This weekend we’re exploring our local hoods in Durban, Joburg and Cape Town. First up is DECO’s Marketing Assistant Kyllie Hogg, our Durban girl, who’s spending her weekend in Cape Town, but wishing she was in fact in her home town. Here’s what she would’ve been doing had she been in Durbs by the sea: “I’m always in the mood for a frozen yoghurt at Wakaberry Frozen Yoghurt Bar in Florida Road. And then of course there’s the first I Heart Market of the year on Saturday, which i’m missing out on too… Sunday I’ll be daydreaming of cycling on the Durban promenade with one of those old-school cruiser bikes from Street Scenes.”

This weekend is action packed for Joburg’s Cheska Liackman, DECO contributor and ELLE‘s Bureau Chief. “I definitely won’t be missing the Kindling prints exhibition by Bruce Mackay at Wolves Cafe, my local hangout. I love their fresh lemonade and red velvet cake and my boyfriend is a huge fan of the local beer. No Jozi weekend is complete without a trip to Juta Street in Braamfontein, and of course a trip to the Neighbourgoods Market to pick up some fresh produce and clothes from Qz of Milkteeth. Qz really has an eye for seriously cool items which she sources internationally and I love that each piece is a once off so I wont spy anyone else wearing the same thing as me. In the afternoon I’ll head to Parkhurst to find something for the man in my life for Valentines Day at LOOM. And dinner is already booked at Leopard. Last time I was there I had the quail and my mouth has been watering ever since.”

“Sunday is a lazy day for me. I love walking down to Nice in Parkhurst for brunch (egg baskets of course) and then browsing 4th Ave. I also make sure I pop into Jeremy Stephen Antiques for a browse every now and then… I love their Art Deco lamps. Sunday night I will be at the Sundays in The City weekly rooftop party in the Maboneng district. I love ending off the weekend with the skyline in the background.”

Karen Doyle, DECO’s Copy Editor, just moved into a cute little cottage in Cape Town’s Chelsea Village – complete with a front porch with broekie lace – so this weekend she’s planning on getting to know her neighbourhood by… “Watching Comedy of Errors at the Maynardville open-air theatre, which is within walking distance of my house. I can’t wait to try the handmade ice cream from The Creamery’s mobile stand. I’ll also be trawling second-hand and antique shops on Wynberg Main Road, such as Serendipity Antiques and Collectables – I’m on the lookout for a pair of retro armchairs! And then i’m heading to the Chart Farm next door in Constantia for some tea and scones and to pick some roses from their garden.”

Make sure to get your hands on our Colour Issue to see our roundup of Wale Street, Parkhurst and Durban’s Promenade, great places to go exploring this weekend!

Kartell, the Italian furniture company known for their collectable contemporary plastic furniture, has opened shop in De Waterkant, Cape Town. The company, with its headquarters in Milan, began manufacturing automobile accessories in 1949, but expanded into home furnishings in 1963, and have produced a wealth of iconic design pieces since. We’ve gone paging through our past issues to spot some of Kartell’s signature pieces in local DECO homes. Here’s just some of what we found…

Anna Castelli Ferrieri’s modular Componibili storage unit for Kartell (above, left), was featured in our 2010 Urban Issue in this modern Sea Point Apartment of Christiaan Van Aswegen and Alex Geh. This unit matches the delicious monster pot, also a Kartell original. The Componibili units have been in production for more than thirty years and have received much recognition for their pre-eminent and innovative design. They are displayed at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and at the George Pompidou Centre in Paris.

Phillippe Starck’s Louis Ghost Chairs for Kartell were featured in our 2010 Celebrate Issue in playwright Sean Matthias’s Higgovale home (above left), as well as in Leon Stander’s Pretoria home (above, right) in our 2011 Spring Issue. These iconic armchairs reference the Louis XV style, and are a daring example of injected polycarbonate in a single mold. Despite its evanescent and crystalline appearance, Louis Ghost chairs are stable and durable, shock and weather resistant, and can also be stacked six high.

Joe Colombo’s Stacking Chair for Kartell was featured in our 2009 Kitchen Issue in Chris Viljoen and Christan Boshoff’s Greenpoint home. This chair was the first industrial seat in the world created by a single injection mold.

Make sure to visit the new flagship Cape Town Kartell store – Shop 2, The Hudson, Corner Hudson and Strand Street, De Waterkant. Don’t miss out on the miniature Phillippe Starck chairs also on display. For more information, contact capetown@kartellflag.com

DECO’s Charl Edwards and housemate Katrin Coetzer have created a little garden on wheels in their Cape Town apartment. Sourced from a second-hand furniture store in Wynberg, this trolley has become the perfect indoor mobile garden, trailing after the sunlight. “Our trolley has become a bit of a cabinet of curiosities on wheels. We’re constantly adding anything green to it.” Botanical prints, postcards, ornamental birds, Milnerton Market finds, Frauke Stegmann glass jars, and colour-coded gardening books have all become part of the trolley display, amid the casual collection of greenery. The plants include a Poor Man’s Orchid, a spekboom, asparagus, thyme and succulents. Here are some details of their mobile garden of curiosities…

Watch this space for more ideas for small-scale urban gardens: Next-up is Renee Rossouw’s colourful succulent collection in her city loft apartment. We’d love to see your mini gardens and green ideas. Send them in!

Durban’s own I Heart Market is celebrating its 3rd birthday tomorrow night with its I Heart Cake party and the launch of a poster exhibition – a display of all the market posters designed by Dominic Strauss. This exhibition will run for the month of February. Don’t miss out on the first I Heart Market of the year on the 4th of February. Here are some of our favourite I Heart posters we’ve been collecting over the past few years…

If you’ve had a look through the pages of our Colour Issue, you would have noticed an abundance of colour. Our upfront trend pages reveal decor’s current obsession with electric blues, acid yellows, tangerine tango, soda pop green, nudes, primary brights, and of course anything Pantone. Here’s a round-up of delectable Pantone decor items…

Pantone products (above):  1. iPad cover  2. Metal tin  3. Lights/decorations  4. Coffee mug  5. iPhone cover  6. Espresso mug  7. Folding chairs

As promised, we’re giving away espresso Pantone mugs (no. 6 above) as our DECO Desirable this week, featured on our Colour Issue trends pages. All you need to do is name your favourite colour by commenting below or by tweeting this post, and this DECO Desirable could be yours. These espresso Pantone mugs are available for R85 from LIM in Cape Town. For Pantone iPhone and iPad covers, visit LOOM in Parkhurst or any Exclusive Books store.

In our latest Colour Issue we breathe new life into the desktop. We explore green avant-garde desktop installations featuring suspended gardens, shots of acid-bright blue, delicate pressed flowers, grainy timber, and chalky weathered walls. DECO’s contributing stylist Marcii Goosen and photographer Francois Visser create a world of wonder in designer Xandre Kriel’s studio, with plants by Opus Studio. Have a look…

See the latest Colour Issue for these beautiful desktop set-ups and ideas, and watch this space for more out-takes from this shoot.

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Next week We visit Opus Studio and chat to owner Marissa Pretorius.

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* Photographs by Rebecca Houston

In our latest Colour Issue, we’ve rounded up fashion’s avant-garde – six people whose inherent style we admire and whose trend-savvy we trust. Today we chat to three of them: Chloe Townsend, Thando Sikawuti and Thulare Monareng. Here’s what they had to say…

With a background in graphic design, Cape Town creative Thando Sikawuti’s first foray into fashion was making limited edition t-shirts. But it’s his statement-making men’s shorts we love for the contemporary Afro Cool update he’s given this everyday wardrobe staple. Made from the bright Ghanaian textiles that he discovered on a visit to the country by way of Oslo, Copenhagen and Rome, what began as an addition to his personal wardrobe has become a boutique business thanks to requests from friends and acquaintances. With his brand currently in the pipeline and no HQ to speak of (yet), Thando wryly refers to himself as ‘The Walking Shop’. Contact him on tsikawuti@yahoo.com for ordering queries.

Favourite South African designer? Craig Native, as his clothing is individualistic and non-conformist.

Favourite urban spots? Long Street and Observatory: for the collision of different people and the artistic expression evident in much of the decor of its bars, shops and eateries. I specifically like Yours Truly Cafe in Long Street, for a coffee and the cool paintings for sale.

Can’t live without… Music. Or leaving the house without feeling good about what I’m wearing.

Favourite music? I’m into underground, old-school hip hop.

Combining her skills learnt at the London School of Fashion along with her innate creativity, offbeat design sensibility and love of colour and pattern, Chloe Townsend has created South Africa’s most-wanted luxury leather accessories label, Missibaba. As well as being the darling of the local fashion press, the Missibaba brand has been featured in publications from Vogue Japan to Wallpaper. Her Woodstock studio is a buzzing space saturated with eye candy, inspirational objects, mood boards, samples and swatches that all go towards the making of her seasonal ranges of bags, clutches, belts, leather jewellery and one-offs. The names she gives her bags – Puffin Pouch, Zoo Cha-Ching, Vicious Fishes, and Peacock Possum – are just as delightful as the items themselves. The label Missibaba comes from Chloë’s childhood nickname, given to her by her mother, and the brand has the same playful, creative presence. Visit www.missibaba.com.

What inspires you? Everything that surrounds me! Nature, the colours of fynbos, local plants and birds. Changing light, contrasts in general, leather as a material, my creative friends, and collaborations with talented people such as Meg Summs of Fabric, Stiaan Louw, Anna Loubser from Wolmer… And a gorgeous, Scandinavian 1920’s illustrated book of fairytales given to me by my very special grandmother. Trips to India, Argentina and Greece inspire patterns and add variety to my colour palette. And last but certainly not least, my creative family and all the Missibabas!

On your playlist? I’m loving Maria Minerva and the Cocteau Twins at the moment.

Best urban space? I’ve been spending a lot of time at my brother’s new restaurant, Harbour House, which recently opened at the Waterfront. They have the most delicious sushi and perfect position, where I intend to spend many a lazy Sunday afternoon into evening.

What do you make of Cape Town winning the title of World Design Capital for 2014? What an incredible opportunity! I hope all members of our community can be encouraged to embrace it with open hearts and minds. We all need to pool our skills, knowledge and ideas in order to move forward as a whole. It is definitely possible. We just need to enjoy it!

We love the names of your collections almost as much as we love the bags. How do you come up with them? The name of the collection arrives during the making of the first samples. It sounds a little odd, but the bags kind of let us know what they want to be called. They take on a life of their own!

What’s in your handbag at the moment? What is not in my handbag at the moment! A hammer, cold/flu medication, a lemon, sunglasses, wallet, a CD of a ridiculously rad local band The Makeovers, NT cutter blades, perfume, mascara, leather samples… The list goes on!

Thulare Monareng first nabbed our attention with her ingenious Fashion Deli Cafe: a clothing store on Long Street where local designs were displayed in deli fridges, cool drink crates and shopping trolleys. Currently, she is the international artistic director for United Fashion For Peace, a Paris-based organization committed to the development of sustainable and ethical fashion. There are plans to expand her Fashion Deli concept, and eponymous Thulare Monareng and Thuli brands internationally.

Favourite urban spot? Greenmarket Square, which I call the town square. It’s a wonderful mélange of creativity: from the food served in the various cafes to the eclectic performances by local buskers and the stalls selling clothing and crafts.

Top South African designer? Strangelove. I think they’re the most innovative and underrated design label in South Africa. I love their afro-urban approach to design reflected in beautifully tailored garments that are avant-garde but also very wearable.

The last thing I put on my credit card was…   A painting by Justin Stationway from World Art.

Who has impressed you recently in design? Japanese designer Rie Hosokai’s exquisite couture garments constructed from balloons.

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For Part 2 of Fashion’s Avant-Garde, visit our blog next week.

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* Photographs Adriaan Louw & Richard Aaron Production Charl Edwards Interviews Rebecca Houston & Alece Bick Additional Text Mandy Allen

Good news! Linen House, best known for their quality bedroom linen in feel good fabrics, has partnered with ELLE Decoration to give away Rosetta duvet covers to three lucky DECO readers. These Rosetta queen size duvet covers are featured in our latest Colour Issue, as seen on our special ‘Get the Look Page’ for the French Apartment. They are valued at R1700 each and come with two matching pillow cases, as well as two continental pillow cases.

Antique bridal lace was the inspiration for this beautiful white Rosetta linen design. Bands of delicate embroidery on a chalky white cotton sateen base are combined here with embroidered oxford continental pillowcases and a rose scatter.

TO WIN All you need to do is comment below, or tweet about this post on twitter. Entries close Friday 24 February 2012.

For the latest contemporary and classic linen, bedroom basics and a fantastic range of scatters and throws, visit linenhousesa.blogspot.com or contact 021 552 1060

‘This year is all about revolution, not resolution’, says editor Laureen Rossouw. So with that said, a refreshing burst of colour tops DECO’s manifesto for 2012. From Tangerine tango, soda-pop green, acid yellow to electric blue, we’ve created a colour trail from cover to cover in our new Colour Issue, exploring colour in full force. Here’s our line-up…

Homes in Spain, Denmark, France, Johannesburg and Cape Town

Desktop gardening

Tips and advice on smart storage solutions for your home in our special Focus Section

Our pick of local designers for the ELLE Decoration International Design Awards

A trip to the Durban beachfront and promenade

A scroll down Cape Town’s Wale Street and the Joburg suburb of Parkhurst

Colour-inspired trends, shopping and Get-The-Look pages

And our DECO Guide to Walls, Floors, Doors, Lighting & More. All of this, and more, in our new Issue, on sale at any leading news agent. Pick up a copy, and let us know what you think.

We spotted this arresting piece of design at Tent London during the 2011 London Design Fair, intrigued by its lyrical and unexpected combination of materials. This Pipe Loop coffee table, by British designer Tamasine Osher, is made from copper piping and cedar of Lebanon. Her designs often combine unexpected elements, exploiting fundamental properties of the materials. See her Copper Wall Lamp below…

Tamasine says, ‘The intention is to encourage an interaction of the visual with the tactile to stimulate curiosity‘. With her interesting selection and combination of materials, it sure does.

Enter Michael Guy, the South African designer behind these recycled copper candlestick holders above – another reappropriation of copper piping. This design is available from Haas Collective for R550. And then of course there’s Arik Levy‘s Mistic Candle Holder (below) – made from glass plated in copper, and stocked locally by OKHA.

Next week we’ll be exploring colour bright pipe-inspired designs. Watch this space.