Life, memories of the past, dreams, fantasy and curiosity are some of what inspire this ceramicist. 

When Carin Cronje was a child, she rode to school on a horse and played on her hometown’s riverbanks in the afternoons. It’s here, on the water’s sandy edges, that she fell in love with the magic of clay, a passion she has nurtured into the thriving business Vanilla Concrete is today. 

We were so charmed by her collection, Magic Realism, we simply had to know more.

Tell us about Vanilla Concrete.

It is a ceramics factory that I built from scratch. About a year ago I outsourced the production, so am now able to focus on developing new ranges and explore a more artistic side of myself.

So, what are you?

I am careful not to call myself anything. But if you need a label, I am a designer  – or artist with some entrepreneurial skills. 

What makes you special?

I try to create things that come from a place of truth. 

What are your products made of?

I work mainly in clay mixed with found objects. I sculpt my characters and place them in scenes I build from things from the Milnerton Market or antique and second-hand stores. 

Did you always want to have your own business?

I started my first business in school selling snacks and cool drinks at our local swimming pool. So, I suppose yes.

Vanilla Concrete’s one-off works start at R680 each.

For more information, visit vanillaconcrete.co.za.

The post Designers We Love: Vanilla Concrete appeared first on Visi.

Lees in Afrikaans.

Looking for a taste of the good country life with icing on top? Eccentric finery has just popped out of the oven at the Old Mac Daddy luxury trailer park, which unveiled two new Airstreams decorated by the gals from Charly’s Bakery.

“We always wanted to work with Charly’s, from right back when we used to order their cupcakes for high tea at Daddy Long Legs,” said Old Mac Daddy owner, Jody Aufrichtig.

To fulfil the design brief, Charly’s Bakery owner Jacqui Biess roped in her daughter, Alexandra, and the two of them called on their good friend Carin Cronje of Vanilla Concrete to take the helm as production manager. Says Jacqui: “After all, what is cake decorating but design-by-sugar?”

The trailers are called “Love Cake…? I Do” and “Love Cake…? Me Too” respectively. Although perfect for a family holiday with folks in the “Love Cake…? I Do” Mama trailer and kids in the “Love Cake…? Me Too” Baba trailer, there will undoubtedly be adults throwing their toys to stay in the seemingly edible cupcake fantasy that is the Baby trailer. Designed to look like the inside of a Charly’s Bakery cake box, the walls are papered with fat pink-and-white stripes. Graffiti artist Mak1one painted the Charly’s Bakery logo, parachuting cupcakes and 3D rainbow-burst over the couch.

Boldly appliqued bedding and scatters cover the custom-curved queen-size bed and plush couch. Quirky touches included the Cookie Monster scatters and mat, the birthday candle backing of the couch, stuffed felt gingerbread men and a cupcake pouf made of soccer balls.

In turn, the “Love Cake…? I Do” Mama trailer is more like the steampunk honeymoon homage to the romance of baking. Carin was responsible for the Mad Hatter’s ceramics, as well as repurposing all the old cake tins and other Milnerton Market junk into quirky steampunk lighting and decor fixtures. Carin, Jacqui and Alexandra worked on the chandeliers together, which have a crazy gypsy chic feel. A trailer with chandeliers, you ask, not to mention the pressed-ceiling wallpaper from Robin Sprong? Well, only in Elgin.

A printer’s tray table made by Katie Thompson of Recreate is filled with miniatures made with sugar and vintage metal icing nibs, which Jacqui says they got on Gumtree by swapping them for cupcakes! The upholstery and bedding boasts embroidery by Lauren Fowler. Adding further texture to the environment are cushions covered in novel T-shirt tapestries by Alex Daniel of the Kraal Gallery and others sheathed in inner-tube rubber ingeniously repurposed by Roche van den Berg.

The Mama trailer is also the only one at Old Mac Daddy that is self-catering and has an indoor shower for those particularly nippy evenings. Mama and Baby can be rented as a pair or separately, and share an outdoor patio that looks out across apple country and a picturesque dam.

Pastoral living at its finest and most eccentric, which is just perfect considering it’s the closest that you’ll ever get most of us town mice to camping! Now as for how close you’ll get us to Charly’s Bakery’s cupcakes…

Charly’s Bakery, 021 461 518, www.charlysbakery.co.za
Old Mac Daddy, 021 844 0241, www.oldmacdaddy.co.za

Read more about what VISI has to say about the Old Mac Daddy here.

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