Tototo-tally cute

These cute garden chairs are called Tototo, and are designed by Hannes Wettstein for Italian furniture manufacturers, MaxDesign.

They're stackable! And they come in colours tototo... to die for (couldn't resist)!

But this is not just a cute garden chair. It's actually an award-winner, having been awarded the Good Design Award by the Chicago Atheneum last year.

Check out the Good Design store, where Tototo is for sale, or shop a bit closer to home at Sean Williams in Loop st, Cape Town.

Giveaway - Latin Reggae

Need a trends forecast? No problem. I reckon this season's going to be all about red, gold and green... with a dash of salsa for spice!

Of course, I could just be saying this because I've been listening to the infectious rhythms on Latin Reggae , the latest release from Putumayo World Music.


If you want to check out this trend for yourself, shoot a mail to elledeco@elledecomag.co.za naming one of the artists on the album. You could win a copy for yourself! Please remember to include your name and postal address in your email.

Spirograph log basket

I like it that something so light can carry heavy things. The Spirograph log basket can be found at the Conran Shop.

via Designers Library

We're in the Finals!

This is exciting! The Elle Deco blog is a finalist in two categories of the 2008 SA Blog Awards!

If you want to see us clean up as Best New Blog and Best Design Blog, click on the link in the sidebar.

Fingers crossed...

Inge Prins - new work

Earlier this week, Cape Town photographer Inge Prins sent me a link to her exhibition of photographs, "Daar is 'n slang in die gras", currently on show online at Art-Online.

The oddly eerie quality of these photographed landscapes is due to the fact that they are not shot on vast African plains, but within the tiny glass-encased diorama boxes at the Natural History Museum. I think they're beautiful!

See more of Inge's show here, and visit the portfolio of this talented photographer here.

Yuta Watanabe

I discovered Yuta Watanabe's pared down and practical brilliance via Swiss Miss last week.

This ceramic remote control fits in the palm of your hand, and for a change, it's really nice to see this remote lying around.

The more you use the eraser, the more you reveal its shape.

The lid of the cast iron pot becomes a handy potstand.

See more of Yuta Watanabe's work here.

Conference highlights

It wasn't quite in the flesh, as I was attending a simulcast version of the Design Indaba Conference, but nonetheless, over the past two days I have seen and heard the most extraordinary people speaking, including:

Ilse Crawford

The design work of Ilse Crawford and her team at StudioIlse is informed by a concern with the "warm" aspects of what it is to be human - aspects of interaction, senses, emotion, pleasure, soul, culture. This concern is somehow deeply feminine, and I feel this quality comes through in the work in a most elegant manner, evidenced in the photo above.

Ivan Chermayeff

Ivan Chermayeff of Chermayeff & Geismar is the guy who designed the logo for Mobil, and for Xerox, and ... just about every iconic 20th Century logo you can think of, really. I was very taken with the 9 story high mural made with handpainted traditional Portuguese tiles for the Lisbon Aquarium . See more pics of this awe inspiring work here.

Oscar ePena

I think I might nickname my Cube kettle "Oscar" after seeing its designer, Oscar e Peña speaking about his work as senior creative director at Phillips.

Airside

When the zingy London design team, Airside told us about their charming Stitches project, they had the audience in... well yes, you guessed it.

Marije Vogelzang

Listening to eating designer Marije Vogelzang of Proef was almost overwhelming. Her energy and imagination is without bounds. And... exciting news... she keeps a blog about her work!

Maxim Velcovsky

It was really interesting to listen to Czech artist Maxim Velcovsky of design studio Qubus talking about his work. I've not been very fond of what I've seen of his work (his porcelain wellies always remind of those ceramic paper bag things from the '80s), but knowing the ideas behind the objects has certainly enriched them for me.


(Oh, and PS: When I grow up, I want to be Ilse Crawford, please! )

Expo Visit 3

It's a total Design Indaba overload! Thank goodness my memory card filled up, or there would be more. I can barely take it in, but I do hope you've been enjoying. Here goes on the final day of the Design Indaba Expo 2008:

My personal favourite at the Expo was the amazing fabric designs by Ekoka, inspired by artwork of the !Kung Bushmen who live in remote northern Namibia. I hope to show you lots more of these textiles soon.
Ceramics and beadwork from non-profit outfit Monkeybiz put a zing in my step, even after a long Expo day.

Those clever people at Tintown have come up with some lovely new cut metal designs. Love this seaweedy lamp!

I liked the new-traditional approach taken by Vuyisa Potina for Potina Ceramics, based in Franschoek.

Phumani Papers makes all manner of amazing paper things, and these bright beasts were my best.

Wendy Mclachlan handmakes the often food-themed ceramics at Homebakes, and came up with this rather delectable concoction.

The Heartworks stall was jam-packed with beautiful things, showcasing the wonderful work sold in their stores. Lots of amazing embroidery was on show, and I hope to be giving you a little tour of Heartworks right here on the blog soon...

Lovely recycled food sacks by non profit outfit, Give It Bag. I had to run away quickly after taking the pic so I didn't buy (yet another) beautiful bag for myself.

Handpainted plates by the very talented Gemma Orkin.

A blaze of textile wonder at Fabric Nation.

And I found this chair all on its own at the Creativity Industries stand. It's made by Third Eye Designs, which is run by Wanga Ngwane and Peter Seboyeng, and I thought it was rather nice!

Whew! Back again next year for more!

Expo visit 2

Today is the last day of the Design Indaba Expo, and then the conference starts on Wednesday. I hope to get more Expo pics later this afternoon, and here are more of those I took on Sunday:

Joburg-based glassblowers, Molten, don't have a website, but if you're in the area, visit their shop at Bamboo in Melville. It looks to be a treat.

I love Ronel Jordaan's amazing felted pebbles, throws, scarves and screens. So sophisticated and restrained, and absolutely beautiful. How does she make them?

Also along the restrained lines was the very elegant The Letterpress Co with their beautiful bespoke letterpress stationery.

My photos of Michael Haigh's ceramics didn't come out too well, so was pleased when he sent others through. There's no website, but Kraal Art can be found in the Nottingham Road area in KwaZulu Natal.

Expo Visit 1

Before my camera battery went flat, I managed to take a couple of snaps at the Design Indaba Expo on Sunday. I'll be back for more this week, as the Expo runs until Tuesday, but here's a start:

First up, some familiar faces. Here's the lovely Elle Decoration stand!

And nearby, our recent guest blogger, Frauke Stegmann was showing her ceramics.


Michelle Petrie is the interior designer behind abode, who has been making gorgeous cane lights and furniture in collaboration with the Cape Town Society for the Blind. Beautiful!

Ceramist Lisa Firer makes the most exquisitely delicate things from porcelain. She had these lights on show, along with some of her porcelain jewellery. It was hard to take pics of her stall because of all the clamouring shoppers, eager to get their mitts on one of these beauties.

Quite deservedly, one of Lisa's lights has been nominated for the Most Beautiful Object in SA award (vote here).

Architect Lorenzo Nassimbeni has recently branched out into illustration and wallpaper design. His architectural roots are definitely showing!

There's more, lots more to show (camera battery willing), so check in tomorrow and all week for reports on exciting SA design news.