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Nkuli Nhleko’s The Blend wine rack, Bandile Mbuli and Ndabo Langa’s The Anatomy of Compassion bench, André Eksteen’s Layered Memory table, Juliet Kavishe’s Kunja/Kunjua Screen, and Cassandra Twala and Johanna von Stein’s Phomolo daybed. -
Johanna von Stein and and Cassandra Twala's Phomolo daybed. -
André Eksteen's Layered Memory table. -
The Anatomy of Compassion bench. -
The Blend wine rack. -
Juliet Kavishe and her Kunja/Kunjua screen.
Houtlander and the American Hardwood Export Council once again joined forces to facilitate Future Heirlooms, where five South African cross-disciplinary design studios were invited to create pieces that both look forward to the future of sustainable design and explore our rich design legacy.
WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Sarah de Pina, Annalize Nel
In 2022, the inaugural Future Heirlooms project made a sizeable impact on the local scene when retail brand Always Welcome and the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) joined forces to facilitate an art-meets-furniture design collection created by seven South African designers. This time around, AHEC and award-winning furniture manufacturer Houtlander teamed up in the second Future Heirlooms challenge, to explore the future of sustainable collectable design in South Africa.
It kicked off last year when five local cross-disciplinary design studios from our interior design and architecture communities were invited to create collectable furniture pieces that are worth treasuring. Those five were interior architect Juliet Kavishe; costume designer and creative director Bandile Mbuli and architect Ndabo Langa‘s collab Isa-MBU-LA; architect and academic André Eksteen; Cassandra Twala and Johanna von Stein of MOEA Design Studio; and art curator Nkuli Nhleko.
Using American red oak supplied by wholesale specialists BOS Timbers, the process merged modern technology, age-old crafting techniques and deep design reflection to create the Future Heirlooms 2025 collection. ahec.org | houtlander.co.za
Cassandra Twala and Johanna von Stein | Phomolo daybed
Established in 2021 by Cassandra Twala and Johanna von Stein, MOEA set out to create a hybrid studio that not only works on commissioned work for clients but also creates its own platforms to elevate African creativity. Their Phomolo daybed was inspired by the magic of African sunsets, and the yearning to reclaim rest. moeadesign.com | @moeadesignstudio
André Eksteen | Layered Memory table
Co-director of Earthworld Architects André Eksteen is an award-winning architect and academic who aims to push the boundaries of creativity while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability. His Layered Memory table is inspired by geological formations found in the Namibian landscape, and a reverence for material processes, particularly the way geological forces form, shape, settle, intrude on, and then reshape stratified layers. In his design, memory, fable, fact and fiction intertwine to create new truths, and new memories. ewarch.co.za | @earthworldarchitects
Bandile Mbuli and Ndabo Langa | The Anatomy of Compassion bench
Indigenous craft is the inspiration behind Bandile Mbuli and architect/ DGIT Architects founder Ndabo Langa‘s collaboration Isa-MBU-LA, which is focused on creating resilient and sustainable designs by tapping into local ecosystems, with high consideration for both traditional practices and innovation. Based on the designs of a classic Windsor chair and traditional Zulu headrest, The Anatomy of Compassion bridges worlds – and the wisdom of making is shared through lateral listening and meaningful engagement.
Nkuli Nhleko | The Blend wine rack
Nkuli Nhleko is an art curator at Everard Read Gallery, and co-founder of interior design studio Imbewu Design. She specializes in visually striking spaces that are both experiential and conceptually rich. Her sculptural wine rack is inspired by expanded views of unique family formations, and the symbolism of celebration, togetherness and cultural heritage found in wine. @imbewu_design
Juliet Kavishe | Kunja/Kunjua screen
Through her work, interior architect and design educator Juliet Kavishe explores African identity and heritage, and the integration of ancestral ways of communication rooted in diverse cultural expressions. The Kunja/Kunjua screen was inspired by the proportions
of the deeply symbolic Khanga cloth passed down among Swahili women through generations; it is a multi-functional screen and storage mechanism for the safekeeping and celebration of these embodied artefacts. @jmkavishe
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