From a designer light fitting and a singing ocean organ to a transitional photo series and stools made from seagrass, these are the top VISI picks of the week series – week 107.

1. Love Hultén’s Golden Apple

A tribute to the original Apple Macintosh 128k, Golden Apple by Swedish designer Love Hultén comes complete with a Mac Mini inside the handmade walnut body + a DVD drive. “So cool!” says online editor Lindi Brownell Meiring.

Image and video credit: lovehulten.com (h/t) designboom.com

2. Prop Light designed by Bertjan Pot for Moooi

“This awesome light is available through Edge Interiors. Such a statement piece!” says features editor Tracy Greenwood.

Image and video credit: moooi.com

3. Day To Night by Stephen Wilkes

Editor-in-chief Sumien Brink loves the transitional progression from day to night in this photographic series.

Image credit: designboom.com

4. Carolin Pertsch’s Seagrass Stools

“I can’t believe these stools are made from seagrass. I think this is such a clever alternative to using other non-sustainable materials,” says managing editor Lise Avis.

Image credit: dezeen.com

5. Nikola Bašić’s Sea Organ

“This sea organ in one of the world’s oldest Croatian cities changes its song depending on the tide. It sounds absolutely magical,” says content producer Michaela Stehr.

Image credit: upworthy.com Sound credit: srb445 on Soundcloud

6. Moët Ice Impérial

Editor-at-large Malibongwe Tyilo thinks that the new Moët Ice Impérial limited edition is the perfect way to celebrate summer. “It even comes with a floating bar!” he says. Moët Ice is available at beach hotspots around the country.

Image credit: moet.com

Browse more like VISI picks of the week series – week 107 on picks of the week 352.

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You can now find Moooi’s sculptured timber Zio Collection at Edge Interiors.

The range consists of a Lounge Chair with matching Ottoman, a Dining Table and Dining Chairs, a Buffet Table and a Coffee Table.

These contemporary pieces, designed by Moooi’s Marcel Wanders, are both fun and stylish, incorporating the rounded shapes and edging of modernist design.

Each piece is constructed from solid oak and available in a pale palette called “White Washed” or a darker version, “Cinnamon”.  

For more information, visit edgeinteriors.co.za.

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Whether you use it as a feature around a dining room table or to perk up an unhappy corner in the lounge, or even to give the kitchen cute-as-a-button seating on all fours, a chair can instantly make a statement in any room of the house.

1. Aria by Antonio Rodriguez for La Cividina R91 954, robert-thomson.com

2. Lucy utility chair in Royal Blue R14 680, casemento.co.za

3. Todd in handwoven Moroccan rug R7 995, weylandts.co.za

4. Nest chair in Jacquard Old Blue by Marcel Wanders for Moooi R31 650, edgeinteriors.co.za

5. Nuno chair by Kensaku Oshiro (Price on request), Zanotta

6. Golden chair by Nika Zupanc for Moooi R12 435, edgeinteriors.co.za

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At the crest of the Helshoogte Pass, Cape Dutch has been given a contemporary reinvention at Clouds Estate, which packs a formidable design punch with distinctive interiors by Moooi. 

Cloud Estate. If you’ve never visited, you’d be forgiven for thinking such a lofty-sounding name was setting itself up for a fall. Instead of the kind of disappoint-ment that brings you back down to earth with a bump, however, Clouds – as it’s affectionately known – affords a spectacular view that elevates, uplifts and does all sorts of other dizzyingly pleasurable things to the jaded soul.

Perched atop the Helshoogte Pass, overlooking the beautiful Banhoek Valley and edged by the majestic Drakenstein, with Simonsberg towering in the foreground, its name really is appropriate… Think incredible, dramatic mountains and that kind of splendour. Now consider an interior that carries enough weight not to be out of place.

At barely 4.5 hectares, Clouds is an offshoot of what once must have been a larger expanse. It could be dubbed a mere “token” estate, yet it is indeed a working farm, with plans to produce a new red in addition to its four-star sauvignon blanc, and to build a cellar, tasting room and winery in 2015. The cabernet sauvignon vines are already in the ground, and there are rumours of something “bubbly” afoot.

For now, however, it is a small boutique guesthouse with seven rooms and five separate villas. If you’d known Clouds back in 2005 when it first opened, you’d remember a pretty, Mediterranean-styled B&B, replete with curlicue colonnades and floral accents – much loved by brides. That is a thing of the past.

Today it is an über-contemporary, five-star destination that was extensively overhauled by its new Dutch proprietors, Paul Burema and Jolanda van Haperen, and reopened in December 2012. The owners are “swallows”, who spend the warm South African summer at their own private villa at Clouds, heading back to Holland when the weather turns. 

Thanks to architect Christof Albertyn, Clouds’ tagline of “modern architecture, ancient views” has come alive, fitting snugly into the genre of new wine estates that have embraced modernity in the absence of heritage buildings. “Exciting,” says Clouds’ interior designer Suzy Vissers, of Dutch design company Moooi, “if it is done with care and respect for the surroundings”.

Without a pre-existing “Cape Dutchie” to set an undeniable tone for the interiors (and the subsequent heritage-preservation restrictions that come with such provenance), the owners had absolute freedom to reinvent Clouds. They “were open to lots of ideas but also had a very clear idea as to what they wanted for Clouds,” says Suzy.

Its character has been embedded in the open-to-the-view architecture of front-facing glass inhabited by daring and playful interiors. Once you’re there, surrounded by the unexpectedly welcoming, iconic pieces of high design, it’s all about the panorama. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors allow it to come inside. 

“When I saw the architect’s drawings, I knew straight away that the dining area and tables should be situated by the glass terrace with full views,” says Suzy. “The lounge areas with open fireplace are set back, making this area cosy (and the views are still stunning due to the architecture and glass). The bar area also has a lounge verging on the terrace. And all the bedrooms are situated on the front of the building with view-facing beds.”

Moooi’s co-founder, Casper Vissers (Suzy’s husband), started the company in 2001 with Marcel Wanders, naming their venture after their native Dutch word for beautiful, with the third O “standing for extra value in terms of beauty and uniqueness”. 

The implied irony is that Paul and Jolanda are modern-day Dutch “settlers”, who’ve brought an innovative design language to the Cape winelands. The Dutch connection is prevalent everywhere, not just through Moooi, but also in the orange of the estate’s branding, its soon-to-be-relaunched wine label and in the outlandish orange “deck chairs” by Mal Furniture that look like Eames on acid. Shlumpy sofas and armchairs by Linteloo, another Dutch label (Jan te Lintelo is a friend of the owners), rub shoulders with signature pieces by Wanders and other Moooi regulars.

It’s not all Dutch, though – a noteworthy South African art collection, featuring works by Strijdom van der Merwe, Kurt Pio and Helen Vaughan, completes the picture. Suzy says, “Shopping in Cape Town with Jolanda for the art and accessories was a positive challenge (and amazing fun). Although I didn’t have a network there, everyone was extremely helpful and pointed us in the right direction.” 

Speaking of the right direction, for Clouds, the only way is up. 

021 885 1819, cloudsestate.com
Moooi products are available from cremadesign.co.za, fibredesigns.co.za, edgeinteriors.co.za, 03cubed.com
Selected Linteloo furniture is available at weylandts.co.za

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Triangles, squares and circles… no, we’re not talking mathematics (although good luck to the matrics writing today!) but the hottest in design trends. “Bright geometric patterns are taking over from the catwalk to the walls, floors and even furniture,” says Marian van Wyk. Brighten up your living spaces with these fab geometric tips!

• Use scatter cushions to combine different patterns in bright colours.
• Give a floor light a makeover with a colourful shade. 
• Create a statement wall with wallpaper.
• A new favourite is mixing black-and-white with bold geometric patterns.
• Choose a carpet with a chunky pattern for a dramatic decor statement.

Originally published in Rapport Mytyd. Subscribe here.

Find more shopping advice here.

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Cheer up your kitchen with some bright spot colours. Since the kitchen is the heart of the home, you’ll see the mood-enhancing effects touch your entire life! Here are four tips to keep in mind.

• When you choose a brightly coloured appliance, remember that you will have to live with it for a while so choose a hue that suits your personal tastes, rather than fleeting trends.
• That said, the retro look, with 50s and 60s colours such as green and orange, is very popular at the moment.
• Parsley or basil in a self-watering plant holder provide natural colour on your windowsill.
• You can revitalise an old cabinet yourself. Takes inspiration from the Pantone colour of the year, emerald green, or a nice apple green, such as Plascon’s Granny Apple, Jungle Green or Green Mumba.

Originally published in Rapport Mytyd. Subscribe here.

Find more shopping advice here.

 

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Yellow metals are a major worldwide decor trend. Give your living space shine with copper, bronze and splashes of gold, says stylist Marian van Wyk.

Moderation is the key though, so here are more styling tips:

• One or two great decor pieces with metallic upholstering material will look better than a range of bright accessories.
• Look out for original handmade pieces such as copper candleholders and furniture with metal inserts or copper legs.
• We do not have all day to stand and polish that gray-green patina that copper evolves over time – call it part of the charm.

Originally published in Rapport Mytyd. Subscribe here.

Find more shopping advice here.

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The theme for next week’s Decorex, from Thursday 25 April to Sunday 28 April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, is “Bliss”. Bliss out at Decorex indeed, as we’ve got five sets of double tickets up for grabs!

Decorex Cape Town is fast approaching, and this year they have gathered and challenged the city’s top designers to transport visitors to a state of thorough “Bliss” – the theme of the convention in its 15th year.

“Bliss is all about finding the simple moments of contentment in your own life,” says Sian Steyn, general manager of events and exhibitions at Decorex South Africa. “There is now an emphasis on taking out the fussy bits, adding a lot of soul, handmade essentials and always doing it responsibly. It’s design made simple, easy and usable.”

This year’s show reflects the decor and design trend of returning to simplicity becoming a new form of luxury. Luxury in 2013 is not defined by expensive materials and brand names, but rather centres on quality, bespoke objects with a genuine, artisanal design. As the world around us gets more hectic, we now turn to more humble and simplified decor.

Cape Town award-winning stylist and regular VISI contributor, Tracy Lee Lynch, will interpret the show’s theme of “Bliss” with a massive tapestry-inspired entrance feature (that you can see a preview of in the new Autumn VISI 65 currently on sale). It will remind visitors of the value (and bliss) of quiet time spent with eccentricity and nostalgia.

Other trends reflected in the show, will be the larger-than-life textures such as crochets, knits and felt, as well as bright and bold colours. Sian adds: “This season the trend in colour is influenced by the mood of society; we are drawn to colours that reflect how we feel.”

Plascon, Decorex’s proud sponsors, will reveal their much-awaited colour trend-forecast for 2013, “Balance”. The Plascon team will transform a room into four unique looks, showcasing the colour palette and its dramatic transformation of a room with different applications of colour. The team will also be available for colour consultation and expert advice regarding decor with paint.

The Decorex Designer Spotlight is expected to be the highlight of the show, as Stephen Lasker (head of Edge Interiors, South Africa’s official Moooi agent) has been commissioned to design and curate a feature reflecting his personal flair and the hottest trends in decor this season.

Cape Town’s finest food, restaurant and entertainment experts will be showcased at the Samsung Inspire Theatre with interactive talks, lifestyle demonstrations, cook-offs and how-to’s. Food lovers can also look forward to an array of high-quality artisanal foods at the food market. There will be a Fine Brandy station by Design Cellar; the Graham Beck Wine Bar by Wetherleys; as well as a tearoom complete with milkshake bar and a cake selection, designed by Adriaan Lochner.

Sounds like “bliss” to us!

To win one of the five sets of double tickets to the value of R140, share this post on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ or Linkedin – make sure to include “@VISI_mag @decorexSA” in the post – and tell us you have in the comments below. Enter before midnight on Sunday 21 April 2013.

And the winners are… Sera Holland, Yasmin Schrueder, Ian Engelmohr, Hildi Coetzee and Candice Raeburn. Congratulations and enjoy!

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Celebrate the whacky and eccentric, and add a little madness to your home. Says Marian Ward:

• Look for upholstery fabrics and storage containers with nostalgic gypsy tent stripes, diamond motifs, crazy swirls or playing cards.
• Paint black or red circus stripes on a ceiling or wall.
• Bring in a little fantasy with cheeky ceramics, cool model motor cars and hot air balloons.

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Decorate yourself and your home this Easter with a rabbit or two. There sure are plenty to choose from!

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