shop for quality South African design


The article below is from the shop pages in the September issue of Horizons magazine.

A ‘dedicated follower of sophistication’, interior decorator Sarah Ord decided she needed to ‘show the world what we can do, and how to live with incredible colour and design’. A few months ago she opened her small, very colourful store, which offers a unique range of patterned fabrics, linen, tableware, art and furniture.
Ord had always worked from a home studio, ‘but one really needs to have your name on a wall so people can pop in, put a face to a name and engage with your brand’. A showroom was available in a row of old slave cottages at the top of Bree Street, – ‘a blooming design district [see Sarah’s picks, right]. It was so me, I had to have it!’ she says. Ord has travelled extensively and this has been the greatest influence on her work. ‘I know it sounds clichéd but you have to see different cultures, taste different tastes and walk through places steeped in heritage to really expand your mind.’
Her favourite destinations evoke sensual memories: Venice – ‘espresso, garlic, Vin Santo, fur coats and felt hats’; the Greek Islands – ‘honey, yoghurt, goat bells and sizzling lamb or octopus’; Kenya’s East Coast – ‘where you can sit, feet buried in beach sand, stirring your dawa cocktail
and wondering what took you so long’.
She loves African cultural design. ‘I don’t mean ethno bongo beads, but true saturated colour and quirky pattern and the way it is lived with.’
All cotton and linen at Sarah Ord Interiors is sourced locally and then milled abroad. ‘We’re purists with regards to using 100% cotton and linens in their most base form. I love the way the dyes work on a textured surface,’ says Ord. Furniture and accessories are handmade by local artisans, artists and ceramicists.
Ord’s signature is bright colour combinations. ‘Deep, rich hues always resonate for me. I’m a huge fan of red and yellow. These applied in rich hues on fabrics or in a glossy sheen on a picture frame finish a room.’ Mixed with layers of other styles, she says, it’s very easy to live with bold colour.
• 215 Bree Street, CBD, Cape Town, 021-422-3218, sarahord.com

Sarah’s picks in the area:

• Rhubarb Room (gifts, cafe and clothing),
227 Bree Street, 021-424-2004
• Madwa (textiles, tableware and homeware), 221 Bree Street, 078-800-7616
• Pezula Interiors (lifestyle and decor), 17 Buiten Street, 021-424-2661
• Jason Bakery, 185 Bree Street, 021-424-5644

Cover Up
Known for his beautiful leather wallets, SA designer Mathew Neilson, aka MatBlac, has created a new line of felt iPhone covers. The iSlip and iPouch can hold any iPhone or similar sized device, plus a bank card, cash or headphones. The ecofriendly felt is imported from Germany, and is stain resistant, hard wearing yet soft, and won’t pill. matblac.com, 083-516-6232

Natural design
Sea-urchin shells wash up on the isolated beaches on the southern tip of Africa, which is where Grant Hattingh found the inspiration for his African Urchin jewellery collection. The ‘sea jewels’ are plated in precious metal (24ct gold, rose gold, white gold or silver), ensuring prolonged life and creating a lovely pendant. As the shells are sculpted by nature, no two pendants are the same. They are collected on the beach – no harvesting is done – and the jewellery is made to order and shipped world wide. africanurchin.com, 087-808-7064/5

Comments