Decor Shop: Barn & Werf

PHOTOS Jan Ras WORDS Mary Garner

A new decor shop stocking antiques, lighting and textiles recently opened in the Boland. We chatted to the owner and curator of Barn & Werf.

There’s a new “trading post” along the R45 road between Paarl and Franschhoek, Die Handelshuis at Groot Drakenstein. This welcome attraction where there were once two derelict buildings is home to a number of businesses, among them an architect and a garden designer’s studios, and in a former barn the wonderfully eclectic Barn & Werf.

The glowing chandeliers are what pull many people into her decor shop, says owner Vicki Bell, an expert in finding beautiful old and new collectibles, pieces that are authentic and have integrity. She is excited about being part of this new venture in the Paarl-Franschhoek valley, which she describes as a magical, magnificent place.

One of her favourite pieces in the shop at the moment is an oak kist from England with the perfect patina and age. When they were cleaning it out, she says, they discovered a newspaper from the 1950s in it. Vicki says the mystery of the past life of an antique piece of furniture brings something spiritual into a space, a bit of soul. Incorporating antiques into a home is a grounding choice; it creates a link to the past and, by combining it with well-crafted new furniture, a link to the future too.

For more information, visit facebook.com/barnandwerf.