Take Jacques Erasmus home

PHOTOS: Micky Hoyle

Jacques Erasmus, owner and chef of Hemelhuijs restaurant in Cape Town, has translated his love affair with antique ceramics into a beautiful homeware collection of his own.

“There’s something so fresh and relevant about the old pieces that they inspired me to create my own range,” Jacques says. “I’ve collaborated with potter Noeleen Reed and Ella Lou O’Meara, who are both experts on the subject.”

The black stoneware items, which are safe to use in the microwave and dishwasher, work particularly well in a collection. This is probably why most customers buy them en masse, Jacques notes. The simple colouring also means that each vessel’s striking, functional shape becomes the hero of the design.

All the items are handmade in limited quantities, making them collectors’ pieces, and Jacques keeps adding more designs. A little bird also told us that an entirely new collection, inspired by a new spring menu and fresh new interiors at Hemelhuijs, is on its way…

Browse through our online gallery to view the collection and read our exclusive interview with Jacques in VISI 56, our “Into the Blue” issue, which is on sale now.