Rising Stars: Hoop

COMPILED BY Phendu Kuta PORTRAIT Matthew Miszczak PHOTOS Frances Marais (Flat Pack), Supplied STYLING Sanri Pienaar (Flat Pack)

A Cape Town-based trio of siblings create considered, functional everyday designs made from honest and quality materials. Meet Hoop.

Founded by siblings Gina, Anthony and Patrick Whitaker, Hoop is an emerging kitchen and furniture design business focused on pushing the boundaries of the industry by rethinking how we design, make and sell quality products. Hoop’s design principles ensure that accessibility and circularity are integrated into all of its products. The furniture is made using sustainably sourced timber, and the component-based designs are an important part of a cyclical approach to sustainability.

The Whitakers’ exposure to woodwork started at a young age, as their dad ran a carpentry business from his home workshop when they were growing up. This insight is reflected in Hoop’s considered approach to design philosophy – which design director Anthony unpacks here.

* Many factors contribute to a well-designed object, from being truly useful, having personality and contributing to atmosphere, to being durable and made from quality materials, as well as easily repaired and recycled. That said, from a high-level point of view, while every object should be beautiful and considered, it’s in its performance as an everyday item that its personality can be found. A well-designed object, or space, adds joy to someone’s daily life without screaming for attention.

* We’re excited by the noticeable shift in the local market towards becoming more aware of how things are made and who is making them. Looking out to an increasingly digitised world, the tactility and atmospheric potential of objects also begin to play a much larger role in our choices, and therefore in the way we design and make things. In an increasingly “plugged-in” existence, we will seek out objects that contribute positively to our atmosphere and wellbeing – designs that tell us more about ourselves.

* Cape Town is incredibly inspiring right now. The local design industry is bursting at the seams with established and young talent, and with growing platforms such as Cape Town Furniture Week (by Cape Town Furniture Focus) and Cape Decor & Design Week (Decorex Africa) everyone is becoming increasingly connected and able to prop one another up as a unified local industry.

* Copenhagen remains close to the top of our list as a furniture and product design destination. Danish/ Scandinavian design continues to exemplify an aesthetic that’s focused on quality, detail and durability. This design tradition is a kind of thoughtful minimalism that, while being truly useful, also retains presence and personality.

* Of all our designs, my favourite is probably the Arc table. It’s a versatile piece of furniture that responded to the way we saw people shifting how they used objects and space. The lines between home and work have become more blurred than they used to be. At first, the table seems simple in its expression, but complexity and personality are present in subtle detailing.

* Lighting is the quickest way to update a space. We don’t make lights – so this is a bad sales pitch! – but lighting can make or break a space, no matter how it’s been designed.

* The Bouroullec brothers – Ronan and Erwan – are incredibly inspiring designers. They continue to make a huge impression on me, and on the design world at large. Their design language is unexpected yet somehow familiar.

* Our living room is our favourite space at home. The quality of light in the morning is exactly what anybody needs to feel good about any day.

* If money were no object, I’d treat myself to the Spanish chair by Børge Mogensen… or a set of J39 chairs by the same designer… or a configuration of the 606 universal shelving system by Dieter Rams… What a dangerous proposition!

* Our aim is to… continue to design and make everyday objects that perform well and make a contribution to an environment, and to achieve this with quality at an reasonable price. To remain focused during the process, we find it useful if the design can answer some questions through various milestones. These are related, but not limited to, its use and function, what atmosphere the object contributes to, whether it’s made from quality and honest materials, its durability, its packaging and ease of transport, its repairability and recyclability, and even whether the assembly is enjoyable.

* Our kitchen collection is growing, and we are hoping to make some exciting announcements for the next edition of Cape Town Furniture Week. We are working hard on the development of some exciting furniture releases, but I can’t say too much yet…

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