Design Now! a success

Capetonians who didn’t attend the Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village’s week-long celebration of design and entertainment missed out.

From the 27 October to 5 November the centre was transformed into a haven of design, décor, pop-up galleries and culinary delights to celebrate the Cape Quarter’s anniversary. This is the second Design Now! to take place and the organisers say things definitely improved in 2011.

The launch event on 27 October saw a charity auction of bespoke designer items that fetched over R30 000. for ‘Rock Girl’ – a charity initiative that will fund an Art Room at the Red River School in Manenberg, a beneficiary of the Cecile & Boyd’s Charity Foundation.

Furniture and items on auction included post boxes by Pedersen + Lennard, an aeroplane by Baraka, a bedcover by Private Collections, collaboration chandeliers by Pierre Cronje & Kobus Prinsloo, Vipp Products by Victorian Bathrooms, a rug by Gonsenhausers Rugs, an Antique Chair by Cécile & Boyd’s, a collaborative bench by Pierre Cronje, Kerstin Eser, Ingrid Mackinger and Julian Hawyn, and two nights at Oudekloof Wine Estate in Tulbagh.

Three pop-up galleries curated by leading interior stylist and VISI décor editor Tracy Lynch kept crowds cooing. Orbiting around the themes ‘Designer Nature’, ‘Culture Clash’ and ‘Old School, New School’, the exhibitions explored contemporary décor with objects provided by select retail outlets at the Cape Quarter.

South African furniture legend Pierre Cronje offered interactive experiences with artisans strapping riempie chairs with raw kudu hide, while Africa Nova hosted an exhibition by local sculptor Frank van Reenen, entitled ‘Dog Day Dreams’.

Victorian Bathrooms displayed extravagant bath exteriors with elements of aged metal, leather and special paint finishes, and Retro Kitchens put on a unique still-life exhibition of kitchen culture that traced the progression of kitchens from bygone eras to where we are today.

Resident artists of the Lisa King Gallery exhibited a fascinating collection of contemporary abstract work that kept art fans coming back for more.

The launch of Neil Stemmet’s new cookbook Sout en Peper took place on November 3 and 4. Jacques Erasmus of Hemelhuijs coordinated a hanging garden inspired by his love of green and rain forests. Second year students of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology impressed with an exhibition of prototype chairs they had designed for a competition run by Klooftique.

Throughout the event Lindor chocolate promotions from Lindt and Sprungli took place, as well as coffee tastings with Lavazza and A Modo Mio.

All in all Design Now! 2011 was a huge success. Here’s hoping history repeats itself next year.

More information: +27 (0)21 421 1111 or visit www.capequarter.co.za