As one of the main exhibitions at Cape Town Furniture Week 2025, the Festival Hub showcased an array of exciting new pieces from a selection of local brands. We’ve rounded up some of the most innovative designs that caught our attention.
WORDS Gina Dionisio
This year’s Cape Town Furniture Week Festival Hub, hosted at Church House, featured over 35 exhibitors. The ground floor housed a collective exhibition, while the upper floors came alive with pop-up installations and displays.
Exhibitors included Acre Studio, Ananta Design Studio, Ben Kennedy design, Circular Squared, Clout/SA, Damascus, David Krynauw Design, Ex Hotel, Frystark, Green Brother, Hanneke Lourens, Hoi P’loy, Hooked on Waste, Hope Garden Furniture, HUT Design Challenge, Hutch Custom, Jacobs Collection, Kora Collection, Kramer Design, Leighton Calder, LIM, Locha Design Studio, Modern Gesture, NØDE, Occony, Oliver Whyte, Planq, Spectrum Mirror, Student Design Showcase, Studio Dilli, Studio Kalki, TENT, Thomas & Verburg, Vitalli. x Nina Lieska, Vorster & Braye, White Sheep Studio, and Woodbender.
Below are some of the standout pieces and curated pop-ups that caught our eye at the CTFW Festival Hub.
Ananta Design Studio
Sisters Viveka and Rucita Vassen of Ananta Design Studio showcased their vibrant and functional décor pieces, featuring the striking Bimba Chair, first introduced in 2024. Founded during the 2020 lockdown, The design duo collaborate closely with craft communities to uplift and economically empower artisans. Their designs infuse traditional techniques with a playful twist, characterised by vibrant colours and captivating patterns that embody joy and community. The Bimba Chair, made with woven film from old VHS tape, and Masaruma Stool, made with film from old cassette tape, exemplifies this ethos, blending functionality with artistic flair.
Vorster & Braye
The Cape Town-based ceramic design studio, known for specialising in handmade functional and minimalist ceramic design, launched their GeoGlow lighting collection which included their new Double Chain Pendant. The studio also designed the gongs for the CTFW x VISI Design Awards.
Hanneke Lourens
Designer Hanneke Lourens presented the Corrugated Side Table from her debut collection, Corrugated. This collection reimagines one of the world’s most ubiquitous building materials, corrugated iron, by translating its distinctive flowing curves into meticulously crafted white oak furniture.
Hoi P’loy
Hoi P’loy officially launched their new Shard of Light 3D-printed lamp range. This debut follows their previous participations in CTFW 2023 and 2024, where they introduced the Carson Collection, a solid brass lighting range developed over two years, and the Rise & Fall Pendant, a modern take on a classic Victorian-era design. The Shard of Light collection continues their tradition of innovative lighting solutions, blending cutting-edge technology with artistic design. Founders Ploy Phiromnam and Guy van der Walt also walked away with the CTFW X VISI Design Prize ‘Advancement’ award for Shard of Light.
Studio Kalki
Studio Kalki launched their new wallpaper by Nikhil Tricam and Cara Saven, as well as showcase the Kalki Drinks Cabinet, and new Studio Kalki sofa range.
Vitalli.
Vitalli. launched their striking new Tectonic Collection at the Festival Hub, featuring a special exhibition in collaboration with Nina Lieska. The showcase included Vitalli’s RIFT Coffee Table and FRAGMENT Rug, paired with Lieska’s ethereal Suspended Series. They also took home a CTFW x VISI Design Prize for Best in Show at Cape Town Furniture Week 2025 (voted by the public).
HUT Design Challenge
The exhibition of furniture pieces designed from the timber of Muizenberg’s iconic beach huts, included works from Inland x Stripped Collective, Studio Kalki, Kino, Tamdem House Design, Sky Designs, Cara Turner, Amy Claire Arthur and Priyanka Verma.
White Sheep Studio
White Sheep Studio, headed by designer Walter Train, is an African luxury brand known for its bespoke, playful, and collectible furniture, made its debut a curated selection of standout pieces.
Clout/SA
Clout/SA presented an exciting showcase that highlighted innovative screen designs by three finalists from their Nando’s Hot Young Designer competition: Simphiwe Mabuya, Mpumelelo Nyuswa, and White Sheep Studio. The display also featured fresh works from Clout/SA’s talented partners, including PINDA, Vogel Design, Wiid Design, Design Afrika, Thandazani Nofingxana, N I S H, Cara Saven Wall Design, and Plantr.
More Notable Launches
Bronze Age – the foundry launched the sculptural Dune Pendant Light, produced in brass and inspired by the gentle undulations of sand dunes. Each piece is hand-finished and patinated using traditional methods, adding a unique, artisanal touch. Bronze Age were also awarded the CTFW X VISI Design Prize for their Dune Pendant Light.
Dokter and Misses – the brand launched the opening of their new Cape Town showroom as well as their new Mist Collection, which is a vibrant study of colour on steel.
OHKA – alongside the launch of their new Tribe Indoor/Outdoor Collection, OKHA and VISI hosted a discussion on ‘What Makes for Great Design… and a Great Design Business’.
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