New SA design shop in Umhlanga

WORDS & PHOTOS Georgie Chennells

Lees in Afrikaans.

Umhlanga is home to a refreshing new all-South African design shop, writes our Durban correspondent Georgie Chennells.

Umhlanga has a new addition, and its not another bar! The traditionally pastiche seaside village-cum-holiday mecca has something more to entice the visitors this festive season, and just in time for the seasonal shop-a-thon.

Catalyst is the result of an usual collaboration between pharmacist David Fraser and interior designer Gareth Henderson (GIH Design). While David commissioned Gareth to expand and redesign the Medisport Pharmacy on the Umhlanga Village strip, a conundrum with a piece of leftover shop space allowed David’s other interest, beautiful things, to find expression. The two then went about developing the concept and sourcing products to fill the space.

There are two entrances to the Catalyst store: One off the outside plaza (by Calisto’s, a restaurant), and the more interesting entrance: through a room-size sliding door at the back of the pharmacy. What is immediately apparent is that this is not another polished palace of pillows and room fragrancers as tends to pop up in this area. It’s refreshingly unedited. The slider itself is made almost entirely of reclaimed timber sourced from pallets, as are the counters and wall claddings. An enormous imbuia-style ball-and-claw table takes centre stage, refurbished in black and aqua, while a neatly geometric system of modular shelves lines the walls, its copper plated struts zigzagging upwards.

Both David and Gareth are passionate about South African design and are adamant that Catalyst stocks only locally-crafted products. From Durban  there are painted baskets and giant crocheted poofs from the Shaw Sisters, printed botanical umbrellas from Clinton Friedman, Blossom bangles and accessories, luxury stationery from Alice May, bags from Wylder Jane, jewellery by Chey Michau and Nicky Savage, as well as Catalyst’s own range of grass place mats and garden seating. Of course pieces by GIH, such as the Gut-Punch light and the Deep Seat are meant as furnishing for the shop but can also be ordered.

Cape Town, Joburg, Knysna and Plett are also well represented with Adriaan Kuiters leatherwork, Potterseed ceramics, Skinny LaMinx textiles, Ilovani chopping boards, Tamelia bags, Pederson and Lennard seats, Joe Paine bird feeders, Sandra Godwin ceramics, Mungo towels and many more all playing together nicely.

Now, with no pun intended, let’s hope Catalyst is indeed the start of something good.

Catalyst / Medisport Pharmacy, Shop 11 Protea Mall, Umhlanga, 031 561 1227, www.g-i-h.co.za