I know, not too long ago I was pledging my undying love to something completely different. At that moment I was head-over heels and coveting the funky, contemporary, African-chic ZCafe Rope Chair designed by Egg Designs (and it is still gorgeous by the way).
What can I say, my heart is a bit fickle – but luckily – I have a BIG heart so there is room for far more beautiful things. I’m a sucker for a bit of local eye-candy.
What, you my ask, has got me drooling this time around? I’m currently coveting the beautifully chic ABODE collection by South African jewellery designer, Kirsten Goss. This elegant homeware addition to Kirsten’s established jewellery brand is both refreshing and unexpected.
Kirsten who opened her flagship jewellery store in London in 2005, has designed pieces for Kate Middleton and Prince William’s royal wedding and her jewellery designs have been worn by several A-list celebrities.
Kirsten’s “Lily Pad Ring” won the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA) at the Design Indaba Expo 2012. The ring’s contemporary design, intriguing organic lines and playful edge exemplifies Kirsten’s award-winning style aesthetic.
Who, you might ask, has captured my heart? Well, my dear readers, it is not a who but rather a WHAT. You see, I have fallen in design-love. My eyes have been a-wandering and my heart has been a-coveting.
Last month I was doing a little bit of online research and sourcing for our blog article, 10 Sleek & Chic Bar Cabinets for Your Home. The search for some locally-designed bar cabinets led me to Egg Designs where I not only found their eye-catching Parquet Cabinet (featured in our post), but also a gorgeous chair that had me crushing hard.
The ZCafe Rope Chair is a gorgeous dining chair with a funky, contemporary African-chic feel. The chair has an almost tub chair-like design with a steel frame that features a woven two-tone rope back and a brown leather seat. I found the various colour combinations especially beautiful. The copper frame with turquoise and orange nylon rope detail must be my personal favourite… although the black, burgundy and yellow combination is just as lovely.Read More »
Last month, inspired by a post we spotted on Emily Henderson’s blog, we wrote an article about the current trend of using armoires, traditionally meant for the bedroom, as feature pieces in the rest of the home.
We accompanied the post with a lovely roundup of locally-found contemporary storage cabinets that could serve as statement display units in every room of your home.
The stylish and chic LaSalle bar cabinet by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is both sleek and versatile: easy to imagine as a bar or as a statement piece in an entryway. The doors feature a raised diamond-parquet pattern in a rich wood veneer and is accented with antique brass details. | source: Domino
Now, while I was prepping the article and curating our “8 Contemporary Storage Cabinets for Your Home” shopping list, I was quite astonished by the number of striking bar cabinets I came across during my search. Not only were these drinks cabinets absolutely gorgeous, they were also all local available – the majority being exclusive pieces designed and manufactured by South African designers. Elite to say the least!
I immediately bookmarked a few designs and made a mental note to follow-up our contemporary storage unit article with one about bar cabinets.
Where previously the open display of alcohol in the home might have been deemed a tad vulgar and Mid-century kitsch, the ever-growing popularity of boutique and craft spirits and liquors has resulted in a home bar revival. I mean, what is the point of owning beautifully designed bottles filled delicious, locally-stilled, limited-edition drinks and then not being able to show it off?! I bit hipster, I know, but I can’t help it!
Rose recently spotted a lovely article on Emily Henderson’s blog that set the inspiration cogs in our heads turning. In the post, “Why You Should Be Using Armoires in Every Room”, Emily elaborates why furniture pieces like armoires should not be hidden in the bedroom but incorporated as feature pieces in the rest of the home.
Before we get all tripped up over terminology, let’s quickly look at the definition of “Armoire”…
As we have previously defined in our Decorating Dictionary, an Armoire is a large loose-standing two-door cabinet, usually containing shelves, hanging space, and sometimes drawers below. Generally used for storing clothing or household items, interestingly enough it was originally used for storing arms.
IKEA’s black-painted BJÖRKSNÄS Display Cabinet serves as a sleek and stylish office storage unit in this home workspace. The design has its roots in Scandinavian handicraft tradition – durable natural materials with fine joinery details and proportions that make suitable for any room of function. | source: IKEAThe interiors of this classic Victorian mansion has been impeccably modernised for contemporary family living. What a statement this bold and contemporary armoire makes in one of the bedrooms – and the striking deep blue colour is to die for. | source: est living | interiors: Clare Cousins | photography: Shannon McGrath
Emily had the following to say about this atypical trend:
“Let’s talk wardrobes, or armoires if you’re feeling fancy, and how to bring it into our modern day lives because even though likely none of us are currently living in a sprawling French chateau, these heavier pieces of furniture can be used successfully (and VERY chicly) in nearly every room of the house. It’s one of those pieces that are often overlooked, but let’s all agree to stop that right now and consider the armoire.
Sure, with a name like “wardrobe,” you’re thinking they have to be relegated behind closed bedroom doors. But we’re all for thinking outside the box around here at EHD and like to be trailblazers in anything if we can. We’re not in this instance, but we’re loving what we’re seeing from other like-minded people. Because really, armoires are essentially just cabinets for storing things so why can’t we use one anywhere and everywhere we need storage, right? Plus, because they take up more vertical space than horizontal, they’re great for smaller footprints.”
In her blog post, Emily shared some gorgeous examples of both traditional and contemporary armoiresused as storage and display in various unexpected parts of the home – from the bathroom and entryway to the dining room and living room.
As we mentioned in the Trend Alert post we shared a couple of weeks ago – RATTAN is back and in a big way! Talk about a 70s blast from the past! What is next – Macrame and Moroccan shag-pile rugs?! Oh wait… that already happened too! Gotta love the cyclic nature of home and decor trends.
The element I most enjoy about the trend’s current incarnation is that it fuses vintage rattan pieces with new, contemporary designs. These fresh designs are slightly more simplified – almost minimal in a way.
While researching our Trend Alert article, I was surprised to see how quickly the rattan trend has spread to the South African retail market. This is something that usually happens at a snail’s pace. A quick online search of our local furniture and homeware stores delivered a lovely selection of gorgeous rattan and cane pieces. This is good news for those who want to incorporate rattan elements into their interior space.
SO, for all you lovers of rattan and cane, here is our round-up of trendy, chic, and beautifully contemporary rattan furniture pieces for your home…Read More »
Well, hello my old friend! I am not only talking to you, our patient and longsuffering readers, but also to Rattan! Hello Rattan, I haven’t seen you since the 80s…
I have been meaning to write this Trend Alert post for quite some time. However, as the last quarter of the year is our industry’s silly season, Rose and I have been in the very thick of design and decorating work and projects. Fortunately, as we have now successfully handed off some of our projects, we can turn our attention to a (very long overdue) blog post – YAY!
These rattan furniture pieces provide some texture and visual interest to this lovely and bright Scandi apartment in Stockholm. | source: Stadshem via The Style Files
Since this particular Trend Alert article has been sitting half-finished in my draft folder for SO long, it is not much of an “Alert” but more of an after-the-fact “I am sure you have all noticed”. But hey, now we can happily chat about it together!
We have seen rattan furniture and decorative accessories creep back unto the interiors radar a couple of years ago – probably at the same time as the big Bohemian interior trend. Now, rattan is everywhere. Furthermore, once a trend makes its merry way to the sluggish South African retail market you know it is a big hit.
The Design Tabloid 