Category Archives: Organic Design
Skinny laMinx And Her “Flower Dreams”
“The days just zap past a person”… that’s how I feel right now. I thought it was yesterday that Marica and I attended the launch of Heather Moore’s new range of Skinny LaMinx fabrics. Instead, it was on Wednesday last…
Heather Moore and her Skinny LaMinx brand is no stranger to most folk in the décor world. In fact, it was all of three years ago that we coincidentally came across Skinny LaMinx on the internet. For the past 12 – 18 months, I have followed her on the internet via her blog, Facebook, Twitter and the like. You guessed it, I am a huge fan of Skinny LaMinx and when the invite came to attend her first ‘range’ of fabrics, there was none more thrilled than me. I have such admiration for Heather not only as a design creative, but also as a business person. I have watched how she has grown her business, both locally and internationally. She has been featured by well known international bloggers such as Kate of Design*Sponge and Holly of Decor8. I am sure there are plenty others, but these I know of as I follow their blogs.
Heather’s blog posts are such relaxed reads giving you a glimpse into her life. I am often left with the impression that illustration just comes so naturally to her. Putting fabric /surface designs out there seems to be effortless – such a talented person she is.
To show you how active she is… in 2011 she undertook a trip to the USA, where she participated in collaborative events with a American creative; she has an Etsy shop, she has just recently opened her own retail outlet here in Cape Town, she comes up with new designs… Yes very active creative / business person. Plus, although I have only spent a few minutes with her physically, the internet interaction that I have had with her leaves me in no doubt that she is a lovely person.
Heather – thank you for making us Proudly South African.
But hey… Here more about the launch party and the new range of Skinny fabrics:
The floral-inspired range entitled ‘Flower Dreams‘ is Skinny’s first official fabric collection. The playful yet elegant designs, reminiscent of clean-cut Scandinavian design, also contains a smack of retro. The Space for Life showroom was therefore an excellent launch venue as they import gorgeous and well-made mid-century furniture and other retro treasures from Scandinavia. One or two vintage furniture pieces were upholstered in some of Skinny’s new range – a beautiful and complementary combination. Heather, with a little help from The Silk & Cotton Company, also illustrated how easy it is to develop and change certain moods by mixing and layering Skinny laMinx fabrics with some Silk & Cotton basics.
The new range features a gorgeous almost-edible spring palette of plum, lemon and humbug including a delicious feminine milkshake pink – a colour Heather said she never identified with before now. The Flower Dreams fabric collection is made up of three new designs and a reissue of her popular Orla print.
The striking ‘Flower Fields’ design started as a paper cutout of a flower inspired by a Dutch vintage fabric. This fun design is the first two-colour print to be produced by Skinny laMinx, and is available in three colourways. There is almost something anime-like about this beautiful funky fabric.
‘Wild Flowers’ is a design that is a little bit mad, very playful, and certainly a strong design around which to build a look. The design started out as a custom wallpaper for her studio bathroom but Heather soon realised that it had great fabric pattern potential. Although it is a two-colour print, it reads as three colours, as the base cloth is used as one of the ‘colours’.
The third design called ‘Pincushion’, features a very Proudly South African pincushion protea. The sweet print makes a great South African-flavoured print coordinate for this collection.
Lastly, Heather rehashed the Orla print – a design she affectionately describes as “a bit of a fancy stripe.” For the new range the Orla design was converted into an inverted print aptly named ‘Solid Orla‘ – available of course in the new spring colour range.
To see all the designs in the new range as well as the existing Skinny laMinx fabrics and product, check out the website: here. If you are in the Cape Town area, you can pop into the Skinny laMinx shop in Bree Street (nr 201) or otherwise purchase her GORGEOUS product and fabrics online via Etsy: here.
Images & info via Skinny laMinxLike this:
The Rare African Leprechaun
St. Patrick’s Day had us thinking – if the lucky Irish Leprechaun had an African cousin he would probably look like this…
Rose and I spotted this intricate green beaded suit at Design Indaba and we thought St. Pat’s would be the perfect time to share it with you.
But all jokes aside – this crafted masterpiece has an excellent story behind it. It’s handmade by over 40 women from several communities in the Valley of 1000 Hills region, and made up of over 400 individual patches of bead work. The suit was designed by international award-winning fashion designer, Terrence Bray, for Woza Moya an income-generating project of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust. The project spanned eight weeks from conception to completion and was designed as a “go green” initiative. It also provided an income for the 40-odd women who worked on it.
The suit consists of a suit jacket, pants, a top hat and an isagila (a traditional Zulu walking stick). Believed to be the first of its kind in the world, it will hopefully provoke discussion around environmental issues. Words and phrases related to green issues are featured on the suit.
“The Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust assists men and women infected and affected by HIV/Aids, as well as families in need of an income. They support over 300 crafters with sustainable employment and provides training and a market for beautiful, handmade, contemporary crafts. Woza Moya is known for its beautiful beaded jewellery, which is sold around the world. It also produces a range of wirework, fabric-painted mats, conference bags, crochet and ceramic items. Woza Moya is the home of the Little Traveller, which is a tiny beaded doll that travels the world spreading a message of love and hope. By making Little Travellers, families have been fed, lights have been switched on, children have gone to school, water has poured out of taps and, most importantly, hope has been restored.” - www.designindaba.com
If you can recall, Woza Moya is also responsible for last year’s Most Beautiful Object in South Africa winner, The Dreams for Africa Chair, which symbolises hope and the importance of dreams, whilst also raising HIV/Aids awareness. On display at this year’s Design Indaba, the chair usually travels around South Africa and abroad.
A happy St. Paddy’s Day to you all!
Love, Rose and Marica x x
Images and info via Design Indaba & The Hillcrest AIDS Centre TrustLike this:
Most Beautiful Object In SA 2012 Finalists
By Marica
So, while Rose is off attending the first day of the Design Indaba conference (she just phoned saying that the conference is, in one word, “AWESOME” ), I thought to share the finalists of the 2012 MBOISA award with you.
Nominated for the Design Indaba Expo’s 2012 Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA for short) award, Design Indaba unveiled the 10 most beautiful and beguiling designs made over the past year earlier this month. Find the finalists below as listed on the Design Indaba website…
“Every year, the country engages with the question of what constitutes beauty through the MBOISA award. While some may consider beauty an aspect of taste and others know it on sight, beauty becomes far more profound than a visual sensation when design attributes such as social significance, economic impact, usability, sustainability and even humour are thrown into the mix.” - designindaba.com
The Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa for 2012 are:
“The //hapo Museum (or just “//hapo“), which takes its name from the San word for “dream”, forms the primary entrance to Freedom Park in Pretoria. The concept evolved into the creation of large boulder-like volumes that contain the interior storytelling spaces. The boulders are planted at the base of the Salvokop hill like a rock outcrop. The copper-clad walls and roof will eventually rust to green and merge with the natural landscape. The interior spaces of the museum are designed with a cave-like quality, with natural light dramatising the large volumes and ‘outcrop’ forms of the buildings. Designed by Office of Collaborative Architects – GAPP Architects + Urban Designers, Mashabane Rose Associates and MMA Architects.”
2. Bird Neckpiece by Eric Loubser
“Johannesburg-based jeweller Eric Loubser’s design conveys the idea of a flock of birds around the neck, as if they are actually carrying the necklace and hovering around the wearer. It is inspired by a Victorian aesthetic, and made out of 9ct gold, silver, rose quartz, haematite and rubies. It is as light as air but also substantial; pretty and feminine but with a dark edge; precisely engineered with a messy, thrown-together look.”
3. Consol Solar Jar by Ockert van Heerden and John Bexley
“Housed in a one-litre Consol Classic preserve jar, which provides a practical and attractive casing, this alternative light source is literally bottled sunshine. Solar-powered LED lights are powered by sunlight, which is harnessed through a solar panel fitted on the lid. The Consol Solar Jar received the Special Recognition Award at the 2011 Institute of Packaging SA Gold Pack Awards. Although not strictly packaging, the judges decided that this clever use of a packaging material deserved an accolade.”
4. Frail Flower Paper Sculpture by Rebecca Jones
“Artist Rebecca Jones’s work reflects the precariousness of the world. She uses paper because it is an everyday medium that, though fragile, lasts indefinitely. The plants she depicts are not true botanical specimens but her work is so intricately constructed that each sculpture seems alive. The shadows thrown by the plants extend and emphasise their linear quality.”
5. Fish-Scale Dress by Suzaan Heyns
“This dress is an extension of Suzaan Heyns’ Autumn/Winter 2012 show, “True Colours”, which reflects on the dichotomy of human nature and who we really are when no one is looking. Our double-sided nature is symbolised by the different materials in the dress. The fragile nude netting reflects our natural vulnerability. It is juxtaposed with the repetitive pattern of hand-cut metallic leather scales representing the self-important parts of ourselves – our more cold-blooded, reptilian nature.”
6. Curious Couch by Margaret Woermann (Heartworks) and Peta Becker (Projekt)
“Margaret Woermann and Peta Becker have transformed an old ball-and-claw couch into a functional work of art literally bursting at the seams with life and creativity. The couch is the product of a new collaborative project between Woermann and Becker called The Curious Room, an experimental design lab where the pair focus on one-off pieces. The Curious Couch has been worked on by more than 25 people who designed, recaned, embroidered, crocheted and upholstered it. A reaction to standardised mass-produced design, the couch was inspired by the idea of metamorphosis.”
7. Ridge Forrester Hanging Planters by Joe Paine
“This amusingly named planter was born from the designer’s observation that television directors use plants as a key device in soap operas. “Through the bougainvillea and amaryllis we are privy to the most sordid capitalist lives,” says Joe Paine. The planter, manufactured from bent tube and handmade mild steel spinnings, reflects the bold jaw line of Ridge Forrester from the American soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful.”
8. “A Travel Journal, Volume 1 and 2″ by Mornè Visagie
“This hand-stitched lithograph on paper was part of a body of work for Mornè Visagie’s exhibition at the 2011 UCT Michaelis Graduate Art Show, which took Robben Island as a site of personal, social and aesthetic exploration. Visagie spent the first five years of his life – from 1990, when his father was posted to the island by the Department of Correctional Services, to 1995 – living among its small community of mostly prison employees. This piece distills the hues of the scrub-filled landscape and its surrounding sea into a slowly changing spectrum of pure colour.”
9. Lily Pad Ring by Kirsten Goss
“The Lily Pad Ring exemplifies Kirsten Goss’s contemporary design style, combining intriguing organic lines with a playful edge. Goss returned to South Africa after launching her eponymous design label in London in 2002. A qualified jewellery designer and Stellenbosch University alumni, she has a passion for experimenting with metal-smithing techniques, stone cutting and inspirational combinations of the two. All her pieces are handmade.”
10. PASTE mural by Linsey Levendall
“This mural appeared as part of PASTE, a street art exhibition curated by Shani Judes that took art out of the gallery space and into the streets of both city and township. Linsey Levendall was one of 15 local artists selected to design, illustrate or photograph work around the theme of Khayelitsha culture. The work was turned into a large-scale print that was pasted in Khayelitsha and the inner city of Cape Town.”
All of the MBOISA finalists will be on display at the Design Indaba Expo, open to the public from Friday 2 March to Sunday 4 March at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The award will be determined by public vote via SMS or online vote, and the result will be announced on Sunday afternoon in the DStv Events Arena.
SMS the word “MBOISA” and the number of your entry, followed by your name and contact number to 43431 (SMSs cost R2)
or
Vote on the DESIGN INDABA website: HERE
All MBOISA images and info sourced via the Design Indaba website: here
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Decor Diva: Colour Your World
I am totally fascinated by colour. Try as I may, I could never imagine living in a world that has no colour in it – even if it black or white, it is still colour.
1
Everything we can see has a colour, everything you feel has colour, everywhere you go involves colour. Around us, in our homes, at work, in nature, in space – it is universal. Colour is as natural to our everyday life as breathing is to our bodies.
2
As I sat down to write this post, I decided that maybe I should pop onto the net to take a deeper look into colour – see if there is actually a definition for the word “colour” – perhaps gain an historical perspective of it. My thoughts were somewhere along the lines of: “I so take the world of colour for granted, but when was it first named “colour”.
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Little did I realise that I was on my way to a science lesson, covering issues of light waves, electrons, atoms, reflection, absorption, the eye and its mechanisms. A real head full of facts, but my conclusion – simply – colour is energy around us and in us.
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This then means that colour touches our bodies, our moods, our dress sense and the décor of the places you inhabit most – home, office, malls, gardens etc. It can either inspire us or turn us away.
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Possibly one of the very first steps to be taken when determining your décor & design style is to “Know thyself”.
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We have decided that on a regular basis we are going to look at how we can harness that energy of colour and make it work for us; How we get to know ourselves via colour and use it to bring the expression of our personalities in our homes, in our offices and in our gardens – our space.
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I recently met a life coach, Claudia Brandt who is very involved with colour, from the point of view that she uses a personality assessment tool called Personality-abc. Personality-abc identifies three basic human behavioural patterns and uses three colours to represent them. These colours are Red (people with strong leadership qualities); Yellow (us very warm, intuitive, friendly and people’s person type – like moi); and then blue (the thinkers of this world).
Keep an eye on this blog in the weeks to come as we assists you in ‘colouring your world’.
By the way – it looks like I am a definite yellow, red, blue person.
Images via:
1 – Simply Grove
2 – Design Seeds
Related articles
- Colour Series – Yellow (creativestreamblog.com)
- Colour Series- RED (creativestreamblog.com)
- Freeworld Design Centre (thedesigntabloid.com)
- What colour are you? (lynnadavidson.wordpress.com)
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Decorex 2011 – Talking Trends With Dave Nemeth
Dave Nemeth’s Trend Talk at Decorex CT 2011
One of the interesting features of the recent Decorex Cape Town Expo was the Trend Talk given by Trend Forecast guru, Dave Nemeth. Here in our office we seem to inadvertently watch the trends by being avid bloggers. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to listen to Dave open them up like the expert that he is. He has been a player in the interiors trade for many years and it seems that the last few years have seen him trotting around the globe, trend watching. I like that we have our own proudly South African Trend gurus.
This beautiful Salvatore Ferragamo crochet number can easily influence future Interior trends, for example this gorgeous chair for Casamento
How is a trend established? I guess most of us are aware of the fact that Fashion and Interiors walk side by side, in terms of pattern, texture and colour trends, particularly the Cat Walk. However, trends are not just established willy nilly. Other factors that influence the establishing of a trend are: What is the consumer experiencing; how are global politics and economics impacting consumers and then of course what impact is technology having on the consumer? Research Information coming out of these influences is collated by Trend Forecasting Agencies for the benefit and application by Interior Designers, Retailers and Manufacturers who develop it further.
Pink & Berry Colours
FACT – Two types of trends – micro trends and macro trends. Micro trends are those that fleetingly come and go. Naturally that would make a macro trend the stayer- for a good few years, much like the few I am about to highlight.
Colour – the impact of the recession in our global economy was reflected in the muted colour palette of grey and neutral tones. (Mood influences colour). Now that the movement in the economy is more optimistic, the inclusion of strong pinks and berries colours are evident. We are feeling upbeat and even if you aren’t at that place yet, indulge these colours and you soon will.
Upcycled & Industrial Cabinet from Weylandts
Furniture: Dave highlighted the fact that coming out of the recession, the consumer has become a cautious and conscious buyer. As such quality is a strong determinant in the furniture we buy, with resurgence of solid woods. Solid woods in the form of re-cycled furniture, or up-cycled furniture (vintage, heritage or retro second hand pieces, that get the conversion treatment to a snazzy modern furniture item). Handcrafted furniture is also very big, as is the industrialised look and feel.
It seems that tactile is the buzz word – we are experiencing a great deal of texture in our furniture, with open grain tables being more the rage. (I personally love this trend, as authenticity is one of my values in life).
Recreate
Restore
LIM
Open bulbs or bulb-shaped lighting
Have you noticed that there is a lot of deep buttoned upholstered furniture to be had? And Listen, don’t let you mom or aunt throw out that old suitcase or trunk, or even the crate she stored the cool drink bottles in. (there are still a few of those cool drink vendors that drive around the suburbs – they have loads of those crates – convince them to part with it)
Lighting: The shapes we find in table and standing lamps are both organic and angular. That was seen in the products on display by Newport Lighting, a local-is-lekker company. Expect to see more lighting that feature exposed bulbs (frosted bulbs – not your standard bulb). Wire caging surrounding the bulb is apparently also the way to go. Nice.
Knitted Decor via Etsy
Accessories: Now this is the exciting part – it’s affordable. Textured scatter cushions – embroided, felt, cable knit, plenty of bright colours.
Handcrafted is so big.
Then Typography – words, letters, phrases all available to you to display in your favourite rooms. Add into this collective mix, Anglophilia – all things Brit.
Green: There is however one distinct characteristic that runs through all categories – sustainability. Green is here to stay!!!
Newspaper Pendant
Moonbasket
MohairSA
Dave presented a bucket load of information and I could go on and on.
However from my observation, Decorex actually nailed the theme of the show – basic and beauty. We are living in a time where the superfluous has been and gone. We want to get back to our roots, our heritage and in doing so, find that grounded, safe and secure place again.
Anglophilia via Loads of Living
Anglophilia via Etsy
Heath Nash
So, we turn to the past and the heritage that is connected to that. We surround ourselves in colours, crafts and textures that add optimist depth to our being, bringing hope and meaning to our lives.
Typography via Etsy
Typography via Etsy
Typography via Etsy
What the future holds – we will allow the trend gurus to unfold that with each passing season.
Related articles
- Why Decorex CT 2011 is going to be awesome… (thedesigntabloid.com)
- Decorex CT 2011 – Interior Attractions With Lasting Impressions (thedesigntabloid.com)
- Decorex CT 2011 – Lasting Impressions continued… (thedesigntabloid.com)
- Decorex CT 2011 – Inspiring Designers (thedesigntabloid.com)
