Offset your furniture with some of these striking suggestions for wallpaper.

Remember when wallpaper was about covering an entire room in one chosen pattern? These days, that kind of commitment is no longer necessary. Using wallpaper in much the same way you would use an artwork – as a feature on a wall to offset a furniture arrangement – is far more striking, and also more complementary to modern spaces. 

Should you wish to change the pattern at some point in the future, this solution makes it that much easier to follow your heart’s desires. Be inspired by some of our favourite examples…

www.blackfabrics.co.za, www.5rooms.com, www.stleger.co.za, www.hf.co.za

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Even though we live in a hyper-connected world, too often technology is still relegated to an afterthought when we design a room. Enter the new discipline of techorating and tickle your ears and eyes with these stylish speakers.

Bull’s-eye

A round of applause for the BeoPlay A9’s roundhouse of features. Powerfully simple physical form, check. Wireless connection to devices, check. Party-rousing sound, check. Floor stand or wall mount, check. Available from Bang & Olufsen with several options for the fabric cover and wooden legs.

Acoustic amplifier

Paul Cocksedge’s Change the Record speaker, made from recycled vinyl LPs, and the transparent-plastic Volume speaker, use their horn shape to amplify the sound coming from your iPod or smartphone. No wires or electricity required. Suspend it mid-air for distributed sound or use the table stand for directional sound. 

Sonic artwork

Not only are SoundFrame speakers one of the thinnest on the market, making for discreet wall mounting, they also act as a visual display unit. Although some of the decorative grilles on the existing range aren’t bad, we loved the idea that custom grilles can be made from photographs of our choice.

Classic clout

Ultra-slick contemporary speakers are not going to suit every style of home. For more timeless environs, the Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond series adds class to any techorating scheme. With a legacy that includes being used in the Abbey Road Studios in London and other leading recording studios across the world, there’s absolutely no doubt about quality. The elegant forms are available in three finishes. 

How about teaming your designer speakers with a handcrafted wooden LP player? 

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“Innovation, high quality and perfect form – everything that is needed to take the bathroom to a new level.” Duravit’s promise comes with brand-new developments that set new standards in bathrooms, reports our deputy editor Annemarie Meintjes.

Everything is brand new!

The new DuraStyle bathroom series by Matteo Thun & Partners is deliberately simple and reduced, with a focus on functionality that allows for flexibility and freedom of style in your bathroom.

We love the “upward lip” on the rear rim of the bathtub, which not only conceals toiletries and other bathroom products, it also provides support when getting in and out of the bath.

The slender, understated and almost weightless flat toilet seat and cover gets our thumb’s up, but the Scandi-chic washbasin, with its timber legs and slim silhouette, steals the show, creating an air of sophistication and serenity.

Sound reflections

Queuing for the bathroom is about to get real, with Duravit introducing an integrated sound system for bathrooms. Music can be streamed wirelessly from any Bluetooth-compatible devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and up to eight different users can be registered in the system, allowing every member of the family to enjoy their own playlists! (Read more articles about techorating here.)

All technical components are concealed behind a panel inside the mirror cabinet, which are only visible when the cabinet doors are open. The module comprises a high-quality 2.1 system with two patented flat-drive speakers and a subwoofer with passive radiator. It’s waterproof and moisture-resistant and emits soft, clean surround-sound.

Starck 2 redesigned

The affordable classic has been redesigned, with small tweaks and slick details giving the new range a fresh, light and modern look. (Read about Philippe Starck’s redesigned Axor Starck Organic faucet collection here.)

The slightly oval, surface-mounted washbasin is more organic in appearance, while the reduced rim-height of the quadrant-shaped shower has a flatter, more elegant look. The show-stopper is undoubtedly the rectangular bathtub with its integrated neck rest, which makes long, languid soaks impossible to resist. 

For more information, visit duravit.com or email karen.robyn@za.duravit.com

Read more articles by Annemarie here.

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It’s time to hibernate and there’s a new breed of sofas that you can literally climb into and cocoon in.

In the 1990s, trends forecaster Faith Popcorn coined the term “cocooning” to describe the tendency for people to spend more time at home, socialising, working and shopping online. Fast forward to 2013 and you can literally turn your couch into a private cocoon where you rest and regenerate. Check out our favourites.

Autumn/Winter Blanket Chair

Polish fashion and interior designer Aga Brzostek was inspired by apparel, particularly knitted jumpers, and decided she wanted to make a couch that would give the same feeling of comfort on cold winter nights. She even took her cue from the fashion world’s seasons by naming her chair “Autumn/Winter”. The wool cover is removable and adjustable, and there’s a small pocket on the side, probably for her copy of VISI. conceptdesign.pl

Snug Chair

This chair, designed by Prague-based design label Kumeko, is built around a comfy pillowy centre, which is surrounded by a 100% wool-felt sleeve that’s been padded with soft tubes. It’s available in small, medium and large. kumeko.com

Moody Couch

The concept behind German designer Hanna Emelie Ernsting’s Moody Couch range is that you can shift and play with its high-quality cotton-wadding-lined upholstery to suit your mood, whether you want to nap, sit up straight or just relax with a companion. We recommend keeping crumbs far away from this one.hannaernsting.com

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Given winter’s plummeting temperatures, we’ve put together a list of our favourite wood-free fireplaces worth snuggling up to.

Curling up in front of a crackling fire remains a fantasy for most, especially the apartment dwellers among us, because of the structural changes needed for a wood-fuelled fireplace.

Enter the vast range of bio-ethanol versions… Easy to install pretty much anywhere that good taste allows, they have the advantage of creating the cosiness you want with none of the mess.

They can be freestanding, attached to walls and ceilings, or displayed on coffee tables, making it easy to choose an option that suits the way you live. No wood, no smoke, no chimney required. This means more heat is maintained inside your home, thus using less energy.

And yes, you are permitted to give yourself a green tick for that. In fact, go ahead and give yourself two ticks while you enjoy VISI’s selection of our favourite bio-ethanol fireplaces on the market.

beautyfires.com, biofires.co.za, entrepo.co.za

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Read in English.

Raoul Goetze is ’n opgeleide multimedia-ontwerper wat bedags as tatoeëerkunstenaar werk, saans kitaar speel in die psigedeliese rock ’n roll-groep Wild Eastern Arches, en hom tussendeur besig hou met visuele kuns, afdrukke, tekeninge en etse. Die lieflike ingewikkelde mandalas wat hy skets en dan met laser op mahoniehout graveer, het ons oog gevang.

“Ek spesialiseer in grafiese ontwerp, wat my die streng dissipline van ontwerp-uitleg, konseptualisering, aandag aan detail en ’n strewe na volmaaktheid geleer het – en natuurlik ook om altyd iets te probeer maak wat op visuele vlak aantreklik is. Nietemin het ek praktiese ontwerp – dít waarvoor jy net ’n potlood en papier nodig het – gemis. Dit is waarom ek hout as medium gekies het: om my hande ’n slag weer vuil te kry,” verduidelik Raoul. Hy sê hy word ook geïnspireer deur die ritualistiese en spirituele aspekte van mandalas en hou van hulle balans en die detail in hulle konstruksie.

Ons het Raoul se werk gesien en daaraan geraak en is heeltemal uitgeboul deur hulle eklektiese invloede en die manier waarop die werk put uit al die verskillende kreatiewe dissiplines waarin hulle skepper hom werp. Volgens Raoul dien sy mandalas as vertrekpunt vir toekomstige projekte, wat op visuele en funksionele ontwerpe sal fokus. Ons sal beslis op die uitkyk wees vir nog skeppings deur dié maestro.

raoulgoetze.com, 084 089 6601, raoul.goetze@gmail.com

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Known for directing alternative music videos and boundary-pushing commercials, super-talented Louis Minnaar’s new range of lights is, well, turning us on.

We’re quite impressed with Louis Minnaar’s unconventional approach to whatever he creates. Whether he’s directing a music video for Jack Parow, die Heuwels Fantasties and AKing, or directing the Hyundai i20 commercial, his alternative aesthetic underpins all his creations. Not to mention that he’s a member of Afrikaans electro rap band Bittereinder, which is currently on the 5fm top 40!

With his project LIG, the 28-year-old Pretoria-born-and-raised designer has created an exquisite range of three-dimensional lamps made from laser-cut pieces of compressed wood. They’ve got a contemporary Scandi-Japanese look and feel but are unmistakeably original.

Not surprisingly, his no-rules approach applies here too. When we asked him if form should follow function or vice versa, he answered: “Either way is good for me, as long as it works.” It’s this laid-back, unaffected attitude that makes his work fresh and thoroughly contemporary.

082 575 6333, liglamp.co.za, louisminnaar@gmail.com

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Only four days until the cut off for the first call for proposals for Cape Town’s World Design Capital 2014 festival! We chatted to Alayne Reesberg, the newly appointed CEO of Cape Town Design NPC, the company in charge of the WDC2014 arrangements. Alayne Reesberg has been appointed CEO of Cape Town Design NPC, the company in charge of the World Design Capital 2014 arrangements.

Alayne Reesberg has been appointed CEO of Cape Town Design NPC, the company in charge of the World Design Capital 2014 arrangements. With less than a year to go, there are quite a few naysayers, but this woman’s energy, enthusiasm and experience have won us over. And she’s launched a call for proposals, so sharpen your pencils and get your thinking caps on!

What is Alayne Reesberg’s story? 

I grew up in the Kalahari and went to the University of Cape Town to study languages. After 12 years in the diplomatic service, I did a Master’s in communication theory and studied journalism in the United States. That led me into the Microsoft Corporation where I worked for Bill Gates.

What is your design background? 

I may not be a designer myself, but many of my friends are, and I’ve always surrounded myself with it and been aware of it in my surroundings. I’ve lived in London and New York, and visited Portland and Boston a lot. All of those are old cities that have made big design decisions. Take the New York High Line, for instance… When I lived in New York, it was a no-go area and now it’s become a very hip area with beautiful old architecture.

What is your perception of Cape Town in terms of design?

There are parts of Cape Town where you are really hugged by the city, but there are other parts that are transitional. It’s intangible, really, about whether your eye catches things that slow you down, or whether you speed up. With World Design Capital we will have a year-long festival of design-focused events and activities to make Cape Town better and have a tangible social impact.

What are your plans for the World Design Capital year?

There are six events that are a standard part of the World Design Capital. In among those six things, we have to weave in our Capetonian magic. We’ve just launched our first call for submissions under four themes, which support the bid promise of “Live Design, Transform Life”; the second call goes live in July. The submissions will be curated by a multidisciplinary panel (including VISI’s Annemarie Meintjes). Some of them may need to be developed and hopefully they will attract sponsorship, but there are already projects that deserve the recognition.

Broadly, I want to make visible what people may have a hunch about, know about or have seen, but have not experienced as a whole. The legacy of the initiative will be determined by how well we can articulate our story.

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

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The new National Portrait Award launched by Sanlam Private Investments has reignited the conversation about what makes a good portrait. Craig Wylie, a Rhodes University graduate internationally renowned for his arresting paintings since winning the 2008 BP Portrait Award in the UK, sheds some light.

How did you get into portraiture?

From a young age I’ve drawn people, both imaginary and real. As I became more serious about art as a vocation, it was a natural progression to continue this interest in the human figure.

What is the appeal of portraiture?

I love what a good portrait does to me. It seems to operate on a visceral level. I’m interested in all kinds of painting and art in general, but the works that move me are more frequently figurative. I feel it’s possible to create something very interesting with coloured paints, a flat surface and a human subject.

What is unique about your portraits?

I suppose there is a peculiar contradiction in my current work. At first glance the portraits appear to have a solid presence, created by the high level of photo-reality and large scale. However, while one continues to look, this seemingly apparent certainty of existence seems to oscillate and fragment, and the paintings take on an ethereal, almost weightless, feeling. This may be enhanced by the fact that I paint from a computer screen and try to combine the photographic light within the photographs I work from and the actual physical light that passes through them from a backlit computer screen. The figures, therefore, could be seen to flicker between having an actual physical presence, created through the multilayered process of painting and, because they are also flat, almost not existing at all. Just being hologram-like impressions of themselves, cyphers of possible lives lived or just ghosts of energy briefly flickering in human form. This constant switching between presence and apparition as one looks at the painting seems to me to give the works a haunting quality.

What makes a good portrait?

I think it must leave an impression beyond mere likeness. The painterly elements of line, colour and form must congeal into something that has a life of its own. It doesn’t have to look like the sitter, even. Just excise something from the condition of looking at and/or thinking about the sitter, and trap that in the paint.

The deadline for the Sanlam Private Investments National Portrait Award is 13 August 2013 and the winner of the R100 000 prize will be announced on 27 August. For more info and entry forms, visit spiportraitaward.co.za

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If there are more popular words than “vintage” or “mid-century” on Pinterest, then we want to hear them! Of course, we wholly endorse giving timeworn items a second chance at life. Not all old is gold, though, so we asked the experts for their advice.

Jeremy Astfalck

The Old Corkscrew, theoldcorkscrew.co.za

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

While doing my BA degree at Wits in Johannesburg, unlike most of the other students who got work in the local restaurants as waiters and waitresses, I discovered the newly opened Johannesburg flea market. I soon became a seller as well as a buyer.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Quality, strength of design and that uniqueness that will ensure that the item remains as iconic in the future as it was when first produced.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Currently anything from the Far East made more than 50 years ago. The Chinese market in particular is booming as they are buying back everything that is in the Chinese taste.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

Many of the country’s flea markets and charity events are great sources – from the Milnerton Market through to the annual SA Riding for the Disabled Association antique fair held at the Alphen Centre in Constantia in August.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

The South African Antique Dealers Association (SAADA) yearly flagship events. 

Charles Kerr

Con Amore, conamorehome.com

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

I grew up in a home with beautiful pieces and my parents were keen collectors. While at university I discovered that I could turn my knowledge of antiques into profit by buying items on auction and selling them at the flea market on the weekends. It wasn’t great for my studies, but it was the beginning of a career for me.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Always buy the best that you can afford, and try to avoid damaged items unless you know a good restorer. Buy with your heart and not with your head – if you love the piece you will always have space in your home for it. Markets change often, and pieces that are bought for investment only can sometimes end up being white elephants with no good place to go.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Currently there is a big move towards mid-century modern, and “brown” Victorian furniture has fallen in value like a grandfather clock down a mine-shaft! The markets are fickle, though, and I do believe that Victorian furniture will see its day again – simply because they used the finest materials (exotic woods that cost an arm and a leg today) and the furniture was well manufactured by skilled craftsmen.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

Without a doubt, London’s famous Portobello Market – but get there with the fruit sellers (around 6am) and make sure that you’re gone by the time the busloads of tourists start to arrive. The infamous Chor Bazaar (thieves’ market) in Bombay is also fantastic for the quirky and the curious items on offer – but in recent years it has also become a bit of a tourist trap.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

The London Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane. Three floors underground, it is the world’s largest collection of silver items for sale in one place. Prices start below £100 but there are many items on display for over £100 000!

Anton Welz

Director and furniture specialist at Stephan Welz & Co, www.swelco.co.za 

How did you get into antiques and vintage? 

I come from a long line of collectors and my grandfather, Jean Welz, was one of South Africa’s 20th-century master painters. So I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by art and wonderful antique and vintage pieces. I worked in my first auction while still at high school and then studied History of Art so that I could turn my passion into a successful career, surrounded by antiques and vintage pieces.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Condition, condition, condition – this is absolutely paramount. One should not overpay for a sub-quality piece. Any damage, restoration or repair work can reduce the value of a piece by up to 70% depending on the extent of the damage, no matter how old the piece. Some restoration can be very difficult to spot so always ask for a condition report before making a decision.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Very much so, there has been a drop off in the prices of Victorian furniture and what we term “brown” furniture in the past three years, concurrent with what has been experienced in the English market. We have seen an increase in prices of mid-century modern furniture, particularly 20th century contemporary design. Art deco prices have dropped off, however, good design attributable to a particular designer (Etore Sottsass, Charles and Ray Eames, Le Corbusier, Phillippe Starck and a host of Danish designers – Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl) are becoming increasingly collectable. Perhaps partially due to the practicality of the pieces and the fact that it is currently a hot trend to own a mid-century modern classic.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

Auctions are always top of my mind. Traditionally perceived as stuffy affairs for the wealthy only, auctions are changing with the times, becoming less formal and offering greater ranges of beautiful items to purchase, whether for investment or just for love. There is also something very appealing, in our increasingly green-conscious environment, about purchasing an item that is not brand spanking new, and whose value has increased (and will further increase) over time. And, we’re not just talking about fine art – jewellery, silver, furniture and even cars make it to today’s auctions and are there for the taking at significantly lower prices than if purchased new, or from dealers.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

A fine and decorative arts auction.

Astrid van der Heim

Van der Heim Interiors International, vdhinteriorsintcc@vodamail.co.za

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

My mother was an avid collector of fine bone china tea sets and figurines. In the late-1960s and 1970s I was drawn to the so-called junk shops; having to furnish my own home I found the quality and nostalgia of a bygone era a feast. This was when plastic and plywood furniture was all the rage and it did not have the visual depth for me, as well as being way beyond my then budget.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Condition, design and beauty have been more important for me than the financial investment. Most of what I have collected has always improved in value as the trends for manufacture have changed. I always know what I am looking for – it is not about price or value for me but about the mix of the various areas that makes the statement.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Yes, but the best rule to decorate your home is by selecting what appeals to your design sense. That said, the Art Deco period has in my opinion held its own in the past 20 years of having been a collector of this era.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

I have found great decor items at Redecorate, recently moved to Parkhurst, Johannesburg. To revamp pieces for low-budget makeovers: Hospice and Tock H Parkview both in Johannesburg.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

New York at the tag (garage sales) and auctions. London flea markets for small pieces that I collect for personal pleasure. Hong Kong for the little Chinese pieces that have meaning and the patina of mostly unrestored scars showing their survival through previous lives. The Art Deco shop at Horizon Plaza has breathtaking pieces. In South Africa: The Ossewa, Melville; Vintage Cowboys; JAB Antiques, Melville; and Yesteryear, Westdene, which is one of my favorite shops as it has an Aladdin’s cave atmosphere with cabinets full of stuff that I love to browse through.

Mark Valentine

Amatuli Artefacts, www.amatuli.co.za

How did you get into antiques and vintage?

Not a conventional one. I was a runner in the villages of Botswana and Zimbabwe, pulling out old brass beds and boer trunks. This was just a hobby in the beginning and grew from there.

What should people look for when they buy antique and vintage items?

Generally there are no rules. Great patina, good form, an honest provenance and your heart should beat slightly faster when you see it for the first time.

Are there some antique and vintage items and styles that are more in vogue than others?

Some styles are timeless, i.e. country furniture seems to hold its appeal more that classics. Simple, with great lines seem to be the rule of thumb in my business.

What is your favourite place for picking up a bargain?

The deep south of Johannesburg, hidden reclamation yards and, recently, some old French colonial furniture in the Cameroon.

What is your favourite place to blow the budget?

Definitely Ethiopia, in the footsteps of the Queen of Sheba and the Menelik Dynasty. The mountain fortresses and towns of Lalibella and Axum house some great treasures, ancient Ethiopian cedar furniture and extraordinary tribal objects from the Omo Valley.

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