Homewood Furniture

WORDS Stephanie Jason

Discover how a dilapidated barn in the KZN Midlands became a superb backdrop for Homewood furniture.

A chance sighting in 2010 of an old barn sparked the inspiration for a photo shoot more than five years later, says Dave Macdonald, co-director of the furniture maker Homewood. “I was newly settled in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. While out exploring the area, my interest was piqued by an old barn next to the road between Impendle and Bulwer.”

That same year, Dave had left his IT marketing career in Johannesburg and joined Ian Perry, who had founded Homewood in 2005. The two forged a partnership in 2011, with Ian at the helm of the company and Dave focused on sales and marketing.

Years on, when it came time for a Homewood photo shoot, Dave recalled the weathered barn he’d seen and thought it would be an apt venue to exhibit their furniture designs. “We wanted to show how Homewood furniture could transform any space. What better way than by turning a derelict barn from a place used to store old farm implements into a space that looks like home?”

In a photo shoot at the end of 2015, Homewood’s contemporary designs brought to life the run-down shed, which made items like statement wooden tables, chairs with colourful woven seats and bold sofas shine.

Homewood makes each item to order, customising pieces to suit customer needs. Since expanding in 2012 from a single factory outlet in the Midlands, Ian and Dave have opened additional showrooms in Kramerville, Umhlanga Ridge and Lynnwood Bridge.