Tag Archives: local

Africa Abroad

Posted in Decor by

We have some super talented people in this country. Ok, I know there are talented and super creative people all over the world but today I’m focusing on the people here in my home land. I believe there are passions and creative talents in many people…if not all, we just need to personally find it within us. What I like best is to see our local work being displayed and revealed to the outside world! Because shipping can be so expensive, it’s hard to get African products abroad on a personal scale. It is so awesome when you get a place abroad that offers our natural products.

Happily I stumbled upon this website. Purely African. It’s an online shop run by three women all with African roots somewhere in their lives. Equally desiring to share the creativeness that surrounds us here, they decided to start a place that would enable them to share the brilliant finds of art, textiles and designs for homeware but have the products based in the country where they missed all these things the most. The UK.

 

Having a heart to help the disadvantaged communities and support their eco-friendly products, their hearts bloomed to passion where they now expand the products of those previously unemployed and in turn create more job opportunities.

“Empowering people to uplift themselves is so important. Our Swakx necklaces and Wolanani bowls are a great example of this as well as many other products that support the local job market like the Durchzug, Give It and Lou Harvey bags.”

“We have been so fortunate to have really talented individuals like Clinton Friedman on our website. His photographic work is outstanding and we will be bringing out lots of exciting new products from him over the next few months… we also have some great new designers on board…. Watch this space!”

I asked them some questions:

-What made you start Purely African? During our time in the UK, like you, we all often yearned for some of the beautiful things that South Africans were creating but could never find them. We have also been so blown away with the creativity that exists here and felt it needed to be shared. It was with this in mind that we created Purely African.

-Are you all south African?  We are three friends, two South Africans and one English, married to South African, we all met in London where, Abi and I lived for 14 plus years. We all followed our respective careers with Abi and I working in the city and Charlie freelancing. With 8 children between us we all headed back to South Africa in 2009.

-How do you feel about revealing these beautiful natural products? We felt a strong need to help disadvantaged communities and support ethical and eco-friendly products where we can. It has in fact been heart warming to see how many beautiful products are created. If we can support them in a small way by expanding their markets, increasing their sales and so create more jobs, we want to try.

      
-How do you source your items? All our items are personally sourced by us, being here in South Africa means we have access to all the exciting things that are happening in the local design world..it is not surprising that Cape Town has been shortlisted for the world design capital …and we are passionate about what we do… we end up keeping so much of what we source for ourselves too!!!

Purely African launched their website in 2010 and are currently available on-line. They have however had great feedback and visitors at the Spirit of Summer Fair so who knows what they have up their sleeves! Go and check out their website here and see for yourself.

Debbie, Abi and Charlie-Thank you so much for sharing a bit about yourselves and Purely African. It’s been wonderful being in touch!

      

      

Tractor Home-Melbourne

Posted in Art, Interviews by

Thanks to the lovely Lucy Feagins, the face behind the always interesting blog The Design Files , I was introduced to the wonderful Tractor Home! Based in Melbourne, this creative outlet completely made me re-think where I live!

{Pictures left to right: 1,2&3 are some of their ceramics; 4&5 are button cushions; 6&7 are hand-made mielie bags; 8,9&10 are stunning brooches and then 11&12 are wire hang-ware}

Tractor Home originally based from owner Mandy Munro’s home, is now in a big warehouse in Melbourne, filled with many unique items from furniture to jewellery, throws to ceramics. Tractor Home is a wholesale business and sells home decor items from Africa. They support the disadvantaged communities. ”Tractor Home is attempting to empower the lives of these people who creatively produce these products”-quoted from TH . I am so delighted to have found out about this place.

I know you can get some of these products from just about anywhere in South Africa, but there is something about seeing the creative people of our country’s work, placed with such love in another country, who also have their own creative talents.

In a previous post I wrote about the wire art we can get from local artists, selling them on our street corners, markets and some stores. I am so pleased that their creativity and their art is displayed and wanted in other countries, homes and stores and not just here in SA. I love the style and their completely “out the box” way of creating something, like their paper mache bowls, wall hangings and bins out of tinned paper coverings.

  

I went to an african art store in Umhlanga over the weekend, and is taken aback once again by their amazing talents.

{these last 4 photographs below are credit to The Design Files}

 

Go and check out Mandy and Mike Munro’s warehouse if you are in Melbourne, their contact details are on their website. Otherwise, you can see their catalogue on their website. Mike Munro sources and trades furniture, so between the two of them, this place is a must to get lost in.

 

Interview with Che’ Hooper

Posted in Interviews by

 As I sit and reflect on the inspiring interview with Che’ Hooper, I smile & know you are just going to love reading about her. Che’ is an interior designer & the creator and owner of Portfolio Design. Calm and style oozes from her every expression and I remember once again that it’s with great pleasure that I introduce you to this local women! We sip our filtered coffee on her balcony overlooking ocean, Durban harbour and Greyville race-course, the surrounds illuminated by Durban’s afternoon sun. Che’s house is another interview all together, so watch out for that in the near future!
Portfolio Design is a Durban based company, but Che’ expands her services to the surrounds. She offers a Buy to Let and Relocation specialisation, where Buy to Let clients are looking to rent their property to international/local guests for business/holiday purposes & desire to create the interior space into the class & appropriate decor type to suit the market of rental. “Some people don’t have the time to decorate themselves, especially people with limited time…they have one meeting with me, brief me as to what they want and they don’t have to stress or worry about it again until it is completed.”
Portfolio Design helps with the relocation of your business or your home. “…where a client feels overwhelmed as to where their current furnishings are going to be placed in the new premises, I measure up all furnishings in the “old” premises and help allocate all their existing furniture into their new place, right down to the artwork on the walls!”

 {Che’ Hooper}

QUESTIONS

  CS - In all your design days, what space has been your favourite so far? “I have no idea why, but I really enjoy doing bathrooms, especially when it come to renovating them! The sourcing, designing and placement of sanware, tiles, custom designed units and of course dealing with the contractors…I LOVE getting involved with the messy bits of  rubble, dirt and paint.”
CS – Did you want to be an interior designer since you were young? “Yes, I used to move the furniture around my folks house constantly and I was continuously in my dad’s workshop painting something or cleaning something up ( I still am to this day – everytime I go home! It drives my husband mad!) My mom is just like me, she is very creative but more so on the arty side. We are forever in second-hand shops the two of us, it is what we call “skorring”around. So it did definitely start from an early age.”
CS -So you can say your mom played a pretty big part in what you doing today? “Yes”
CS -What 3 items are in right now? ” A lot of people ask this question, Trends change constantly, like fashion does. Sometimes I don’t think you must have what’s in. I think you should have items that are not going to date. With interiors, you have to be happy with what suits you, what’s practical for you. Colours that are in currently are beautiful gorgeous lemon yellows….I also notice violet-purple and deep pinks…another thing that we going back to is anything natural, things that do not require anything that’s harmful to nature or the world.”
CS -Most inspiring designer? “She is a local Joburg based designer, Maria Koutsoudakis”
CS -I have noticed chinese lanterns are in a lot of homes across South Africa? “Yes, especially now in summer, the outside wooden ones are stunning, especially if you paint them vibrant summer colours!”
CS -Knowing people are unique, how do you try to get THEIR mark on style&decor of their space? “You have to do an in-depth interview with them, what we call a brief. That will tell us what their likes and dislikes are, their sense of style, their general lifestyle when it comes to their homes…. the client has to live with their décor and therefore the final style needs to be a reflection of their personality and their lifestyle….. I find art to be  a very personal taste, something I might think will be stunning-it has all the right colours and feel for the room- the client might dislike it completely and so clients definitely have to select key items.”
CS -What cheap tips do have on how to ”spruce up your house”??? “Paint! You can paint anything, you can paint a wall, you can paint furniture and its amazing what a fresh coat of paint does to a certain piece or wall. It honestly changes the whole look of the room…and it’s a cheap way of decorating, you not spending huge amounts.”
CS – What kind of person can become an interior decorator, apart from the obvious natural ’eye’ for style? “You have to be incredibly passionate about interiors and you got to have a creative talent. There has got to be something from deep inside that drives you and that’s your ambition to be a designer. ….There are so many angles to being creative in the designer and decorator field, like textiles, furniture products and lighting, there is anything really. Being an interior designer is tough work, it is definitely not as glamorous as people make it out to be! “
CS -Have you found that in these times where financial restraints are held, do people generally still valid good decor&interior decorating? “Things have definitely quieted down I have noticed, especially us Durbanites that try to design things ourselves….I find Debs, that a lot of people where they would do their entire house, they now do maybe 3 bedrooms at once and then later 2 bathrooms at once where it’s cut into stages if they cannot afford it all at the same time.”
CS -If someone had a budget of R2000 what would you recommend they spend it on? “I will always say go for quality instead of quantity, R2000 is not alot…..personally I would go for nice linen, something luxurious.!”
CS -R5000 “Shoes!” we laugh…“A chandelier that you find at a nice antique store or something that’s really interesting and beautiful, something that’s going to be an eye catcher.”
CS- R10 000 “A really great couch with lovely fabric, or two statement occasional chairs”  

BEST OF…

Loft or Ground floor- LOFT
Lake house or Beach house- BEACH HOUSE
Large format paintings or Ceramic designs- CERAMIC DESIGNS
Carpets or tiles- CARPETS
Wooden floors or concrete floors- WOODEN
Re upholstery or brand new-RE UPOLSTER
Contemporary or Vintage-BOTH

CHE’S WORDS…

If I were…to have my life over again while retaining the knowledge I have gained and the ability to make decisions based on what I have experienced, I would choose to remain exactly as I am and relive every moment of my life exactly as it happened.
My space to chill……is my patio in my hanging chair.
Stickers…..are what I’d decorate a white wall with.
Laughter, character and Ambiance….is what makes a house desirable.
 
 You can join Portfolio Design’s Facebook page or visit her website here for more info!Thank you Che’ for spending time with me and I look forward to many more interviews and decor inspiration from you!      

                                                                                                      

 

Wire talent

Posted in Art by

Here in South Africa you will find a lot of African people selling hand-made bead work on the streets and at the markets. They are extremely talented and many, many homes are filled with their art work.  My friend bought me an angel made by one of the artists for the top of my Christmas tree and I LOVE it! Here is the heart the angel holds….

{may your heart be held by someone special}

Hluhluwe

Posted in Lifestyle by

Well, im back from a lovely weekend away in Hluhluwe. We stayed in a hotel just outside the game reserve entrance and ate like kings and enjoyed a blissful relaxing holiday. I was even pulled up to do traditional zulu dancing around the fire! Two days are not enough….So next time, its longer for sure. Here are some photos we took along the way…digital camera mmm, I wish I had one.

We bought some baskets along the way. It a tradition,since our honeymoon that we buy a local craft from wherever we go.

And then because i love new rings, i like to get one from every place i visit. Here is a camel bone ring. and it was only R15!

Urban Garden

Posted in Lifestyle by

Sarah Morrow, owner of Little Leaders Pre School has started an amazing Urban Garden production! It is ecological, practical and its fun!
You plant 5 veggies in a tyre-bed! Seems as tyres take years to biodegrade, here is a way of using them instead of tyre companies having to leave them in a field and burn them. It’s practical and its user-friendly AND you get to grow your own veggies.
Jason Hartman teamed with her is launching this on TV, I’m not sure when that was exactly, but I have to say, I’m behind her and all the team 100%
Please watch this link which will explain way more that I have explained and go get hold of her and purchase one NOW!!! Let’s love this world and do what we can.