7 Contemporary & Chic Wall Lights for Your Home

May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 Design Monarchy1 Comment

by Marica Fick

A couple of months ago we kicked off a roundup series focusing on awesome locally available accent lighting.

In our first list, “10 Amazingly Cool Standing Lamp s” we sourced and selected ten stunning floor lamps for your home – from quirky and playful, to chic and trendy. Our second instalment, 8 Strikingly Trendy Hanging Lamps, focused on pendant lighting.

Today we continue our search to find what other awesome light fittings the South African shelves have to offer.

We did a little online search to see how many trendy, attention-grabbing local wall lights we could drum up. Here is our roundup of seven contemporary and chic wall lights for your home…

7 Contemporary & Chic Wall Lights:

Alfie Wall Sconce

Finely crafted local design at its best. Hoi P’loy’s beautiful Alfie Wall Sconce is hand-crafted from 100% brass. No need to call the electrician or chase into the walls – simply hang up, plug in and tug on the cord to switch on or off. Oh, and this light fitting looks amazing with one of Hoi P’loy’s old school Edison-type bulbs. Available from Hoi P’loy

Tempo Wall Light

This anglepoise-like wall lamp has oodles of minimalist Scandi appeal. We love the contrasting dove grey shade and the adjustable wooden arms with butterfly nut detail. Available online through Superbalist

Beat Wall Light

A variation on the famous original Tom Dixon Beat Light, made from spun brass, the Beat Wall Light incorporates the familiar hand beaten black shade with a solid brass dimmer dial. Available from Crema

Moa Bedroom Light

Bofred’s striking monochrome Moa Bedroom Light consists of a black coated aluminium frame and lampshade with matching black fabric cable. Available from Bofred

Stenson Wall Lamp

If you are looking for a real statement piece, the Stenson Wall Lamp with its black shade and swivelling wooden concertina mechanism arm is the show-stopper light fixture for you. Available from La Grange

Alex Wall Light

Add a bit of vintage industrial flare to your interior with the Alex Wall Light with its wide glass shade and brass & black metal fittings. Available online through Superbalist

Churchill Wall Lamp

With its green glass shade and long brass arm the Churchill Wall Lamp is a wonderful take on the old military desk light. Available from Pezula

Creative SA: Lulasclan

March 28, 2017 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

Last year we introduced a new blog series, Creative SA. In this series we will regularly feature South African makers.

by Marica Fick

Today we would like to introduce you to the bright and bold creations of Lulasclan Design Studio.

Lulasclan (or Lula’s Clan) is the brainchild of Bonolo Helen Chepape, a Joburg based creative with a background in graphic design. While the Lulasclan style is steeped in Bonolo’s African heritage, it undeniably has a strong contemporary appeal. Bonolo refers to this style as “New African” – a fresh and chic interpretation on African design.

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Following her passion, Bonolo left her 9-to-5 last November striking out on her own to form Lulasclan. It is in fact amazing to see how far she has come in such a short period of time – a true testament that one should heed Passion’s call.

Lulasclan recently launched a collection of scatter cushions titled “AfricanWest”. True to its name, the designs feature a marriage of African and “Western” motifs. Finding inspiration in the leaded lines of stained glass windows often found in Roman Cathedrals, Bonolo fused it with the shapes and bold colours of the traditional patterns of the Nguni people.

I am however even more taken with funky designs of Lulasclan’s previous scatter cushion range. The “Meet the Other Side of Africa” collection was launched end last year and features the retro-tastic portraits of several modish African ladies.

The series is said to celebrate Women. Each cushion, each woman, has her own inspiring story and individual characteristics. These scatters have a distinct Pop Art flavour and the use of pattern and colour within the designs are quite striking.

I think what appeals to me most about Lulasclan is the masterful fusion of two worlds and cultures. Her chic designs perfectly illustrate how African aesthetics can find a voice and global appeal in the contemporary design market.

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Be sure to check out the Lulasclan website to see their full range of scatters.

You can also follow Lulasclan on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

8 Strikingly Trendy Hanging Lamps for Your Home

March 23, 2017March 23, 2017 Design Monarchy2 Comments

by Marica Fick

Last week we presented you with “10 Amazingly Cool Standing Lamp” choices for your home – from quirky and playful, to chic and trendy.

Today we continue our search to find what other awesome light fittings the South African shelves have to offer.

We did a little online search to see how many trendy, attention-grabbing local ceiling lights / pendant lamps we could drum up. Here is our roundup of eight strikingly trendy hanging lights for your home…

8 Strikingly Trendy Hanging Lights:

Wooden Spout Pendant

If you want to introduce a trendy Scandi element to your space this pendant light with its simplistic wooden bell design is just the thing. The pendants’ cords come in an array of playful colours. This light fixture can be hung alone or in clusters at varying heights. Available online through Esque

Felt Hanging Lamp

Add a unique and tactile facet to your interior with this handmade felt pendant light, designed by Wiid Design. The Felt Hanging Lamp comes in light grey, dark grey or royal blue felt with striking contrasting yellow stitching. Available from Stable

Bubble Pendant

This undulating bubble-shaped glass pendant light is a dream for the minimalist, adding a chic aesthetic wherever you choose to use it. Available online through Superbalist

Orb Pendant

Hand-woven from strips of bamboo, the Orb Pendant is the perfect natural light fixture to introduce into a trendy tropical or Bohemian-styled interior. Available from Weylandts

Spider Pendant Light

This black spider-like chandelier is a superb choice if you want to create a quirky focal point in your space. Furthermore, with its multiple adjustable arms you will have no lack of light. Available online through Elevenpast

Frida Ceiling Pendant

Combining to trendy elements into one light fixture, the Frida ceiling pendant brings a cool industrial feel to your home with its warm copper finish. Available from @Home

Clear Crystal Bulb & Pendant

The Lee Broom Crystal Bulb combines industrial influences with striking decorative qualities. Each Crystal Bulb is hand cut with a classic crystal pattern inspired by those found on traditional whiskey glasses and decanters. Available from Crema

Geo Pattern Ceiling Pendant

We love the almost quilt-like texture of the Geo Pattern Ceiling Pendant and the beautiful contrast between the moody dark grey shade and brass trim. Available through @Home

10 Amazingly Cool Standing Lamps for Your Home

March 14, 2017 Design Monarchy3 Comments

10 Amazingly Cool Standing Lamps | via thedesigntabloid.com

by Marica Fick

Ambient lighting – we find that it is often the last element people think of when decorating their homes and spaces. In some sad cases it is a vital element completely forgotten about.

This type of lighting can be used to create a warm glow and set an intimate mood in your room when the main lights are switched off.

Loose-standing and move-able lamps, like standing lamps, are a great way of incorporating mood lighting into your space. Floor lamps add a vertical dimension to your space while taking up very little valuable floor space.

While some standing lamps can be rather drab, unappealing, and purely functional, the right selection can be an excellent tool to add another decorative element to your room.

We did a little online search to see how many trendy, attention-grabbing local floor lamps we could find. Here is our roundup of ten amazingly cool standing lamps for your home…

10 Amazingly Cool Standing Lamps:

Umthi Hanging Lamp

Designed by Meyer von Wielligh, the massive Umthi Hanging Lamp (Umthi means “tree” in Xhosa), takes inspiration from nature with its elegant tree branch-like structure. This beautifully designed lamp was one of the nominees for the Most Beautiful Object In South Africa (MBOISA) in 2016.

Search Tripod

This trendy black tripod standing lamp will add an edgy contemporary feel to any space. Available from Weylandts

PULL Floor Lamp

The Muuto PULL floor lamp is a perfect example of classic and simple Nordic design. PULL has an adjustable shade that changes both the lamp’s light and its character. Available from Crema

Copper Wire Floor Lamp

White with a touch of warmth, this standing floor lamp is the perfect combination of trendy industrial cool and copper heat. With its nautical elements this lamp would also work in a coastal styled home. available from @home

Wire Shade & Base Floor Lamp

Want to make a quirky statement? Then this wire standing lamp is just the thing. Taking on the traditional shade and base shape of a lamp, it can be custom painted in any colour you desire. Imagine it in lipstick red or cool turquoise. Available from lim

Wood-like Floor Lamp

Bring a touch of industrial chic to your living space with this stylish standing lamp. We love the wood detailing complimented by the cool metal shade and base in a trendy sage green. Available online through Superbalist

Multi Task Floor Lamp

Add a big statement piece to your interior with this oversized brushed copper and black anglepoise floor lamp. Available from Weylandts

Architectural Floor Lamp

We love this quirky standing lamp with its wooden tripod legs and adjustable neck. We love it so much in fact that we have bought one in the past for a client’s coastal industrial home. Available through La Grange

Dipped Floor Lamp

It looks like this contemporary floor lamp with its wooden arm received a trendy “paint-dipped” effect. It would make for a beautiful accent piece next to a side table or sofa. Available online through Superbalist

Shelf Light

An original design by Cape Town based emerging creative Nawaaz Saldulker, the Shelf Light is a playful standing lamp that incorporates a small shelf to store or display small items. Perfectly blending form and function. Available online through shopscoop.co.za

10 Beautiful Freebie Printable Calendars for 2017

January 18, 2017 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

Happy 2017 everyone!

Hope you all had an amazing festive break.

It seems the new year is the perfect time to score some awesome freebies! I once again decided to take a good sniff around the web to see what free printable stuff I could find! I was quite spoilt for choice and decided to limit my selection to the ten gorgeous 2017 printable calendars below. Let’s kick off another year with a fresh start and a beautiful new calendar!

Let me know in the comments which calendar is your favourite!

Please follow the links below to download…

(above) The beautiful calendar above designed by Kate of The Organized Dream has to be my favourite choice of all those I share today. Not only is the stunning, edgy floral watercolour design lovely to look at, you also get far more than just a 12 month calendar! Kate included an entire personal planner (daily planner, budget planner, meal planner, and more) as well as a blog planner – complete with a post calendar, stats tracker and a ton more – into the pack. What an amazing freebie! This will sure keep you organised!

Click here to download.

(above) If you are looking for a calendar with a slightly more minimal look, this pretty hand-lettered and brushstroke calendar designed by graphic designer Mariah Althoff is just for you! You can print each colour-coded month out on a A4 piece of paper and, as you can see above, the calendar would be perfect for a wall-mounted clipboard!

Click here to download.

(above) Here is another happy summer calendar from Audrey of This Little Street. Just like last year, Audrey did all the pretty illustrations and artwork and her friend Jessica of Coco and Mingo did the beautiful lettering and general layout of the calendar. Don’t you just love team efforts? I adore the cute illustrations – the month of July is especially pretty!

Side note: check out Audrey’s online shop – she designs the most beautiful wallpaper and fabrics.

Click here to download.

(above) Jenn of My Fabuless Life designed this lovely vintage botanical desk calendar. While each month features a different colour-coded vintage floral design, Jenn states that it looks just as stunning if printed our in monochromatic black and white.

Click here to download.

(above) Another desk calendar from My Fabuless Life – Jenn is being extra generous this year! By popular request Jenn converted last year’s beautiful watercolour florals freebie calendar into a 2017 calendar. Loving this one!

Click here to download.

(above) Here is another brilliant calendar pack – this one designed by Ann of On Sutton Place. This freebie not only includes a monthly calendar, but also a year-at-a-glance, a weekly planner, a weekly menu planner, AND an inspirational printable! Thanks Ann for an awesome freebie!

Click here to download.

(above) It seems I’m just a big old sucker for gorgeous watercolour florals! I simply adore this bold floral calendar designed by Andrea of The Cottage Market. I swear each month’s design is more beautiful than the next!

Click here to download.

(above) Illustrator & web designer Mary of Mary Angela Designs celebrated her birthday and new design service by gifting her followers with this pretty candy-coloured geo printable calendar.

Click here to download.

(above) If you are not into all those florals, you can try this abstract watercolour desk calendar designed by Freepik. The calendar comes in a vector format which is handy for a large sized print, but fair warning, you need Adobe Illustrator to open it.

Click here to download.

(above) Want something a little different for your wall? Artist and designer Sara Woodrow created this edgy wall calendar featuring some of her new and old paintings. And even though the calendar is in Swedish it is still pretty easy to decipher which month is which!

Click here to download.

10 Gifts For HIM Under R200

December 13, 2016December 13, 2016 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

Now that we have given you some ideas for 10 gorgeous gifts you can give that special lady in your life this Christmas, it is time to turn our attention to the dudes.

Gift shopping for men is hard guys, seriously. It seems that a lot of the “man gifts” on the shelves are either super corny (novelty beer mug with boobs) or really boring (3 pairs of socks).

BUT, have no fear! We have scoured the internet to find thoughtful and tasteful gift ideas for your dad, brother or boyfriend – and all under R200! Here is our 10 Gifts for HIM Under R200 wishlist.

Enjoy and happy Christmas shopping!

10 Gifts For HIM Under R200

Shopping List:

1. This small 2-cup stovetop espresso maker in a sexy matte black colour from Yuppiechef is the perfect gift for a coffee lover, just add some quality coffee beans – only R169.

2. Help your bearded loved one take care of his glorious mane with this macadamia and orange “The Neutkraker” beard oil from Buffelsfontein Baard-olie… bedref jouself, jou rowwe bliksem – only R99.95

3. Just what every meat-loving man needs – a folding switchblade biltong knife with rosewood handle – for the real biltong-eating pro. Available from Duesouth – only R179.

4. Chill your drink with these whiskey stones made from granite, marble and soapstone… because any whiskey connoisseur worth his salt knows ice belongs in a coke, not in a single malt. Available from Woolworths – only R199.

5. For the stylish man, a dapper textured bowtie in navy, with red dots from Markham – only R120.

6. Love this tongue-in-cheek house-shaped tissue box in masculine black, perfect for a dude’s apartment. Available online from Superbalist – only R119.

7. Treat a beer-loving friend with this awesome taste of Belguim beer gift pack from Yuppiechef. Each gift box contains 4 beers – a Duvel Blonde, a Maredsous Tripel, a La Chouffe Blond Ale and a Liefmans Fruitesse – only R179.

8. For the clean-shaven man, why not rock it old school with this beautiful boar bristle shaving brush from The Shaving Company – only R80.

9. Add some local design flair to your man’s home with this small soft bucket from Skinny laMinx in her blue Orla fabric. It’s perfect for a pot plant or to stow odds and ends – only R175.

10. Does one of the men in your life like the fiery taste of chilli? Get him this Sriracha gift set from Woolworths. The set contains a Sriracha salt & wooden scoop, Sriracha seasoning shaker tin & Sriracha sauce – only R129.95