Local bespoke wallpaper and surface design studio Robin Sprong‘s latest wallpaper offering includes the abstract shapes and nature-inspired motifs of Swedish illustrator and pattern designer Alexander Adiels.

This collection of whimsical wallpapers was designed in Alexander’s small home office in Stockholm. Once a wardrobe, Alexander notes that his office may appear small and cluttered to some, but that he finds his creative fantasies thrive in a room without windows.

Alexander usually conjures his pattern ideas when he is not working. In an effort to defeat boredom, he likes to have numerous projects on the go at once. He uses both analogue drawings/paintings and digital techniques to add more interesting surfaces and structures to his work.

His style can be described as a mix between figurative and abstract, and his main focus is always to take a step back from how reality is perceived and “make it into something else, where each wallpaper is its own little universe”.

Love this collection? It’s available locally via Robin Sprong. Keep an eye out for another collaboration in 2021 and follow Alexander on Instagram (@alexanderadiels) to see more of his work.

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MRP Home has collaborated with Cape Town-based boutique design consultancy Envy&Co on a celebration-focused collection that’s all about enjoying the festive season in style.

Founded by Jaco Janse van Rensburg and Kay Abrahams in 2016, Envy&Co works on renovations and interiors for retail, residential and commercial properties.

The newly-launched range is inspired by the elegance of green marble, combined with crystal hues, bold metallics and luxurious textures. From glassware and crockery to bed linen, wine coolers and scatters, the expansive 44-piece homeware collection aims to create a sense of occasion in any space.

In addition, local surface design and creative wallpaper brand Robin Sprong has released The Envy Collection, a range of three wallpapers that form part of this collaboration. Entitled Champagne Dreams, Gemstone Starburst and Malachite Magic, the limited-edition wallpapers will be available at Robin Sprong until 29 January 2021.

To shop online, visit mrphome.com and robinsprong.com.

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Local wallpaper and surface design brand Robin Sprong has launched a new collection by Manchester-based design brand Avalana.

The new range, created by Hazel Carruthers, the artist and designer behind Avalana, is inspired by nature, folklore and travel.

“At Avalana, it’s all about creating truly stunning, hand-painted designs for boutique style interiors,” says Avalana on its website. “Each print is designed to encapsulate the extraordinary beauty of our natural world and seeks to inspire a sense of wonderment and escapism to the viewer.”

Avalana features an array of ink and watercolour designs, each of which is initially sketched and hand-painted by Hazel before being digitally translated into wall murals.

For more information, visit robinsprong.com.

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When an entrepreneurial couple decided to build a tasting room on their Stellenbosch property Kunjani!, they didn’t anticipate that Haldane Martin would turn it into a landmark. But now there it is.

You can’t miss Kunjani! Wines’ tasting room. Coming round a bend in Blumberg Drive, Devonvale – itself one of the most scenic roads in the Cape Winelands – the building greets you like a vivacious host at a Christmas lunch who knows that you will just love her absolutely favourite Shiraz.

The lipstick red of the sliding screens and Kunjani! Wines signage enlivens the building’s black paintwork and dark-grey Table Mountain slate, and contrasts intelligently with the green of the surrounding vineyards. Framed by the pine trees that line the road, Kunjani! is a smiling South African howzit. A warm and welcoming woza in the Winelands.

Those familiar with designer Haldane Martin’s recent work at Urbanologi restaurant in Johannesburg or his 2016 design of Healey’s Cheesery in Somerset West would not be completely surprised by the liberal doses of red. I, for one, thought that the colour was becoming something of a signature style or trademark flourish. But I was wrong.

“Oh no, it’s not like red is my favourite colour or anything,” Haldane says. “It just so happened that red has been the right colour for the projects and clients’ brands that I have been involved in recently. And it was the right colour for Kunjani! Wines, which is a bold, unpretentious brand. Pia [ Watermeyer] and Paul [Barth] are passionate people, so the red symbolises them.”

In fact, the building as it exists today would not have been possible without co-owner Pia’s passion. At first, the architects insisted that the building should be white, in line with the more traditional Cape Dutch aesthetic of the Winelands. “Haldane and I sat there being bullied by about 15 architects,” Pia says, “but in the end I put my foot down.” Then Pia had to negotiate her husband’s aversion to black. “It’s not a colour as far as Paul is concerned,” she says. But Pia has an impish determination, which acted as a vanguard for Haldane’s vision.

Haldane relished getting more extensively involved in the architectural details on this project than usual. Out went the conventional wooden rafters, and in came slatted wooden ceiling and red steel tie beams, a reference to the traditional reed ceilings of old farmhouses. Haldane invoked a pantheon of local designers and artists to complement his own creations: Doktor and Misses, La Grange Interiors, Pedersen + Lennard, James Mudge, Laurie Wiid van Heerden, Goet Furniture and Design, Sarah Ord Interiors, LIM, Robin Sprong Wall papers, Peter Pharoah, Krisjan Rossouw…

In your rearview mirror, the red sliding screens take Kunjani! Wines from an arty shrine to a significant landmark. A monument, even, to the time when a feisty owner and a progressive designer made sure that contemporary African flavour triumphed over traditional tastes.

Take an exclusive 360-degree tour of this space and watch our video interview with Haldane here.

For more information about this space, visit kunjaniwines.co.za.

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A new range of wallcoverings by KZN-based fine-fabric manufacturer Cottonberry has captured dreamy boho island vibes.

Cottonberry owner Felicity Ellis, a former ad exec who ventured into textiles in 2005, describes the growing business’s aesthetic as “global inspiration, local production”.

Her Indigo Bay fabric range was influenced by hand-dyed textiles she’d seen on a trip to Mozambique. Her experimentation with blue-hued dying techniques that would capture this laid-back spirit led her to the Japanese art of shibori, a form of tie-dyeing that involves folding or twisting cloth and binding it.

“During the development process I felt more like an intrigued facilitator than a designer,” Felicity says. Following on the success of this range, Cottonberry recently extended the theme by introducing new designs on a cream-coloured cotton and on wallpaper. The new digitally printed fabric collection, called Indigo Bay Extended, is available from Walnut Interior, The Blumberg Fabric Co, Lynn Fagg and Halogen International. The range is now also available as wallcoverings through Robin Sprong Wallpapers.

What’s next for the brand? Look out for a midcentury-inspired range that incorporates bold poppies and retro geometrics, due out this year.

For more information, visit cottonberry.co.za.

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Leaders of South African design were honoured at the fifth annual Design Foundation Awards held in Cape Town.

The 2017 awards signal a fresh approach by the Design Foundation, formerly known as the Southern Guild Design Foundation. “With our independent think-tank board representing diverse industries, our aim is to have a foundation that supports the design industry at large – from grassroots and educational levels to manufacture, retail and export,” explains board member Trevyn McGowan.

Krone is the sponsor of the prestigious Icon Award, won by Gregor Jenkin, who was also the inaugural recipient of this award in 2012. The recently-opened tasting room at Twee Jonge Gezellen (go on a tour of it with VISI here) is furnished exclusively with South African furniture and fittings and is testament to Krone’s support of local entrepreneurs in design and manufacturing.

The awards were judged by a Design Foundation board sub-committee, after nominations were received from past winners and an external jury of industry insiders that included our very own Sumien Brink and Annemarie Meinjies, Cathy O’Clery of Platform Creative Agency, curator and interior designer Tracy Lynch (responsible for Twee Jonge Gezellen’s interiors), Tiaan Nagel of House and Leisure, and Leigh Robertson and Ntombenhle Shezi of ELLE Decoration, as well as nominations from tertiary institutions for the Apprentice Award.

“We believe [design] has the ability to change South Africa, and by supporting local design we’re investing in a positive future,” said Abigail Rands, Marketing Director of Krone.

Icon Award

Image credit: Pieter Maltbie

Winner: Gregor Jenkin
Sponsor: Krone
Awarded in recognition of work produced in the last 12 months, acknowledging outstanding achievement, innovation and career advancement.

Object That Moves Award

Winner: willowlamp
Sponsor: 100% Design South Africa
Celebrates an original product that has experienced great commercial success – aspirational and top-end, yet commercially viable to sell in multiples.

Maker to Market Award

Winner: Robin Sprong Wallpaper
Sponsor: M&C Saatchi Abel
Awarding a design company that understands the value of marketing, consumer interaction, packaging and delivery. 

Manufacture Award

Winner: Ngwenya Glass (Chas and Cathy Prettejohn)
Sponsor: Bronze Age
Recognising a manufacturer who has gone beyond expectation to aid designers in realising their products.

Future Found Award

Winner: Thabisa Mjo (Mash.T Design Studio)
Sponsor: Von Seidels
Celebrating a young designer who has already achieved excellence with limited resources.

Apprentice Award

Winner: Keitumetse Maake (University of Johannesburg)
Sponsor: David Krynauw
Awarding the winner a 12-month internship to work alongside this designer, craftsman and manufacturer.

Design With Purpose Award

Winner: SolarTurtle (James van der Walt, Lungelwa Tyali and Charlene Barnes)
Sponsor: AfriSign
Recognising socially responsible work done by a company, within the South African landscape, with a focus on design aspects, that makes a difference in the lives of communities.

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Foliage is cropping up everywhere this season, but here at VISI HQ we’re especially taken with these beautiful leafy fabrics, wallpapers and accessories.

1. Khrôma Oxygen OXY404 Paloma wallpaper in Dark Emerald R1 550 per roll, Dreamweaver Studios

2. Khrôma Oxygen OXY001 Fuji wallpaper in Emerald R1 550 per roll, Dreamweaver Studios

3. Delicious Monster Canvas Material 150cm wide R595, aLoveSupreme

4. Exotic Bloom in Paradise from the Cape to Casablanca wallpaper collection R984.90 per roll, Hertex

5. Delicious Jungle 70 cm x 40 cm linen cushion cover R780, by Hot Coffee at Block & Chisel and Loft Living

6. Crazy Banana Camo R560 ex VAT per m² , Robin Sprong

7. Banana Leaves R99, LILA+LOLA at Superbalist.com

8. Fronds Cushion Cover R395, Skinny laMinx

9. Picnic blanket R229, cool bag R149, beach bag R79,99, towel R149, cushion cover R79,99 and paper cups R49,99 for 10, H&M 

10. Eijffinger Blend 363070 wallpaper R1 240 per roll, Dreamweaver Studios

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Fine artist and textile designer Lisa Swanepoel has designed a brand-new range of detailed, colourful and decorative wallpaper for bespoke wallpaper and surface design company Robin Sprong.

Lisa’s career began as a print designer, window installation conceptualiser and creator of high-end children’s clothing, which later directed her into large scale installation artworks that make use of a variety of mediums, including 3D relief works made from Pantone cards and vinyl, colourful perspex pieces backlit by LED lights, 3D enamel painted mirror artworks and many more.

The bespoke collection of wallpaper features an array of decorative patterns in both colourful and monochromatic hues that are bound to breathe new life into your home. The wallpaper is available in three options: PVC-free, 100% recyclable or vinyl face with a non-woven backing. The wallpaper is easy to maintain, as it can be wiped clean with a water-based cleanser. They are also printed with non-toxic latex ink that is eco-friendly.

Be sure to see Lisa Swanepoel’s stunning home featured in the latest issue of VISI. For more information, visit Robin Sprong.

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What will be trending in wallpaper design this year? Robin Sprong gives us the inside scoop.

Surface design company Robin Sprong Wallpaper (#RSWallpaper) had an epic 2015. “We stitched 250 maps for an enormous wallpaper for a Cattle Baron restaurant, redid Investec’s offices on Greyston Drive in Johannesburg, decorated Vice magazine’s new offices in Toronto, Canada, and we were represented at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven by Exposize, our new partners there,” says Robin. The company’s bold and quirky designs were also highlighted at 100 % Design.

Robin shares some of his insights into trends for 2016.

What inspires new wallpaper designs?

Trend follows fashion, and we keep an eye on that. I believe South Africa is firmly on top of current international design trends and it’s easy for us to move around in that space, as we are an eclectic, cosmopolitan country. A lot of our wallpaper inspiration comes from the diversity and spirit of our nation, but we also like to look at international trends. I am quite interested in the design of African fabric print and look for ways that I can put together a collection that is fresh.

Which trends will dominate this year?

We will continue to see large floral leaf and botanical designs in blues and emerald greens. Marble and stone textures are going to be big, as are playful geometric designs in bold 1980s-inspired colourways.

What can we look forward to from Robin Sprong Wallpaper in 2016?

We will continue to grow into our new markets, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA. You will also see us focus more on the artists represented by RSWallpaper and on developing artwork.

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You’ve seen the cushion covers, prints, aprons, adorable zip purses and custom fabrics. Now Skinny laMinx has collaborated on a beautiful Paradise is Here wallpaper collection with designer Robin Sprong.

The designs available include Orla, Duikers, Brancusi Stripe, Wild Flowers, Bowls, Woodpile and Flower Fields.

All printed on pre-gummed PVC wallpaper which is 100% recyclable and printed with non-toxic latex ink.

The Paradise is Here wallpaper is made to order to suit any size requirements.

For more information, visit robinsprong.com or skinnylaminx.com.

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