Local and sustainable brand Sealand Gear has opened a brand new Sandton store that puts an emphasis on its mission to create spaces and products that highlight the importance of being eco-conscious.

Beginning in 2015, the Sealand journey is thriving. Becoming environmentally conscious has become of the utmost importance as we are more aware of the effects of waste. Founded by two surfers, a dog and a Cruiser, the group trekked around the country of South Africa together in search of the best waves, where the Sealand concept came to fruition. Fast forward to 2023 and the dream has evolved into a vibrant group of professionals building global brand recognition for their sustainably – created products. 

All Sealand bags and apparel are handmade by valued craftspeople from waste or responsibly and ethically sourced materials. These materials are then combined with high-quality hardware, conscious design, and expert craftsmanship to create gear intended to last a lifetime. The upcycled and responsibly sourced materials used are sturdy and weather resistant, speaking to those who wear them on outdoor adventures or even the morning commuter. 

Sealand product makes use of materials that would otherwise be deemed as waste and creates value out of this waste. You can see this in the design of the new store, featuring materials like recycled plastic, terrazzo tiles, spinnaker material and cork.  

“There is no doubt that choosing a material that aligns with our ethos was an obvious choice,” explains co-owner, Jasper Eales. “If we as a sustainable brand can commit to making a significant impact from our product to our store design, we can assure you that our voice as educators in the sustainable space and waste experts does not only end in the gear we make. We commit to making conscious decisions in every process we execute.”

“The materials used in the Sealand Sandton store are carefully selected and speak directly to our brand story – rooted in sustainable processes, giving a sense of ‘coming from nature’ or ‘having a second life.’ All the elements chosen in the Store have a unified story, however, they perform individually as functional elements and reflect the true story of Sealand, explains co-owner Dean. ”You often hear brands and individuals saying they want to use recycled, second life or upcycled products in their store designs. But unfortunately never really knows how to follow through. The difference is, Sealand lives and breathes that ethos, it’s second nature and it has never been clearer than that of the Design and Development of Sealand Sandton. It’s not often that you get to design a retail environment incorporating these types of materials and that is what excited us the most. Every material was carefully curated and chosen to physically and visually represent what Sealand stands for not only in their products but in their store design and ultimately unifying the gap between product and store.”

Find the Sealand store at Shop U87 Sandton City.

Looking for more design inspiration? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.

The post Sealand Gear’s New Sandton Store appeared first on Visi.

Local furniture stalwart Block & Chisel is opening a brand new flagship store on the cusp of the Kramerville design quarter on Friday 2 September.

Known for creating bespoke pieces that reflect an antique edge, their pieces are lovingly handcrafted with influences from across the globe shining through their creations. Not only do they provide a platform for their brand, but Block & Chisel also showcases imported furniture in the beautiful new 6000sqm retail space. Using the concept of “inspired retail” the new space offers lots of natural light, interpreted alcoves and nooks, and staged areas best showcasing how the furniture looks in a variety of creative decor settings.

READ MORE: Cool Spaces: Durat Showroom Designed by Linda Bergroth

“Our people and the Block & Chisel brand have a wide range of qualities to boast but we are most proud of the fact that we are a homegrown South African business success story. We have managed to upskill so many local craftsmen and women whose work adorns some of the country’s most beautiful homes,” says director Paul McAdam.

The impressive showroom store adds to Block & Chisel’s growing portfolio that spans Cape Town’s flagship store in Diep River and boutiques in Chelsea Village and Kloof Street. The boutique Parkwood store at 155 Jan Smuts Avenue was opened in 2020.

“Kramerville has been a central pillar for designers and decorators in Johannesburg, accessible from major highways from Pretoria and Johannesburg. So we found ourselves a new home close by, renovated it, introduced the wonderful ‘Block Cafe’ and have added lots of secure parking to make it a destination experience,” he adds.

READ MORE: Cools Spaces: Me&B at Joburg’s 44 Stanley

“When it comes to choosing pieces for your interiors, we’re conscious of the need for references that are true to real life so we have designed our stores to be what we like to call ‘inspired retail.’ This means bringing in natural light, creating interesting nooks and varied spaces to demonstrate the versatility of a piece with our trained design consultants that are on hand to give advice and help you put things together,” says McAdam.

Cool collaborations you can spot on the floor include names such as brands such as local wall art and design brand Carasaven, interior fragrance experts Fuego scents and a gallery section featuring original art by Sibley and Sarah Heinemann bronzes.

For more information, visit blockandchisel.co.za.

Looking for more design inspiration? Sign up to our weekly newsletter, here.

The post New Block & Chisel Flagship Store appeared first on Visi.

Alice & Fifth in Sandton scooped top honours as Best Overall Restaurant at the international Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2019. Its designer, Tristan du Plessis of Tristan Plessis Studio, gives VISI some insight into its inspiration.

Reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy with a Russian twist, Alice & Fifth is a sensory indulgence slap bang in the heart of Sandton. “It’s an interplay between the masculine and the feminine,” says designer Tristan du Plessis, who was tasked with transforming a derelict basement into a dining space so extraordinary, it has been celebrated as the very best. “It’s a study in nostalgia, with a dark, contemporary twist.”

From the entrance – with its black panelling, ripple metallic ceiling and tasselled chandeliers that guide diners into the central space – to the rare Arabescato marble bar counter, the interior epitomises elegant drama. The lighting is skilful and layered, and the faux-fur elements conjure up images of the crème de la crème of a bygone age smoking cigars, downing vodkas and shaking hands over business deals.

“We chose a very rich 1920s colour palette of muted greens and deep burgundies for the upholstery,” Tristan says. “Walnut detailing in the curved banquettes and elsewhere lends added sophistication and warmth.” Handsome French oak herringbone floors ground the space and offset burnished brass details throughout.

Plus, a total absence of plants makes for a rather welcome change from the ubiquitous greenery of hipster hangouts. “The only option for plants in a windowless basement would be artificial, and we wanted all our materials to be authentic,” Tristan says.

In short, this 225-seater is a juxtaposition of high glamour and rough, unrefined edges – perfect for those with a love of opulence and an adventurous spirit.

For more of Tristan Plessis Studio‘s designs, follow them on Instagram.

The post Cool Spaces: Alice & Fifth appeared first on Visi.

Saint, David Higgs’ new pizza and Champagne restaurant in Sandton, is an inspired combination of simplicity and high style, simultaneously chic and tongue-in-cheek.

Behind the bar at Saint, chef David Higgs’ new restaurant in Sandton, the wall is animated by a huge sculpture by artist and product development maestro Damien Grivas. It’s a kind of deconstructed Renaissance statue, broken up and reassembled as a faceted installation. In the bathrooms, the basins take the shape of giant cupped hands, also Grivas’s work. In the restaurant itself, the ceiling features a vaulted dome onto which 3D images are projected – some based on Renaissance frescoes, others with more current imagery. The front of the wine cellar is a contemporary stained-glass rendition of windows in Italian cathedrals.

Apart from the opulence of it all, there’s a clear theme that holds these extravagant gestures together: the contemporary interpretation of classic Italian art and design. It’s as if Old Italy has been taken, shaken up, transported thousands of kilometres and hundreds of years, and reassembled in a modern South African setting.

Saint looks out over the JSE and its surrounds from The Marc, Sandton’s latest gobsmacking glass edifice on the corner of Maud and Rivonia roads. It might serve pizza, but it’s not just any pizzeria. It’s a collaboration between chef David Higgs and Gary Kyriacou, who launched Marble, with its inspired take on cooking with fire, in Rosebank a few years ago. Once again they’ve taken something supposedly simple – a grill at Marble, pizza at Saint – and given it a contemporary spin along with some masterful culinary treatment. (The delicate Neapolitan-style pizzas are thin and slightly chewy, cooked for just 60 seconds in specially imported gold-mosaiced pizza ovens, and there’s also pasta and offerings from the grill.)

The interiors of Saint are the brainchild of Gary’s wife Irene Kyriacou, who worked closely with the Reddeco team to realise their spectacular Pazzo Italiano (crazy Italian) design. Irene says the angled pillars of The Marc, which seem to pierce the restaurant space, brought to mind the columns of classical architecture. The volume of the space also has a classical grandeur. “I immediately thought of the Sistine Chapel and those palazzos with beautiful frescoed ceilings,” says Irene.

The setting in the rapidly transforming, energetic commercial precinct of the Sandton CBD, however, prompted a “modern take on classic Italian”. Hence the combination of high-tech projections, fragmented figural forms, and abstracted stained-glass patterns. Also, any thought of faux authenticity has been banished (although the chefs did travel to Milan to learn their craft). “We’re a South African Italian restaurant,” says Irene, “so how do we bring about out our own unique story?”

At the entrance, a hand-woven tapestry designed by Sarita Immelman with Grid Worldwide (who did the branding for Saint and worked with David and Gary at Marble, too) depicts “an African angel kissing a mythological creature”, as Irene describes it. The passage at the end of the restroom features a photographic artwork by Krisjan Rossouw of a majestic African woman in period dress. “It’s quite tongue in-cheek,” she says. The hostesses who greet you are dressed in David Tlale.

The idea is that, although the interiors are dazzling, the mood is casual and fun – an elevated experience to match the menu but one that’s energised rather than intimidating. Irene uses word like “playful” and “sexy” to describe the tone, which she’s interpreted in the furnishings by “mixing the Renaissance with a little bit of ’50s retro, mid-century”, capturing that bright boldness in the fabrics.

Many of the furniture pieces were specially designed for the restaurant – Irene collaborated with the likes of David Krynauw, Guideline and Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio. Other elements are also drawn from local makers: Laurie Wiid van Heerden of Wiid Design and Ngwenya Glass collaborated on the water glasses; the terracotta pizza plates are from Rialheim. Much of the lighting is imported.

Like the concept of combining pizza and Champagne that inspired Saint, the interiors work with inspired contrasts. The result fosters the sense of playful escapism that makes a restaurant a destination.

The post Sandton Restaurant: Saint appeared first on Visi.

The interior of The Course, a new restaurant and bar at SLOW in the City near Sandton Gautrain Station, is proof of the value a top design team can bring to a new venue.

SLOW in the City, a stylish lounge and workspace diagonally opposite Sandton Gautrain Station, has long provided a quiet haven to commuters who are SLOW members. Now, it features a new restaurant and bar, The Course, which is open to the public. Tonic Design, which was responsible for the interior design of the original SLOW Lounges and SLOW in the City, has created an elegant, modern take on a French brasserie.

It’s open all day – from breakfast to cocktails and dinner – so it needed the kind of style and appeal that could effortlessly make the transition from morning to evening. Phillipe van der Merwe of Tonic Design says he wanted the interior design of the restaurant to both complement the existing interiors of SLOW in the City and differentiate it as a new destination.

Rather than replicating French decor to achieve the effect, he took his inspiration from the proportions and finishes of classic Parisian design. “So it has the richness and overall feel of a more traditional Parisian space, but in its actual detailing it is more contemporary,” he says.

While extending the original palette and the strong base of neutrals they carried over from SLOW – oak flooring and steel elements – Phillipe softened the new space with a warm palette of green, deep rust and ochre yellows. “I really wanted it to be warm and inviting,” he says. “There’s quite a lot of emphasis on beautiful materials.”

The interior glows and twinkles invitingly from a distance when viewed from the street or passing by in a car, and it lives up to its promise once you’re inside with a rich tactile experience.

The materials are of the best quality – marble tabletops, velvet cushions, upholstery in leather and chenille. “We’ve also laid down botanical prints,” says Phillipe. The furniture and lighting, including GUBI bar stools and lights from Denmark, is understatedly beautiful.

As Sandton sprouts more and more monolithic buildings with ever shinier facades, it’s nice to know there is a new pocket of style and comfort to add warmth to this business district.

Find out more at slow.co.za.

The post Cool Spaces: The Course appeared first on Visi.

After 18 years as Sandton’s steak institution, The Bull Run was totally demolished to give way to a timeless space that speaks harmoniously to the JSE and downtown New York-style steakhouses.

Designed by Tristan du Plessis of Studio A, the owners sought a fresh space that continued the brand rhetoric and was not typically trendy or contemporary, but rather a space that would remain timeless in its design. The challenge to create a perennial playground for meat-lovers and wine-drinkers was one Tristan explored through materiality, depth of textures and how these elements combined would relate not only to the ambience, but to customer experience as well.

The space embodies the age-old quote that says, “Quality never goes out of style.” Imported lighting from London creates an ambient glow cast on the raw brick walls. Art from New York punctuates the red facades while handcrafted South African curios add an African touch. A large painting of Benjamin Franklin casts an ever-watchful eye over patrons enjoying a drink at the bar.

Love this moody space? See other designs by Studio A, here.

The post The Bull Run by Tristan Du Plessis appeared first on Visi.

A strikingly dark Weylandts concept store has opened in Sandton City, Johannesburg.

Guided by the vision of Chris Weylandt, the store has been designed by Weylandts Spaces and Weylandts Home Outfitters, the official interior concepts and design sector of the company.

The store will feature homeware, furniture, artwork, crockery, linen, cookware, bathroom items and exclusive Weylandts imports.

Aiming to provide a dramatic and decadent hotel-themed shopping experience unique to South Africa, the store promises to take the client on a sensory journey.

“Although the product we feature in Sandton City will range from the affordable to the luxurious, the in-store experience will be exciting and memorable,” said Chris Weylandt. “Each visit will engage all five senses and deliver world-class customer service. We have installed never-before-seen furniture and homeware, dramatic window displays, touch screens and even a champagne bar.”

For more information, visit weylandts.co.za.

The post Weylandts Concept Store In Sandton appeared first on Visi.

Johannesburg-based architect and artist Lorenzo Nassimbeni is behind a colourful new urban artwork, which can now be seen in the Alice Lane Precinct in Johannesburg’s Sandton.

Made up of graphic patterned tiles in a bold colour palette of yellow, black, red and white, the artwork was created not only to entice people to the shared plaza located at the top of the staircase, but to brighten up the area, which is made up of predominantly grey tones. Looking to the surrounding architecture, Lorenzo created a collection of arrow-like shapes, encouraging visitors to walk up the stairs to the plaza above.

For Lorenzo, the artwork is not an imposed object in the space, but rather is the space itself. The piece can be viewed in a multitude of ways: from far it looks almost 2-dimensional, at a closer vantage point, the “image” tilts, while from above, the graphics start to break up and fragment.

Lorenzo collaborated closely with Abland (client), PARAGON Architects (architects of the building), Parts & Labour (artwork project manager) and Counterspace (conceptual graphic presentation) in the realisation of this project.

You can view more of Lorenzo’s work at lorenzonassimbeni.com.

The post Alice Lane Precinct: Colourful Staircase Artwork appeared first on Visi.

Fairlawns Boutique and Spa has been refurbished and taken to the next level of whimsical luxury.

Nestled in a lush garden on a quiet street in Morningside Manor, not far from the Sandton CBD, is the five-star Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa. In June 2016, managing director Michael Kewley embarked on a refurbishment of the 19-year-old establishment. It would see him transform a dozen suites, the bistro and the spa into contemporary, chic and luxuriously calming spaces in 12 weeks. “Before, everything was quite heavy and featured a lot of hand-painted technique,” says Michael. “The shabby-chic look was in 20 years ago. But we had to move on and start playing with a fresher feel.”

Instead of throwing everything out and starting from scratch, Michael had a lot of the antiques restored and brought in locally sourced collectibles as to add an eclectic touch to the new rooms. “I’ve taken the old, married it with the new and found a fusion between the decor styles,” he says. Michael drew inspiration from his travels and his love of Asia, but mostly from the fact that Fairlawns is known for its tranquil gardens. “You’ll see florals in the fabrics and real orchids and other plants; I had a lot of fun playing with botanicals. It was important for me to bring the outdoors in.”

Each suite is designed to take guests on a journey – to places such as France, Morocco  and Kenya, among others – and features a dramatic fireplace, a spectacular chandelier, plush furniture, quirky accessories and a grand bathroom. Every bath is different, something Michael says he had the most fun with. “I endeavoured to incorporate element  of surprise, so you’ll come around a corner and see something unusual, like an applegreen-style dresser, a pink spoonbill bird under a glass dome or the strawberry-daiquiri-coloured cake trolley we use for our tea parties, which all stand out in the most unusual areas, and you’ll ask yourself, ‘Why is that here?’” The intrigue doesn’t end there. Fairlawns’ Bali-themed spa features original Balinese tables, bamboo light fittings, wooden chimes that tinkle in the wind and traditional sandstone carvings on the walls – all imported from Indonesia.“The spa used to be very colourful and bright, but I’ve toned it down to be more natural, with a focus on the senses – water trickling over an oversized Buddha head in the treatment area, birds singing in the garden, mood lighting, relaxation pods and, of course, the calming scent of vanilla or lemongrass wafting through the space.”

Last but not least is the new Manor House Bistro, which leads out to a terrace that overlooks the garden. It’s just the place for high tea or al-fresco dining. Some of the playful touches are sugar bowls that look like owls, rabbits or horses; banana-leaf vases; and a flock of porcelain seagulls flying across the bar area. Fairlawns Hotel still has that stately ambience, but now with a touch of whimsy.

Book your stay via fairlawnshotel.co.za.

The post Cool Spaces: Johannesburg Hotel appeared first on Visi.

The Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Boutique in Sandton is one of only 40 stores in the world that offer the YSL Le Vestiaire des Parfums range of unisex fragrances.

Created in the memory of one of the most influential couturiers of all time, the new Yves Saint Laurent range of unisex fragrances is appropriately named Le Vestiaire des Parfums, meaning The Wardrobe of Perfumes – it is an interpretation of the fashion trends pioneered by the designer. The range comprises five scents: Tuxedo (patchouli and dark spices), Caban (pink pepper and tonka bean), Saharienne (neroli and white musks), Trench (citrus and iris) and Caftan (incense and Eastern benzoin).

Those who live far from Jozi won’t have to miss out. Simply contact Stuttafords and arrange collection from your nearest store.

The post Yves Saint Laurent Le Vestiaire des Parfums appeared first on Visi.