Local Design: Monique van Zyl’s Furniture Collection

WORDS Cheri Morris

Interior designer Monique Van Zyl’s first furniture collection, Suspension 2017, was launched under the brand Monique Vee.

The Monique Vee Suspension 2017 collection features furniture pieces that are tensioned between floor and ceiling, a novel concept that has made people in the industry sit up and take notice of designer Monique van Zyl, who was part of the Emerging Creatives programme at this year’s Design Indaba. We asked her about her inspiration and goals.

What inspired your fascination with tension and suspension?

The seed for Suspension 2017 was planted in one of my first-year lectures when we were taught the basic principles of supporting load. I started to question form, asking questions like: “Does a table need legs?”

What happens in your studio?

Suspension 2017 is a dynamic range that allows me to make use of various materials and artisans to create one piece. The process for a table in oak is different to a bench in steel or a chair in copper. Upon completion, each piece is suspended and tested.

What is your vision for your brand?

Keeping things intelligent, simple, statement-worthy and refined. My favourite medium will always be space. I’d like to continue coupling bold ideology with a high-concept aesthetic by selecting projects that allow minor shifts in perception of the term “normal” in the world of objects and interiors.

What’s next for you?

Along with interior projects, I will be developing new pieces for Suspension 2017 and I aim to do installations in public places or galleries.

For more information, visit moniquevee.com.