COMPILED BY Michaela Stehr PHOTOS Courtesy of Houtlander
Phillip Hollander and Stephen Wilson’s Houtlander brand started small – but beautifully crafted pieces and cracking collaborations quickly took it to award-winning heights.
2017
We launched our range of Spindle furniture at 100% Design SA. The response was so overwhelming that it became the only focus for Houtlander, and established the future of our studio’s aesthetic. In the same year, the Coronation Bench (above) won the award for best furniture design at our debut 100% Design show. We really believe this accelerated our progress on the local design scene. One of the products we launched at that exhibition was the Spindle Back Diner. This chair has made an appearance in dining rooms, restaurants and cafés all over South Africa – we’ve sold more than 3 000 in the past four years.
2018
In 2018, we were invited to be a part of a Southern Guild show called “Extra Ordinary”, and it’s there that we presented the Interdependence Bench. The second version of the bench was nominated for, and then scooped, Design Indaba’s Most Beautiful Object in South Africa award in 2019. But 2018 was also the year that our two-tiered offering was born – it includes a standard range of production items, and a selection of very high-end collectable pieces. We also expanded our range of seating, bringing out the Low Back Diner chair.
2019
The Hlabisa bench was a collaboration with the brilliant Mash.T Design Studio. Once the unique shape of the bench had been perfected using 3D modelling, we considered materials to complete the back of the piece. After extensive investigation and experimentation, we decided to use basket weave – a technique that’s quintessentially South African, yet carries the dynamism of an evolving craft.
2020
With the arrival of Covid and all the associated regulations imposed on business and trade, we anticipated a big rise in demand for affordable home-office options. Our Home Office desk is fully customisable, and allows customers to select size options, drawers, integrated power sets and even a shelf.
We also developed a special wooden joint that allowed us to launch our first flat-pack product. This method of joinery informed the design of a bookshelf and the Tambour storage unit, part of the Home Office offering.
2021
Given the strain that the pandemic put on the hospitality industry, our focus shifted to domestic products. In that spirit, we designed a bed that captures the Houtlander design aesthetic.
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