These Interior Designers From South Africa Are Ones To Watch

Whether it’s furniture or lighting design, South African interior designers are breaking boundaries and making their mark in the decor industry. From Scandinavian-inspired designs, to beautifully restored pieces and furniture with an African feel, here are the designers to watch.

Banc Handcrafted

What began as a small furniture range is now a growing collection of homeware pieces made from start to finish through collaboration with a carpenter, metal fabricator, brass plater, powder-coater and laser-cutter. Banc Handcrafted, the brainchild of Josie Hardy, has a beautiful collection of smalls, such as coasters and wall hooks, plus large items, like sofas.

1. Bofred

Cape Town based design collective, Bofred, is proudly South African and was founded in 2014 by Christa Botha and Carla Erasmus. Bofred produces exclusive, eclectic pieces in vibrant colours and rich textures. As well as designing their own unique pieces, Bofred restores second-hand furniture into beautiful statement pieces.

Bofred, 1st Floor, 36 Buitenkant Street, Cape Town, South Africa, +27 82 563 5640

The lovingly restored Sandy chair | Courtesy of Bofred

Cut Design, founded by Patsy McDonald, started out as a small laser cutting business in Pretoria in 2014. Patsy started selling at markets in Gauteng as well as KwaZulu-Natal and originally focused on lighting and clocks. Recently the designs have been expanded to include laser cut side tables that can be seen as “functional art”, as they incorporate hand-painted and engraved wooden tiles.

2. Indigi Design

Indigi Designs, by Natalie du Toit, is a South African lifestyle brand combining local flavour with a global appeal. They manufacture a range of locally printed fabrics, furniture, lighting and accessories and an emphasis is placed on innovative design, carefully selected materials and local hand-crafting techniques.

Indigi Design, Studio 18B,1st Floor, The Woodstock Foundry, 160 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa, +27 21 447 0165

Facet Coffee Table and Segment Bowls | Courtesy of Indigi Designs

3. Knot

Knot creates striking furniture and decor accessories that are practical while adding a unique touch to your decor scheme. Husband and wife design duo, Leoni and Ronald Ferreira, handcraft all items using mostly timber and cement to create everything from stools to pendant lights.

Knot, Stand 461, Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate, South Africa, +27 81 737 8339

Concrete stool | Courtesy of Knot Design

4. Minima

Park

Minima began as a series of sketches and a prototype in 2012 and their first lighting range was launched at the 2014 Design Indaba. Minima uses digitally-cut birch plywood to create Scandi-inspired style lights that are sophisticated and striking. The lights are available as flat-pack pieces, allowing them to be self-assembled.

Minima, Capricorn Business Park, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa, +27 21 788 2515

A selection from Minima’s unique lighting range | Courtesy of Minima

5. PATE

PATE was founded by Siyanda Mazibuko and Xola Dube who create and sell a wide range of decor products, art and household accessories. Quality craftsmanship and exclusivity is key to their designs as they don’t follow trends when conceptualising ideas.

PATE, 11 Granville Avenue, Lea Glen , Roodepoort, JHB, Johannesburg, South Africa, +27 84 308 3643

Mboma chair | Courtesy of PATE

Pinda by Siyanda Mbele

Pinda is all about producing functional products with a high quality African aesthetic. The Durban based interior design studio was founded by Siyanda Mbele in 2012, and focuses on merging traditional and modern design aesthetic to create one-of-a-kind products.

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