Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Greg photographed the recently opened Newmark hotel Stock Exchange in Woodstock. MELISSA WENTZEL, FREELANCE WRITER What is your favourite space at home in winter? My bed! I need everything to be covered in blankets when it’s cold. My bedroom also gets a beautiful view of the sun setting next to Table Mountain – so it’s my favourite place for every season. Which…

GET ROUND MIRRORS CUT TO SIZE, AND USE THEM EITHER UNFRAMED IN GROUPS OR FRAME A SINGLE ONE EXQUISITELY.FRAMED SET OF THREE MIRRORS, MR PRICE HOME, R159. LARGE ROUND MIRRORS ARE AVAILABLE AT HOMEWARE SHOPS AND ONLINE. MAKE SURE THE BACKING AND THE FRAME ARE SOLID.METAL-FRAMED 72 CM ROUND MIRROR, MR PRICE HOME, R799. CHECK THAT EVERY HAIR IS IN PLACE WITH AN ELEGANT VANITY MIRROR.VANITY MIRROR WITH A STAINLESS-STEEL STAND, DIS-CHEM, R199,99. A BATHROOM MIRROR WITH A DEEP FRAME DOUBLES AS SHELF SPACE FOR COSMETICS.SQUARE BATHROOM MIRROR WITH A DEEP FRAME, MR PRICE HOME, R199. A NOMAD NEEDS A CELLPHONE-SIZE MIRROR.SMALL MIRROR FRAMED IN SOLID BRASS, H&M, R149. FINDS PICK OF THE BUNCH…

I grew up with the legend of how my parents found our house. The story went that they were buying a cabinet at a second-hand shop when they heard that the former owners of the cabinet were selling their house in Melville. They saw the house and “it had good vibes”, so they immediately bought it for the princely sum of R10 000. It was 1971. My parents lived in that house until they died, in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The cabinet became my children’s toy cupboard, before it finally, literally, collapsed. The house sat on a corner – one of the doyennes of Melville. Built in 1910, it was “one of the original houses”. But, if you live in an older house, you will know that a number of…

The word “collector” can sometimes call to mind an oddball obsessively sourcing and hoarding bits and bobs, treasure only they fully appreciate. For Fergus Armstrong, stylist, creative and perennial insider to the local design scene, editing has become a skill and career, and the distinction between eccentric magpie and seasoned curator is clear. Fergus, who works for La Grange Interiors, has a CV that lists a host of premium design brands. He was the decor editor at Style magazine, and has been a stylist for countless others. His obvious knack for merchandising and arranging things to display both the space and its contents optimally is obvious in his home. The two-bedroom loft is in a new residential development, The Exchange, an exciting mix of urban regeneration and historic landmark in…

“THIS APARTMENT COULD HAVE EASILY FELT A BIT LIKE A MUSEUM WITH ALL THE ANTIQUES, BUT IT DOESN’T.” When it comes to spotting potential, architect Jürgen Kieslich and interior designer Etienne Hanekom are blessed with 20/20 vision. Take their latest collaborative project. While Jürgen was looking for an apartment in Cape Town for his retired parents, Hans and Wendy, his estate agent on a whim showed him a property she hadn’t been able to sell: a stark concrete utility and service space inside Green Point’s hotel-turned-residential-complex the Cape Royale. The double-volume 550m2 space had no floors or ceilings, electricity or plumbing. A concrete slab and pillars divided one side of the cavernous space into two floors, but that was it. “It looked a bit like a parking garage really,” jokes Etienne, who…

Milan Design Week really is the pinnacle of the design calendar. Each year, designers and tastemakers from all over the world descend on the Italian city to find out about the latest trends, exciting innovations and groundbreaking technologies. I was fortunate to not only experience Design Week 2019 but also showcase my work together with other young South African designers. My favourite part of the experience was being in an environment where art and design are so highly appreciated and valued. The city is super cosmopolitan, a little gritty and a whole lot of stylish. If given the opportunity to attend Milan Design Week, anyone with a sense of curiosity about art and design or just about life in general should grab it. “IF YOU EVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO…

The superbly-crafted Distrikt platform bed will lend your bedroom setting an ultra-contemporary industrial edge. Created by Vietnamese furniture design studio District Eight, the bed is inspired by Shaker furniture. It features a dowel headboard, platform and incorporated side tables in solid oak; and steel legs with beautifully detailed brass levelling glides. The Distrikt bed and other pieces by District Eight are available in South Africa, exclusively at La Grange Interiors. lagrangeinteriors.co.za Extra-length king-size Distrikt bed, mattress excluded, R33 900.…

Ebert Otto is a man of many trades. First, he put his BCom Entrepreneurship degree to use by starting a hazardous-waste-management business, then he obtained a diploma in motor mechanics, and then he became an industrial engineer. Late one night, while juggling his business, his fifth child on the way and completing his engineering degree, Ebert needed coffee – but the power was out. “While waiting 12 minutes for the kettle to boil on the gas hob – an electric kettle takes 4 minutes – I decided to see if I could at least improve the boiling time.” Thanks to the support of Innovus, a company responsible for entrepreneurial support and innovation at Stellenbosch University, and the Technology Innovation Agency, Ebert spent the next four years working on a prototype…

Lesego Maloka’s vibrant textile brand began as an experiment when she covered a notebook with fabric. In 2016, she started her textile design studio, doing digital printing on fabric, before pursuing jacquard weaving. Since then, Pone Creatives has grown into a home furnishing manufacturing business with a workforce of 300 weavers, planners and finishers based at a mill in Cape Town. “I’ve always loved vibrant, cheerful colours,” says Lesego about her signature style. “Most of the stories we tell through our work resonate with identity, which we design and illustrate into a textile pattern. Our latest range, called Boikgantsho, expresses my childhood.” Boikgantsho means “to be proud” in Setswana. Lesego was raised in a home surrounded by patterns, colours and textures. Her late grandmother, who was a knitter and seamstress,…

The annual Design Foundation Awards recognise the industry’s top achievers in design, manufacture, commercial success and innovation. Each of the seven categories is sponsored by a supporter of local talent, and this year VISI was the proud sponsor of the Manufacture Award, which went to Hotwired Design. Responsible for bringing countless designs from concept to life, manufacturers are often the unsung heroes. The Design Foundation commended Hotwired Design, under the direction of Gareth McArthur, for the team’s technical proficiency and willingness to help local artists and designers give three-dimensional form to their creative ideas. Artists Atang Tshikare and Stanislaw Trzebinski have created pieces with the help of Hotwired Design. “We assist by supplying the internal structure,” says Gareth, who studied Industrial Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. “The…

In 1989, Carrol Boyes took the plunge and left her job as an English teacher to pursue her true passion. She developed sculpted forms to create pewter-handled cutlery, which she sold at the Greenmarket Square flea market in Cape Town. After three years, Carrol was producing and selling about 70 000 items per year, no mean feat for a beginner in the game. She then moved to Limpopo and, with the help of her brother Charles, expanded her team to increase production. At the same time she began to introduce ceramics, textiles, wood, leather and glass to the growing range. What started as a passion project without a business plan is now a widely recognised brand. There are 22 wholly owned stand-alone shops and three franchise shops in South Africa,…

As consumers are becoming more health- and environmentally conscious, more wineries are responding to the demand for wines that are sustainably, ethically and organically produced. Farming organically means not using any chemically synthesised products in the vineyards to fertilise the soil or to control weeds, fungi and insects. Sixteen South African wine farms have been certified organic, and that number is likely to rise as the demand for organic wines increases. Based on principles first proposed by Austrian philosopher Dr Rudolf Steiner in the 19th century, biodynamic farming involves not only organic methods but also practices like following a calendar that tracks the lunar cycle and the position of the constellations. These farmers strive to create a holistic living system on their land. There is also a rising demand for…

HOUSES: EXTRAORDINARY LIVING Phaidon, about R1 040 Featuring 400 architect-designed houses built in the past 200 years, this book celebrates the house in all its innovative forms, styles and locations. Each house is illustrated by one beautiful photograph accompanied by a description, and they’re organised in curated pairings. Renowned architects such as Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe and Tadao Ando are represented, as well as lesser-known and emerging talents. The houses range from the more conventional, like a majestic Italian villa by Andrea Palladio, to the weird and wonderful, like the Bubble Palace in France by Antti Lovag, who wanted to build a home that mimicked humanity’s earliest dwellings in caves; Villa Ottolenghi with its heavy walls and irregular openings by Carlo Scarpa; and the earth-house-style Malator House in Wales by…